Folk Art Festival and Just Above the Water, Florida Folk Art

by Ed Forteau /
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Mar 12, 2010 / 0 comments

WINTER PARK, FL — Crealdé School of Art invites you to share in the beauty, variety and depth of Florida folk art at the first Hannibal Square Folk Art Festival on Saturday, April 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in front of the Hannibal SquareHeritageCenter on the corner of New England and Pennsylvania in Winter Park. Just Above the Water: Florida Folk Art opens Friday, April 9, and runs through June 26.

 

 Serenity, by Willie Reagan

Serenity, Willie Reagan

 

 

The Hannibal Square Folk Art Festival will be an opportunity to meet and purchase the artwork of Florida folk artists, including the work of artists featured in the exhibition, several Florida Highwaymen, and other established local folk artists. The festival also features soul food, live music and a hands-on KidFolk Workshop for children, led by renowned Orlando folk artist Linda Schäpper. Workshops will be held from 10:30 to 11:30, 1:00 to 2:00 and 2:30 to 3:30. Each workshop is limited to 20 participants; a $5 donation is suggested. To reserve a space, call Fairolyn Livingston, Heritage Center Manager, at 407-539-2680.

 

The Folk Art Festival kicks off Just Above the Water: Florida Folk Art; a three-month Visiting Exhibition at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. On loan from The Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee, the exhibition opens on Friday, April 9. There will be an evening lecture at 6:00 p.m. by curator Tina Bucuvalas and folklorist Kristin Congdon in the historic Mt.Moriah Missionary BaptistChurch, followed by a reception from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the HeritageCenter.

 

The exhibition allows a glimpse into the lives of 35 Florida folk artists. Among the artists featured are some of Florida’s most noted and beloved contemporary folk artists, such as Mary Proctor, Robert Roberg, Ruby Williams, and Kurt Zimmerman. These artists, in many cases self-taught, show us another perspective of life—one that is inspired by their everyday customs, their working and living environments, and their community traditions. They work with diverse mediums and expand our notions of art, from doll and mask making to woodwork and shoes, and come from diverse cultural backgrounds. The exhibit is based on the book Just Above the Water: Florida Folk Art by Kristin Congdon, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy at UCF and Tina Bucuvalas, Ph.D., Curator of Arts and Historic Resources for the City of Tarpon Springs. The book is the culmination of a five-year project encompassing thorough on-site research and many hours of interviews with the folk artists, and will be available during the exhibition.

 

Fish 1997, by Kurt Zimmerman

Fish 1997, by Kurt Zimmerman

 

 

Hannibal Square is a historic African-American community in the Central Florida city of Winter Park. The area has become a vibrant revitalized shopping and dining destination for local and out of town visitors.  The Hannibal SquareHeritageCenter is operated by Crealdé School of Art and pays tribute to the past, present and future contributions of Winter Park’s historic African American Community through permanent and visiting exhibitions.

 

The Hannibal Square Heritage Center Visiting Exhibition Series is funded through a Tourist Development Grant from the Orange County Government, Department of Cultural Affairs;  the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Winter Park and a Culture Builds Florida Grant from the State of Florida.

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Crealdé School of Art is a community based non-profit arts organization established in 1975. It features a year-round curriculum of over 90 visual arts classes for students of all ages, two galleries, the ContemporarySculptureGarden, and award-winning outreach programs. Crealdé’s second campus, the Hannibal SquareHeritageCenter, opened in 2007 in partnership with the City of Winter Park, offers innovative programming in the arts and humanities with a focus on local history, cultural preservation, and southern folklore. Through the award-winning Heritage Collection, the center pays tribute to contributions of Winter Park’s historic African American community. For more information, call:

 

Crealdé School of Art: (407) 671-1886  www.crealde.org; open M-Th. 9-4, Fri. & Sat. 9-1.

 

Heritage Center: (407) 539-2680  www.hannibalsquareheritagecenter.org , open Tu.-Th. 12-4, F 12-5, Sat. 10-2.