Anyone who has ever wandered through the Maitland Art Center grounds knows what a mystical and magical sanctuary it is. Rich in history and breathtaking architecture, the space houses gardens with tranquil ponds and an enchanting outdoor Mayan chapel with a stunning aesthetic that strikingly juxtaposes against its natural surroundings.
You'll also find studios touting professional artist residency programs and oodles of opportunities for budding art enthusiasts to learn and sharpen skills. And finally, A&H’s Maitland Art Center features a gallery, which showcases a rotating collection of art from near and far.
Next month, the gallery will kick off a multi-week exhibit called Art31: Fiber. Through a series of opening and closing events, as well as the ongoing exhibit, couples on date night gain a wonderful opportunity to share some artful quality time in one of Central Florida's most extraordinary settings. Here's a look at what's on deck:
CULTURE POP * March 2, 2018
Not your typical exhibition opening, Culture Pop! is Orlando’s original interactive art happening. It serves as the kick-off for Art31’s thirty-one days of experimentation and collaboration. This event will feature;
- Preview Art31: Fiber exhibition
- Literary readings by local writers
- Live Music by Ancient Sun
- Short films from Enzian Theater
- View pop-up exhibition by Artist-in-Action Suzanne Oberholtzer
- Visit A&H’s Artists-in-Action in their studios
- Demonstrations by Art School instructors
- Light bites by John Michael Catering
- Cash bar with fine wine & craft beer
- A rare glimpse of the beautiful campus after nightfall
The event takes place from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm.
Admission: free for A&H members; $7 for Not-Yet-Members in advance; $10 at the door. Click here to purchase your tickets.
ART31: FIBER * March 2nd through April 22nd
For 31 days in March, contemporary artists from across the U.S. will come to the Art & History Museums – Maitland (A&H) to create new works and engage the public in the creative process. In the spirit of experimentation and collaboration in modern art, Art31 is a series of exhibits and happenings that honor A&H’s history as the Research Studio, which welcomed a handful of notable artists from the northeast each winter from 1937-1959, allowing them to practice new artistic styles.
The centerpiece exhibition of Art31: Fiber, on view March 2 – April 22, 2018 in the Maitland Art Center galleries, features works by Alisha McCurdy, Hye Shin, and Carrie Sieh. This group of internationally recognized artists creates with cloth, paper, and other fibrous materials, and use traditional techniques like stitching, quilting, and crocheting, in innovative and provocative ways to engage with their environments.
Read more about the featured artists here.
ART31: FIBER FINALE * March 30, 2018
Enjoy a performance by Accidental Music Festival (AMF), have a last chance to meet “Godrick”, as well as the Art31: Fiber exhibition in Maitland Art Center galleries.
Ensemble AMF is a group of musicians equally at home in the worlds of classical and improvised music. The group will present premiers of several new open-form, open-instrumentation compositions based on different meanings of the word fiber.
As the traveling portion of Art31: Fiber, celebrated puppetry artist Jack Fields will pop up at busy locations throughout Orange County, as Godrick, “a cosmic creature made of dreams, spider silk, eyes and hat molecules,” creating interactive performance experiences as fibers given life.
Admission: $5 for A&H members, $10 for not-yet-members.
This event takes place from 7-9pm. For more details, visit artandhistory.org/event/art31-fiber-finale.