The Maitland Art Center (formerly known as The Research Studio) is a historic site in

Maitland, Florida Maitland is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States, part of the Greater Orlando area. The population was 19,543 at the 2020 census. The area's history is exhibited at the Maitland Historical Museum; the city also hosts the Mai ...

. It was founded and designed by architect and artist J. Andre Smith (1880-1959) in 1937 as an artist colony, dedicated to experimental art. Funded by philanthropist Mary Curtis Bok, the colony hosted artists such as

Ralston Crawford Ralston Crawford (1906–1978) was an American abstract painter, lithographer, and photographer. Early life He was born on September 5, 1906, in St. Catharines, Ontario, and spent his childhood in Buffalo, New York. He studied art beginning in ...

Milton Avery Milton Clark Avery (March 7, 1885 – January 3, 1965Haskell, B. (2003). "Avery, Milton". Grove Art Online.) was an American modern painter. Born in Altmar, New York, he moved to Connecticut in 1898 and later to New York City. He was the husband ...

, and

Consuelo Kanaga Consuelo Delesseps Kanaga (May 25, 1894 – 1978) was an American photographer and writer who became well known for her photographs of African-Americans. Life Kanaga was born on May 25, 1894, in Astoria, Oregon, the second child of Amos Ream Kan ...

. It is located at 231 West Packwood Avenue. On November 17, 1982, it was added to the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The Maitland Art Center is one of the five museums encompassed by the Art & History Museums - Maitland (A&H). The A&H's Maitland Art Center offers artist residency programs, a variety of art classes for adults and children, professional development for artists, and dynamic programming for art appreciation. The A&H is a non-profit organization funded by earned income and contributions by the City of Maitland, the State of Florida, United Arts of Central Florida, grants, and individual donations. The A&H's Maitland Art Center is one of the few examples of

Mayan Revival architecture Mayan Revival is a modern architectural style popular in the Americas during the 1920s and 1930s that drew inspiration from the architecture and iconography of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. History Origins Though the name of the s ...

, also known as Fantasy Architecture in the southeast. The grounds are a common location for outdoor weddings. The art center offers three areas for weddings: the Main Garden, the Chapel, and the Mayan Courtyard. The Center (as The Research Studio (Maitland Art Center)) was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in August 2014. It was given this designation primarily for its distinctive architecture, a Mayan-influenced interpretation of

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

, sometimes referred to as

Mayan Revival Mayan Revival is a modern architectural style popular in the Americas during the 1920s and 1930s that drew inspiration from the architecture and iconography of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. History Origins Though the name of the s ...

References

External links

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Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs

Orange County listings

Maitland Art Center
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Art Colony Bell
a
A History of Central Florida Podcast
{{Authority control National Historic Landmarks in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, Florida Art museums and galleries in Florida Tourist attractions in Orange County, Florida Historic American Buildings Survey in Florida Mayan Revival architecture Buildings and structures completed in 1937 1937 establishments in Florida Maitland, Florida

See also

References

External links