1920 Ocoee and Beyond

Posted on by Thor

An event was held at Valencia West building 8, Special Events Center (1800 South Kirkman Road, Orlando, Fl) in honor of the people who lost their lives in the Ocoee Massacre. On November 2, 1920 the day of the United States Presidential Election, a white mob attacked African-American residents in Ocoee, Florida. As many as 35 African Americans may have been killed during the
riot, and most African-American-owned buildings and residences in Ocoee were burned to the ground, while others were later killed or driven out on threat of more
violence. West Orange was incorporated in 1922, and Ocoee essentially became an all-white town. The riot has been
described as the “single bloodiest day in modern American political
history”.

Perhaps the most horrific thing about this event is that we concretely know so little. We do not actually know who started what, how many African-Americans were killed, who ran to where, and whose property was stolen versus later sold, and whether or not for a fair price. There are many many versions of the narrative surrounding the Ocoee Massacre/Riot and little verifiable source documentation to back it up. Generally, the story goes as follows.

Mose Norman, a prosperous African-American land owner, tried to vote but was turned away on Election Day for not having paid his poll tax. In anger and frustration, Norman returned to the to the polling place. allegedly with a gun and tyring to get the names of the people who were illegally trying to
keep him from voting. He was sent packing again. Norman took refuge in  the home of Julius “July” Perry, another prominent African American land owner.  

Colonel Sam Salisbury, a prominent white native New Yorker and a former chief of police of Orlando, led a group of white officers and other men to find and presumably punish Mose Norman. He later proudly lauded his part in the massacre that followed. Sam knocked on the door of July Perry and July came out. When July was grabbed, a shot rang out injuring one of the white officers.  Suddenly bullets were flying. It is unknown how many people were inside the house, how many were armed, and who actually was shooting, but in all, we do know that several white men were injured, 2 white men were killed, and only have any sort of proof that July Perry was seriously wounded along with his daughter Coretha. She escaped with her mother and children out the back door into a cane field.

The whites laid waste to
the African-American community in West Orange. Fires burned a reporeted 18 or more black homes, two churches, and a lodge.  July Perry was reportedly taken to the Orange General Hospital (now Orlando Health), then to be taken to the jail. It is unclear whether he was taken by a mob en route to the jail or whether he was pulled from his cell, the jailor overwhelmed by the mob. Accounts vary from his being drug behind a car, his body being riddled with bullets, and being hung from either a pole or a tree. The location of said hanging is also very unclear and ranges from Church Street to up near the Country Club.

Norman escaped and relocated to New York City, eventually selling all of his land in Ocoee. Hundreds of other African Americans
fled the town, leaving behind their homes and possessions.

Descendants of July Perry were in the audience of this Ocoee and Beyond event. Two of them are in my sketch seated at the table in front of me. They got up to talk a bit about their family’s experiences through the years. Being two or three generations removed, they didn’t have any direct commentary about July Perry. Their families fled Ocoee, moving to other states and the family continues to thrive. The evening was filled out with music and dance. Pam Schwartz of the Orange County Regional History Center was there because the museum plans to mount an exhibition about the Ocoee Massacre around the time of the 2020 elections. In front of the History Center, a historic marker was put up to remind modern residents about the Ocoee Election Day Massacre.

This event was not about placing blame or  anger at the past, but to find ways to heal and grow together as a community moving forward. It was a look at Central Florida’s past so that we do not repeat it.

The 1920 census listed the following African American land-owing families, though there were more than 250 African Americans living in Ocoee at the time.

Anderson, Garfield and Janey Bell; two children; eldest son Sidney

Battsey, Randolph and Annie; daughters Alice and Bessie; owned farm

Blackshear, Martin and Candyce; four children, oldest son Morgan

Blue, Sanborri and Lilly

Dennys, Thomas and Lavinia

Dighs, Edward and Willamina

Edwards, John and Genie; oldest son Usteen

Frank (or Franks), Daniel and Carrie; four children, oldest son Allen

Green, Sally; six children, oldest son, Jeremiah; owned farm

Hampton, Jackson and Anna; owned farm

Hightower, Valentine and Janie; three children; owned farm

Johnson, Stephen and Julia; three grandsons, oldest James

Langmede, James and Eva; son Starland

Lynch, Richard and Fanny

McRae, William and Doda

Penzer, Kerry and Elisa; three children, oldest son Edson

Moore, Rocky and Daisy; five children, oldest son William

Nelson, Stephen and Julia; two children, son Edward

Perry, Julius P. and Stella; five children, oldest son Charles; home listed as “contested”

Surrency, Jessie and Grace; four children, oldest son Damott

Slater, Victoria; son Mason

Warron, Wade and Rhina; five children, oldest son Porter

Harry P Leu Gardens House Museum

Posted on by Thor

Kathy Miller Patages organized Weekly Paint and Sketch, a local sketch group that held a sketch outing to Harry P Leu Gardens (1920 North Forest Avenue Orlando, FL), and I decided to stop out on this sunny hot day to sketch. I never did notice any other sketchers, but I focused on the task at hand to capture the historic home.

Harry P Leu Gardens is an amazing 50-acre botanical oasis minutes from Downtown
Orlando. Each garden is designed specifically to further their mission:
inspire visitors to appreciate and understand plants. The garden and
historical home were donated to the City of Orlando in 1961 by Mr. Harry
P. Leu and his wife, Mary Jane Leu.

The roof of the Leu Home was still covered with a blue tarp because a tree limb had crashed through the roof of the home during Hurricane Irma. I had helped Orange County Regional History Museum staff one day as they volunteered to help the Gardens move bedroom furniture in the upstairs bedroom, so that it would not be further damaged by the rain leaking through the roof. It was an easy enough task, but a drop in the bucket compared to all the damage done. The smell of wet mold already was prevalent upstairs. The home repairs had to wait while the damage repair in the garden kicked into high gear after the storm. The gardens lost 175 trees, mostly hickory and magnolias, to the storm. 100 volunteers and staff helped clear up the debris.

As of May 2018, Leu Gardens was still seeking contractors to do exterior repairs to the historic home. Needed were replacements of structural members, siding, re-roofing of all shingled areas and repainting of the structure. The Leu House Museum is a restored 19th century home that was added to
the National Register of Historic Places in December 1994. The museum
was closed because storm damage by Hurricane Irma and has since reopened, but repairs are ongoing.

Conservation after the Las Vegas Mass Shooting

Posted on by Thor

On the night of October 1, 2017, a shooter opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. He killed 58 people and wounded 413, with the ensuing panic bringing the injury total to 869. The incident is the deadliest mass shooting committed by an individual in the history of the United States. This horrible incident came just 16 months after the mass shooting in Orlando that killed 49 people.

Cynthia Sanford the curator at the Clark County Museum took on the responsibility of having to archive the memorial items left for those lost. Volunteers sifted through items collected, took photos and carefully documented and archived every item that entered the collection. Pam Schwartz of the Orange County Regional History Center flew to Las Vegas to offer any advice she might have after collecting and archiving in Orlando.

The two collection sites were vastly different. In Orlando humidity, heat and daily rains soaked and degraded items left at memorial sites in Orlando. Las Vegas literally has no rain. The concert site however was next to the Las Vegas airport and Cynthia said that anything left on the site was literally blown over by planes as they landed or took off.

The Clark County Museum (1830 S. Boulder Highway, Henderson, NV) includes the Anna Roberts Parks Exhibit Hall and
Heritage Street which contains eight historic buildings from the county.  In a building that was once a railroad station behind the museum, volunteers were hard at work even 6 months following the shooting. The woman taking photos of each item choked up as she described how proud she was to be taking part in the process.

The October 1st collection at the Clark
County museum is made up of tens of thousands of artifacts that help to
tell the story of how the community reacted to the mass shooting at the
Route 91 Harvest Festival. The artifacts will be cataloged to record
information such as physical descriptions, dimensions, and conditions.
Each artifact will also be photographed or scanned for identification
purposes. As museum staff and volunteers process these artifacts, you
will be able to follow our progress by viewing identification
photographs.

Museum curators across the country have formed an informal support group. Knowledge gained after one mass shooting is passed on the curators in the next city overwhelmed by tragedy and the super human effort needed should that community decide to collect memorial items. It is a small community that no one asks to be a part of. 

On September 28, 2018 The Clark County Museum opened  “How We Mourned: Selected Artifacts from the 1 October Memorials“. Items put on display included flags, stuffed animals, rosaries,
artificial flowers, signs, letters, banners, candles, art works and a
portion of a Hawaiian lei that was used as a symbol to promote world
peace. The Orange County Regional History Center in Orlando has also mounted an exhibit each year to remember those who were lost.

Jessica Domingo Going Away Party

Posted on by Thor

Jessica Domingo joined the Orange County Regional History Center in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting.She specifically joined the staff to help in cataloguing and preserving all of the memorial items collected from the Dr Phillips Center of the Performing Arts, Lake Eola and Pulse. This was a monumental task  since there were so many memorial items left and and the constant Florida rains, humidity and bugs made preserving the collection a challenge. She spent most of her time at the museum’s offsite storage facility which is in a huge warehouse.

When Hurricane Irma hit Orlando in 2017 as a category 2 storm, the warehouse roof was damaged when a rooftop access portal the size of a manhole cover was blown free and the heavy cover ripped holes in the flat roof. Unfortunate some Pulse memorial items were on the floor as they were being triaged for conservation and cataloging. Ceiling panels from the interior ceiling soaked up water leaking from the roof and fell to the floor exploding like wet bombs. Items on the floor got soaked. Pam Schwartz the museum head curator was on the scene shortly after the storm passed and assessed the damage. The staff was quickly called in to help clean up the damage. I was on site to help by making a pile of all the ceiling panels and debris  while leaving the artifacts for the museum staff to recover.

Water caused mold to build up inside the off site facilities walls and dehumidifiers were moved in and all the interior walls had to be replaced while protecting the collection with floor to ceiling plastic tarps. All of that is to say that Jessica’s job became all the more important after hurricane Irma. Conservation of memorial items did not include trying to flatten paper documents from water damage. The everyday Florida rains had already soaked and wrinkled any papers left at memorial sites. However mold could not be allowed to spread. Which reminds me I have a small pile of paintings and sketches which were also damaged by hurricane Irma. Water blew its way in through my downtown studio apartment windows soaking a small stack of art I had left near the window. I am sill debating if that work will end up in a landfill since it is damaged with black mold.

Jessica has family out west and her grandmother needed care so she decided she had to leave Orlando. A party was held at Pam Schwartz’s home. I sketched briefly between food and games. Whitney Broadaway‘s child had a game that everyone played, it involved a maze that kept moving making it a challenge for players to collect the items needed to win. I played a round after the sketch was put a side and it was a fun game.

After Hurricane Irma Jessica allowed Pam and myself to come over her place for a shower and a bit to eat.  It is when there is an emergency when true friend step up. Since moving Jessica had had a child herself. It is a shame that really good and talented friends keep getting pulled away from Orlando.

Parkland Collection Effort Townhall Meeting

Posted on by Thor

On Valentines Day, February 14, 2018 a student entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida and began a shooting that killed 17 people and wounded 14 others. In March almost one month after the shooting Jeff Schwartz from the Parkland Historical Society invited Pam Schwartz from the Orange County Regional History Center went to Parkland to give advise on how items left at the Parkland Memorial might be collected and archived.  Several memorials had formed in Parkland following the shooting. One was at the high school along the fence that ran along the road in front of the school and another at the main stage at Pine Trails Park. An event was planned for the park so the memorials needed to be removed. A similar situation was faced in Orlando following the Pulse shooting in that makeshift memorials at Lake Eola had to be removed because of July 4th fireworks the following month.

The Parkland Historical Society is a small organization so they did not have the same resources that the Orange County Regional History Center had in Orlando. Instead of trained museum staff they needed rely on volunteers to collect and store memorial items. Pam offered practical advice on how to collect and preserve. A City hall employee took notes and a discussion began on the best practical approaches. Emotions ran high at the meeting since there is no one right answer about what is best for the community.

Volunteers dismantled the makeshift memorials on March 28, 2018. They took
away the 17 white crosses and Jewish stars bearing the names of the
students and faculty killed in the Valentine’s Day shooting. At this City Hall meeting it was decided that it made sense for students, parents, and friends and family of victims, to take part in the effort. Teddy bears, posters, and hand written letters and poems were stored in cardboard boxes. They went to climate controlled storage at Florida Atlantic University and will be saved so that 100 years from now the memories will always remain alive.

Zachary Knudson, a sculptor who has done several public works of art and memorials, teamed up with other volunteers to donate their time and resources in planning a permanent tribute. There was talk among Parkland Historical Society members of vacuum sealing some memorial tribute items inside a glass container. However humidity and the intense Florida Sun make even vacuum sealed items impractical to preserve. This sculpture proposed by Zackery is more like a 15 foot tall prism or stained glass sculpture. Kevin Roth, the CEO of the
Vistaglass Direct, a glass fabrication company is donating glass for
the project. There have been talks of possibly placing the sculpture at Stoneman Douglass High School.

On February 14, 2019, one year after the shooting the community gathered at Pine Trails Park (10559 Trails End, Parkland, FL 33076) to remember and honor the 17 victims with a moment of silence. The
City also hosted a brief Interfaith ceremony for the community. The park was be open both before and after the ceremony. Therapy dogs
and counselors were be onsite throughout the day. In lieu of
mementos, cards, flowers, pictures, or other such expressions of
condolences, people were asked to bring a canned food items to support efforts as a day of service.

The Legislature passed a package to address school safety in wake of the
mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the package
included $1 million for a permanent memorial to the 17 victims at the
high school in northwestern Broward County.

Black Bottom House of Prayer Historic Preservation Dinner

Posted on by Thor

Pastor Dana “Action” Jackson has a dream. The Black Bottom House of Prayer (921 Bentley St Orlando Fl) has been abandoned for years, falling into disrepair to the point that the the red-tiled roof leaks and needs to be replaced. Once the roof is replaced then renovation can begin inside.

In 1916 a few black families settled in an area of Orlando called Black Bottom. The name came from the fact that when it rained, water settled and remained for so long that residents had to use canoes for transportation. Before the church was built families worshiped in neighborhood homes.

Construction of the church began in 1925 and was financed through a stock purchase
from the Orange County Building and Loan Association. Thirty shares were
purchased at $100 per share, for a total of $3,000. It was designed in the popular
Spanish Mission Style with exterior stucco finish, arched doorways,
and casement windows. The thick brick and stucco walls
were thought to have a cooling effect in the Florida sun in the days
before air conditioning. The building, now 92 years old, is possibly the
oldest church building in Orlando’s black community.

Action Jackson fought hard and won to approve the building for historic preservation. Once that designation is established, guidelines prohibit the property from being destroyed. She is now praying for the community’s
support in restoring the church. Normal wear and tear over the past 92
years have taken their toll, but Jackson’s most immediate focus is on
securing help in replacing the roof over the sanctuary. “Estimates to complete the renovation
come in at around $250,000,” Jackson said. “It’s a large, but not
impossible amount to raise. We welcome angelic underwriting and favor.”

Pam Schwartz was invited to speak at a fundraiser for the renovations and I joined her to sketch the occasion. Evangelist Patricia A. Akshabazz presided. There was an invocation and then commissioner Regina Hill of District 5 welcomed everyone. In the midst of one dignitary’s praise for the project Dana and the crowd burst into dance and song. Joy and exuberance rushed through the crowd as they celebrated to raise the roof!

Takeriya and Queen, who are action Jackson’s grand daughters, bravely gave a dance routine involving twirling batons called Miracle Worker, by Youthful Praise and JJ Harston. They faltered a bit but members of the congregation got up to dance with them and coach them to the finale. Pam spoke about the importance of preserving history and how the Orange Regional County History Center is working to preserve everyone’s story. After a blessing of the food, each table got up in turn to load their plates with a chicken, macaroni, collared greens, and corn bread dinner. 

A basket appeared on the stage and everyone was encouraged to donate towards the $250,000 goal for the roof repair. Checks can be made at Chase Bank to the following account, ASPAP Law PLLC IOLTA Account – 3883990897. The memo section of the check should mention Black Bottom House of Prayer. Donations may be sent to The Black Bottom House of Prayer, PO Box 547882, Orlando, FL 32854. If any information is needed call 407-285-0415. Considering a billion dollars was raised to help rebuild Notre Dame after its fire, it seems reasonable to hope that enough can be raised to help put a new roof on this Orlando historic gem. Action Jackson hopes to restore the the building as a place of healing, help, and hope for Orlando’s Parramore community.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for October 12 and 13, 2019

Posted on by Thor

In honor of National Library WeekSaturday October 12, 2019

10am to 1pm $5. Urban Sketching Workshop: Capturing Brutalist Architecture. Orange County Regional History Center, 65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801. The Accidental Historian
Young Artists Urban Sketching Workshops.
“Ink and Twig: Capturing Brutalist Architecture in Urban Sketch”
For students 14 to 24 years old.
Brutalism
was an architectural movement that flourished from the 1950s to the
mid-1970s. The term originates from the French word for “raw” as used by
the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier to describe his choice of
material as béton brut (raw concrete). The aesthetic appeal of Brutalism
sprang from its sculptural potential, and the style was generally
favored by architects who saw buildings as works of art. Brutalism is a
very cerebral style. The Orlando Public Library exemplifies the style,
with its “raw,” textured concrete facade. The original, easternmost
section, 60,000 square feet, was built in 1966 and was designed by John
M. Johansen. From 1982 to 1985, the building was enlarged to 290,000
square feet, with Schweizer Associates guiding the expansion to follow
Johansen’s design.
The sketching technique of Chinese ink and
twig perfectly captures the “raw” pure art form of Brutalist buildings.
With only a bit of ink and a sharpened twig, you will capture the raw
textural facade. In this workshop taught by landscape architect Art
Esteban and architect Gay Geiger, participants will learn a bit about
the history of the Brutalist architectural style in Orlando and how to
sketch with ink and twig to capture an urban setting.
This
workshop is open to students aged 14 to 24. All skill levels are
welcome. Sketching materials will be provided by Sam Flax Orlando. The
sketching portion of the workshop will take place outdoors. Participants
should dress appropriately for the weather and bring water and a snack.
Participants can bring a folding chair or stool to sit.
Workshop schedule
• 10 a.m. Meet inside the Orange County Regional History Center
• 10:05 a.m. Introductions
• 10:25 a.m.Tour of The Accidental Historian exhibit
• 11:15 a.m. Sketching instruction outside of Orlando Public Library
• 12:30 p.m. Sketchbook Throwdown

About the Instructors: Art Esteban and Gay Geiger
Art
Esteban is a landscape architect, off-road cyclist, and avid urban
sketcher. He has traveled to several Urban Sketchers Symposiums and
taken ink-and-twig workshops with the Malaysian sketcher and instructor
Kiah Kiean. Follow Art’s adventures on Instagram @artistotle_05.

Gay
Geiger is an architect with SchenkelShultz Architecture in Orlando. She
grew up in a small town in Wisconsin, learning to sketch from her
father. She moved to Central Florida in 1980 and has been practicing
architecture since 1987. Although Gay sketched buildings and entourage
for many years, it wasn’t until 2015 that she was able to define her
sketching interests as “urban sketching.” See more of Gay’s work on
Instagram @gaygeiger.About the Series: The Accidental Historian Young Artists Urban Sketching Workshops
Catch
the world around you one sketch at a time! Join Urban Sketchers Orlando
for any, or all three, sketching workshops in downtown Orlando for
artists aged 14 – 24. In conjunction with the History Center’s newest
exhibition, The Accidental Historian, these classes for all skill levels
will get you sketching on location and capturing history as it happens.
All art supplies are included, courtesy of Sam Flax!

4pm to 6pm Free. Young Voices. JB Callaman Center 102 North Parramore Ave Orlando FL. Teen Open Mic Every second Saturday of the Month. 

8pm to 10pm $5 Second Saturdays in Sanford. 202 S Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL. Live music event featuring 2 stages, drink specials and more. 

Sunday October 13, 2019

10am to Noon. Free. Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources. 

1pm to 4:30pm Free. Family Day on the Second Sunday. The Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL 32803.

The
make-and-take craft table is open from noon-2:30 p.m., and docents are
available to give mini-tours of the museum. Then it’s open house in the
galleries until 4:30 p.m.

3pm to 5pm Donation based.  Fundraiser Historic Preservation. Black Bottom House of Prayer, 921 Bently Street Orlando, FL 32805.

Accidental Historian install.

Posted on by Thor

At the Orange County Regional History Center, (65 E. Central Blvd. Orlando, Florida 32801) I watched as a large cartography sketch by J.O. Fries was projected on a wall  for the Accidental Historian. This Central Florida sketch shows Lake Holden and Lake Jessup. Fries filled book after book with these detailed drawings were done as he paced off the woods and back roads by foot. The land was graphed off into a grid and then details were incorporated with old school pen and ink on paper. Trees look like arrows and wetlands are fields of dashes. His job was to document every mile and yard of the barren Central
Florida landscape. His hand drawn maps documented lakes swamps and dirt
roads that then dominated the landscape. Today Google satellite views
show the same landscape littered with strip malls and suburban sub
divisions.

I helped hand draw one section of this huge wall display. It involved working on each panel while on hands and knees. After a while the repetitive nature of the marks made became second nature. Quite a few different History Center  staff took turns adding to the large hand drawn map, yet it all pulls together in the exhibit.

Because I am interested in family history I was fascinated by the diaries on display and he funeral books citing caused of death for Orlando citizens over the years. Fries daughter wrote intimate diaries in her native tongue which I believe was Swedish. Transcriptions detailed how her family adjusted to the Florida climate.

This is a fun show with many Instagramable selfie moments. The opening of the show had a large image of the Lake Eola fountain half of the image is drawn by me with the rainbow colored amphitheater in the background and the other half is a photo form the 1920s by T.P Robinson.

The exhibit is up through January 20, 2020.

Other events surrounding the exhibition:

First Friday Lunch and Learns

History Center staff offer a behind-the-scenes look at the museum and share their research.

Also a public exhibition of the shortlisted design team submissions will take
place from October 3 to October 9, 2019 at the Orange County Regional History
Center in Orlando, Florida. This will be accompanied by a digital
exhibition of the shortlisted teams’ proposals on the onePULSE design
competition website. The public will have an opportunity to share their
comments.

The six shortlisted teams (in alphabetical order) are:

  • Coldefy and Associés with RDAI, Xavier Veilhan, dUCKS scéno, Agence TER, Prof. Laila Farah
  • Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Rene Gonzalez Architects with Raymond Jungles, Inc.
  • heneghan peng architects, Gustafson Porter + Bowman, Sven Anderson & Pentagram
  • MASS Design Group, Ralph Appelbaum Associates, Sasaki, Sanford Biggers, Richard Blanco, Porsha Olayiwola
  • MVRDV, Grant Associates, GSM Project and Studio Drift
  • Studio Libeskind with Claude Cormier + Associés, Thinc, and Jenny Holzer

Weekend Top 6 Picks for September 28 and 29, 2019

Posted on by Thor

Saturday September 28, 2019 

10am to 5pm. Adults $8. Accidental Historian. Orange County Regional History Center 65 E. Central Blvd. Orlando, Florida 32801. You might be a historian without even realizing it! That’s certainly
true of many bloggers, urban sketchers, photographers, and more. In this
engaging exhibition, created at the History Center, learn how
individuals who are absorbed in documenting the world of today
accidentally become some of Central Florida’s finest historians for the
future. Catch a glimpse into some of our favorite collections that were
created for the now – more than 100 years ago.

The Accidental Historian features both historic and
contemporary work and collections, including drawings by the renowned
artist and teacher Ralph Bagley and Urban Sketchers Orlando, poetry by
Orlando’s inaugural poet laureate Susan Lilley, audiovisual work by food
blogger Ricky Ly, historic images by photographer T.P. Robinson, and
more. Also on display is a tower of my sketchbooks from documenting Orlando Arts and Culture over the last 8 years.

7pm to 9pm  Free. Brewery Tour. Orlando Brewing, 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL.

10:30pm to Midnight. Free but get food and or drink. Son Flamenco. Ceviche Tapas Orlando, 125 W Church St, Orlando, FL 32801. 

Sunday September 29, 2019

11am to Noon. $5 Yoga. Lake Eola near red gazebo. 

Noon to 2pm Free. Bobby Koelble Presents Jazz in the Garden. 1300 S Denning Dr, Winter Park, FL 32789.  Join
us as we enjoy an afternoon of electric Jazz music, tasty food, craft
cocktails, and shopping in a beautiful, serene setting all while helping
to benefit Mead Botanical Garden.

Bobby Koelble Presents Jazz in
the garden, is a series of Jazz concerts that will be hosted by Mead
Botanical Garden. The shows, that will fall on the last Sunday of the
month from September thru November, will consist of world class
musicians performing a collection of your favorite Jazz standards with a
twist. 

There will be food and beverages available for purchase,
a shopping area curated by Suzette’s One Of A Kind Finds, as well as a
limited number of VIP passes which will include a brunch buffet catered
by Bites and Bubbles, beer or cocktail and a VIP viewing area.

7:30pm to 9:30pm $10-$20 suggested donation. Please also bring food or wine to share.  CF2’s 7th Annual Composer DIY Salon Concert.  Timucua 2000 S Summerlin Ave, Orlando, Florida 32806. For
seven years, Central Florida Composers Forum (CF2) has been offering
its members a first-come, first-on, get-er-done yerself opportunity to
present work to the Orlando/Central Florida public. The composers
themselves perform or arrange for the performers. That always means a
wider variety of sonic possibilities than a more typical, curated CF2
concert featuring a unified instrumentation.

This program
features Rebekah Todia’s Crossing The Bar, for piano and voice; Melody
Cook’s For Two Voices, No. 2, for clarinet and piano; Holly Cordero’s
Personified Bliss, for string quartet, Bob Jr.’s Conjure the Storm, for
piano, guitar, bass, and drums; Paul Austin Sanders’ electronic
compositions Danze Africanne, Spirit of the East, and Bop Latinesque;
and premieres of Alex Burtzos’ X Codes, for violin, clarinet, and piano,
and also his Perforation, for solo piano.

All ears are welcome.

Accidental Launch

Posted on by Thor

The Accidental Historian will be on exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Center (65 Central Boulevard Orlando FL) from September 21, 2019 to January 19, 2020. I accidentally did this sketch because it made no sense to drive all  the way home just to drive back downtown to meet a friend for a drink. Rather than burn gas, I decided to sketch as this huge transparency was framed and installed. A custom frame had to be made which was also a light box. Sliding everything into place was a team effort.

When the framed piece was plugged in the rocket laugh glowed blindingly bright. The framing was inspected and a few spots were found where wires touched the transparency creating awkward puckering effects. Everything had to be taken apart again to resolve the issue. Two people held the frame while a third pulled out the plexiglass. I thought I had found a spot where I was out of the way but the plexiglass had to pulled out in my direction and I got up to  get out of the way. Once it was dismantled I sat back down.

The space launch photos going on display are by Red Huber and Klaus Wilkins. Besides these bold images there will also be pitch place panels on the wall with holes punched in it which will look like stars when illuminated from behind. It is going to be an impressive display and I can’t wait to see it all in place. There is an amazing amount of work that goes into the install of a temporary exhibit like this an the small staff at the History Center are all flexing new muscles to go the extra mile to create such an amazing display. Just as in theater there is much chaos in the rush to open the show.There is excitement and uncertainty in the creative chaos. I am happy I got to be a witness if only for a moment.

Accidental Historian Events

Stay tuned for details

  • Accidental Historian Youth and Family Days

    September 21, 2019 and November 16, 2019

  • Cuisine Corner: Cross Creek Cookery

    September 28, 2019 (At the Orlando Public Library)

  • Accidental Historian Panel Discussion

    October 20, 2019

  • Urban Sketchers Workshops exact times and more details to come.

    Workshop 1: Saturday, October 12, 2019 – Instructors; Gay Geiger and Art Esteban will have artists sketch the brutalist architecture of the public library using Chinese ink and twigs.

    Workshop 2: Sunday, November 10, 2019 – Instructor; Thomas Thorspecken. Sunday in the Park with Thor. At this workshop we will sketch the historic Sperry Fountain at Lake Eola
    which is actually the second fountain on site. Students will have a historic 1920s photo by T.P. Robinson for inspiration.

    Workshop 3: Saturday, December 14, 2019 Instructor; Greg Bryla

  • Historically Poetic

    November 7, 2019

  • Coffee with a Curator

    November 17, 2019

First Friday Lunch and Learn Series

History Center staff offer a behind-the-scenes look at the museum and share their research.