WINTER PARK, FL—The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art invites all to enjoy the season with new installations, celebrations, and live music.
On Tuesday, March 4, the Morse will present a new exhibition Arts and Letters, featuring 74 objects that explore the art of letter writing and the ways in which Americans of the 19th and 20th centuries used the written word for both communication and creative expression. Drawing on the Morse’s collection and archives, the objects in this gallery illustrate the intimate relationship between art, identity, and the written word.
Also opening Tuesday, March 4, Vignette: Fair Views offers an intimate glimpse into a world’s fair. In the tradition of German-French art dealer Siegfried Bing’s Maison de l’Art Nouveau, this vignette presents a curated display with important examples of furniture, textiles, pottery, glass, and objets d’art from the turn of the 20th century. Some objects on view were displayed at various world’s fairs and are denoted with hand-lettered cards.
Through a collaboration with the Morse Museum and Creative City Project, the Museum’s historic Merita neon sign is back in public view. The fully restored 48-foot-long sign is on display at the 30 South Orange Avenue lot in downtown Orlando through Tuesday, April 1, as a part of DTOLive!, an initiative presented by the City of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board aimed at bringing free arts experiences to the community.
For eight consecutive Fridays from March through April, the Morse presents Spring Friday Nights with free admission starting at 4 p.m. and various musicians enhancing the gallery experience from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Orlando Violin Music will begin the series with a string trio on Friday, March 7.
Free admission is offered during special celebratory events, including the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival Celebration which takes place from Friday, March 21, through Sunday, March 23. Additionally, as is tradition, free admission is offered Easter weekend, Friday, April 18, through Sunday, April 20. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., live music will enhance the gallery experience on Friday evenings, March through April.
The Museum’s Wednesday Lectures begin in March. On Wednesday, March 26 at 2:30 p.m., Ethan Robey, Senior Lecturer for the Department of History at the University of California, Irvine, will present “Elegant Containers: Commercial Displays at Nineteenth-Century World’s Fairs.” He will examine the display strategies used at world’s fairs and their effect on the consumer and cultural landscape. On Wednesday, April 2 at 2:30 p.m., Roberta A. Mayer, Professor Emerita of Art History at Bucks County Community College, will present “Louis Comfort Tiffany and Algeria.” She will navigate the Tiffany family’s 1876 travels around French Algeria in North Africa through his paintings and photograph collection.
March also kicks off a free Spring Friday Film Series on fashion. Viewers will learn about American portrait painter John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) and his remarkable ability to portray individual identities and personas. Then, explore the fascinating history of jeans, the ubiquitous casual wear of today.
The complete list of the Morse’s free spring programs and events is as follows:
Tuesday, March 4
On view: 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Arts and Letters and Vignette: Fair Views
Friday, March 7
Live Music: 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
Orlando Violin Music (string trio)
Friday, March 14
Live Music: 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
Celtic Crossings Harp Trio (Celtic harp, flute, and violin)
Friday, March 21–Sunday, March 23
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival Celebration: Friday, 9:30 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.–4 p.m.
Free admission throughout the weekend. Live music Friday by Beautiful Music Double String Quartet + Flute (cellos, viola, violins, and flute) from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26
Lecture: 2:30 p.m. (doors open at 2 p.m.)
“Elegant Containers: Commercial Displays at Nineteenth-Century World’s Fairs”
Ethan Robey
Senior Lecturer in the Department of History, University of California, Irvine
Friday, March 28
Friday Film Series: Noon (doors open at 11:30 a.m.)
“Exhibition on Screen” John Singer Sargent: Fashion & Swagger (46 minutes)
Friday, March 28
Live Music: 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
Victoria Schultz Harp Trio (cello, flute, and harp)
Wednesday, April 2
Lecture: 2:30 p.m. (doors open at 2 p.m.)
“Louis Comfort Tiffany and Algeria”
Roberta A. Mayer
Professor Emerita, Art History, Bucks County Community College, Newtown, Pennsylvania
Friday, April 4
Friday Film Series: Noon (doors open at 11:30 a.m.)
Continuation of “Exhibition on Screen” John Singer Sargent: Fashion & Swagger (47 minutes)
Friday, April 4
Live Music: 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
Beautiful Music Chamber Trio (cello, flute, and violin)
Friday, April 11
Live Music. 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
Beautiful Music Romance Duo (acoustic guitar and flute)
Friday, April 18–Sunday, April 20
Easter Weekend Celebration: Friday, 9:30 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.–4 p.m.
Free admission throughout the weekend. Live music Friday by Joshua Englert (Classical guitar) from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday, April 18
Friday Film Series: Noon (doors open at 11:30 a.m.)
Riveted: The History of Jeans (53 minutes)
Friday, April 25
Live Music: 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
Beautiful Music Paint It Black Quartet (bass, cello, flute, and violin)
The Morse Museum hours through April are 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday; and l p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Regular admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $1 for students, and free for children under 12. All visitors receive free admission from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, November through April. For more information, please visit morsemuseum.org.