Event details
- When: Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM
- Where: Art & History Museums – Maitland, 231 W. Packwood Ave
- Category: Event
The Maitland Art Center offers a one-hour guided walking tour through its gardens and courtyards. The campus was founded in the 1930s by American artist and architect J. André Smith as a haven for modern experimentation and creative freedom.
The tour traces Smith's life, from his childhood in Hong Kong to his service in World War I to the founding of the center, which he called Espero, a Spanish word for hope. His Episcopal faith and experiences influenced a campus design that blends Mayan Revival architecture with Christian symbolism and East Asian motifs, creating a surreal, immersive environment where over 2,500 carvings, sculptures, and reliefs adorn nearly every surface.
Guests also learn about the artists who lived and worked there between the 1930s and 1950s, including Milton Avery, Ralston Crawford, and Doris Lee, and how this hidden Florida enclave became one of the state's most forward-thinking creative centers. The tour is suitable for all ages and recommended for ages 13 and up.
Event listing published by Art & History Museums Maitland:
https://artandhistory.org/event/stories-in-stone-a-walking-tour-of-the-maitland-art-center-28/
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