Albin Polasek House and Studio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Albin Polasek House and Studio
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Winter Park, Florida |
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| Built | 1949 |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000767 |
| Added to NRHP | May 2, 2000 |
The Albin Polasek House and Studio is a special place in Winter Park, Florida. It's also called the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. This historic site is a former home that became a museum. It sits on three acres of land and looks out over Lake Osceola. The museum helps keep the amazing sculptures of Albin Polasek safe. It also shows art from other artists, both from Florida and around the world. On May 2, 2000, this site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of the Museum
The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens started in 1961. It holds a large art collection. Most of the art is American sculpture made by Albin Polasek. He was a sculptor from the Czech Republic. Albin Polasek (1879–1965) was born in a place called Frenštát. This area was part of Austria-Hungary. He moved to the United States in 1901. He first worked as a wood carver.
Polasek studied art at important schools. He went to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He also studied at the American Academy in Rome. For 27 years, he led the sculpture department. This was at the famous Art Institute of Chicago. He moved to Winter Park in 1950. The museum is a non-profit group. It gets money from donations and memberships. This money helps keep the museum running. It also helps protect Polasek's art.
Exploring the Collections
The museum building was Polasek's home. It was also his art studio. He lived there after he retired. Many of his original furniture pieces are still there. In 1961, Polasek opened his home to the public. This allowed everyone to see his art. The museum is now part of a special group. It's called Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios (HAHS). This group helps protect places where artists lived and worked. The Polasek Museum is the only one in Florida.
The museum has about 200 sculptures. These are part of its permanent collection. Most of them were made by Polasek. Some are by his first wife, Ruth Sherwood. The museum also has old items from Polasek's own collection. The galleries often show new art. These changing exhibits feature local artists. You can even buy some of the art. The gardens are also fun to explore. They have a butterfly garden. There are also two water gardens. You can see cycad plants along the front drive. Many small container gardens are all over the property.
The Capen-Showalter House
In 2013, a historic house was almost torn down. It was called The Capen-Showalter House. But several groups worked together to save it. These groups included the Polasek Museum. They raised $450,000 to move the house. The house was cut into two parts. Then, it was floated across Lake Osceola. This amazing project won an award in 2014. It was from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.
The house is very large, about 4,200 square feet. It now holds museum offices. It also has new exhibits and artwork. The house is used for workshops and special events.
Events and Programs
The Albin Polasek Museum hosts a yearly event. It's called the Winter Park Paint Out. About 25 artists take part. They have seven days to create art. They paint outdoors in Winter Park. Once finished, the paintings are shown. They are displayed in the museum's ‘Wet Room’. The art is also offered for sale. Money from sales helps the museum. This event happens every April. During this week, the museum is free to visit.
You can take daily tours of the museum. These tours show the main art collection. They also include the Capen-Showalter House. These tours are part of the regular admission.
See also
- Forest Idyl
- List of sculpture parks
