This is pretty cool. The Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park will be offering FREE admission to all visitors on July 4th. If you haven’t been here before, I suggest you grab a few friends and check it out. Who says no to FREE? Below is a release from Catherine Hinman about the museum, exhibits, and more —
WINTER PARK, Fla.—From Paul Revere silver to Rookwood pottery, from Louis Comfort Tiffany glass to Daniel Chester French sculpture, it’s all on view for free this Independence Day at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art.
Observing its long-standing tradition for the holiday, the museum will provide free admission to its galleries on Thursday, July 4, in conjunction with Winter Park’s “Olde Fashioned 4th of July Celebration” in Central Park. The city celebration, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., includes a bicycle parade, horse-drawn wagon rides, live patriotic music by the Bach Festival Choir and more. The museum will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The museum—home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany—features art and architectural objects from his celebrated Long Island home, Laurelton Hall, one of the most published grand American homes of the early 20th century.
Visitors will also be able to take in the museum’s new exhibition Lifelines—Forms and Themes of Art Nouveau, with furniture, architectural ornament, lamps, jewelry, ceramics, and art glass by more than 50 makers, designers, and artists working across nine countries. Also on view is The Art of Fountain Pens, a new vignette featuring about a hundred fountain pens dating from 1875 to 1975. The exhibit showcases pens from important American makers such as Parker, Schaeffer, and Waterman, all of which produced artful writing instruments in the golden age of fountain pens from 1920 to 1940, as well as before and after.
The Morse began its Independence Day Open House tradition in 1995 when it opened its galleries on Park Avenue and the city inaugurated its festive event in Central Park. Hundreds of Central Florida residents today enjoy the rich collection of American art at the Morse as part of their holiday outing in downtown Winter Park.
The Morse Museum is owned and operated by the Charles Hosmer Morse Foundation and receives additional support from the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation. It receives no public funds. For more information call (407) 645-5311 or visit the museum’s Web site at www.morsemuseum.org
