Boca Museum to Present over 200+ Works of Art That Celebrate The Sunshine State in “Imagining Florida: History and Myth in the Sunshine State”

The most comprehensive and all-embracing Florida themed show of its kind, Imagining Florida: History and Myth in the Sunshine State presents a singular collection of 200+ works of art that celebrate how the Sunshine State has inspired artists across three centuries. Now, more than ever, a historic exploration of this scope serves as an important reflection on crucial issues Floridians are still grappling with today: conserving our beaches and natural lands, and the impact of political whirlwinds sweeping the State. Boca Raton Museum of Art brings together America’s leading masters and some of the world’s most renowned painters – who visited Florida and were spellbound by the exotic beauty surrounding them – many shown for the first time alongside unknown artists.

“Imagining Florida digs deeper than previous Florida themed exhibitions,” said Irvin Lippman, the executive director of Boca Raton Museum of Art. “From pristine natural landscapes that have long ago disappeared, to its identity as a hyper-tourism destination. From wild frontier outposts to the mid-century Space-Age boom. From the deeply rooted Seminole and Miccosukee heritage of Florida, to the historic African American communities, these imaginings come together like never before to create a powerful time capsule.” Three years in the making, the exhibition was guest-curated by Jennifer Hardin and Gary Monroe. Many of their selections have rarely been seen and some have never been exhibited at a museum until now, and are from some of the leading museums and collections throughout the United States.  Visitors will feel transported through Florida’s history via the paintings, photographs, and drawings from the 18th to the mid-20th century, from naturalists to modernists. Artists and photographers include: Milton Avery, Martin Johnson Heade, John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Laura Woodward, Purvis Young, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Doris Lee, Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand, John James Audubon, Frederic Remington, William Bartram, Sally Michel, Thomas Moran, George Catlin, Frederick Frieseke, and George de Forest Brush.

The works presented in Imagining Florida have been selected from some of the leading art institutions across the United States, including: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Hirshhorn Museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Wolfsonian-FIU in Miami Beach, Williams College Art Museum, Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Cummer Museum of Art in Jacksonville, Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, and the Frederick Remington Art Museum. Some of the prominent collections represented in this exhibition include the collection of Sam and Robbie Vickers, the collection of Cici and Hyatt Brown, the Scott Schlesinger Collection, Philip Pearlstein, and The Drapkin Collection. Imagining Florida has been made possible by the Museum’s Leadership Fund, with major support provided by: The Estate of Ardele L. Garrod, Isadore & Kelly Friedman Foundation, Jody H. & Martin Grass, PNC Bank, Anne & Scott Schlesinger, Jennifer & Marc Bell, Dalia & Duane Stiller, Angela & John DesPrez III, Lisette Model Foundation, Patricia Savides, Schmidt Family Foundation, the Museum’s Friends Auxiliary, and those who wish to remain anonymous. “Through PNC’s Arts Alive, we are able to challenge local arts organizations to put forth their best, most original thinking to expand visual arts, audience participation, and community engagement,” said Cressman Bronson, PNC Bank regional president for southeast Florida. “As a 2018 PNC Arts Alive program participant, the Imagining Florida exhibition perfectly illustrates how the arts have helped to define, enrich, and promote the diversity, history, and economic development of our state.”

These visual interpretations of Florida offer a fascinating exploration of the myths and realities of the Sunshine State. Art that was made in Florida is shown alongside art that was inspired by remembrances of visits to the State. Many of America’s leading artists visited and recorded their impressions, having been attracted to Florida’s profound beauty and idyllic weather. “The populations and physical landscape of Florida have changed much since artists such as Catesby, Bartram, Catlin, and Audubon were first captivated by the peninsula’s primordial spirit,” adds Irvin Lippman. “This exhibition pays tribute to those artists who came to Florida – reaching all the way back to the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century naturalists, and ending in 1969 with Garry Winogrand’s photograph of a rocket launch taken at Cape Canaveral.”

There’s even a cabinet of curiosities showcasing the ways people chose to remember their time in the Sunshine State (think alligator lamps, souvenir TV trays, roadmaps and pink flamingos and you’ll get the picture). They bring to life memories of visits to Florida in imaginative ways, unlike any other place.

Imagining Florida explores the State’s long history of being the source of inspiration for artists, many of whom were simply passing through or on assignment. Most of these artists never lived full-time in Florida, although a few were Florida born and raised. The subject matter also varies, including landscapes, the State’s lush flora and fauna, the rigors of industrialization, WPA mural projects, social issues, and even 1950s and 1960s American kitsch. Some images tell the story of the State’s history and its peoples, while others were created to lure tourists and generate commerce.