Introduction
The Maitland Art Center is a unique example of Mayan Revival architecture in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by painter and art educator Andre Smith (1880-1959) as a center for his art education program. The building was designed by Smith in collaboration with architect Maurice Fatio (1887–1960).
Overview
The Maitland Art Center (originally called the Research Studio) is a unique example of Mayan Revival architecture in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by painter and art educator Andre Smith (1880-1959) as a center for his art education program.
The original building, called “The House of the Jaguar God,” is built on seven acres at 634 Hiawassee Road and includes an open courtyard, classrooms, and studios. The center’s collection includes more than 1,000 works by local artists, including paintings by Smith depicting scenes from Florida’s past.
History
In 1937, painter and art educator Andre Smith founded the Maitland Art Center in Florida. Originally called the Research Studio, it was renamed the Maitland Art Center in 1942. In 2002, the center moved to its current location at 114 East 1st Street.
Maud O’Keeffe-Sherman
Maud O’Keeffe-Sherman was a landscape artist who was born in Maitland, Florida. She studied at the Art Students League of New York and the National Academy of Design in New York. She exhibited her paintings at many shows, including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Annual Exhibition, Boston Art Club, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Her works are held in collections throughout the United States, including The Hudson River Museum; Peabody Essex Museum; Yale University Art Gallery; Springfield Museum of Fine Arts; Philadelphia Museum of Art, and more
- J. André Smith
Dr. J. André Smith was an artist and art educator who founded the Maitland Art Center in 1932. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, and member of the American Artists Professional League (AAPL).
Smith was born in North Carolina on January 12th, 1884, to John Franklin Smith and Mary Eliza Holland (née Perry). He had one brother named George Franklyn Smith, who died in infancy before his birth.
His father died when he was 4 years old, leaving him to be raised by his mother alone until she remarried when he was 8 years old.
The family then moved south, where Smith attended school through college at Davidson College. After graduating from Davidson College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, he studied at Georgia School of Technology, where he received a Masters’s Degree in Architecture.
While attending Georgia Tech, he married Katherine Covington, whom he later divorced before moving to New York City with his second wife, Ethel Knight.
He oversaw architecture projects, including designing hotels such as The Stoush Hotel located between Sanford & DeLand, which opened its doors in 1925 and creating some homes around town, including Helen Hobbs house, which sits on Lake Monroe road.
Architectural Style
The architectural style of the Maitland Art Center is “Mayan Revival.” This style of architecture was trendy in the United States from 1900-1940 and can be seen in buildings like New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Detroit’s Guardian Building, and Miami Beach’s La Gorce Hotel.
The Maitland Art Center has several elements that are indicative of Mayan Revival architecture:
- A rounded arch over the entrance door
- A temple-like front porch with pillars at each corner and an arcade on either side (i.e., columns)
- A decorative frieze that runs around the building above the windows
Ornamental Elements
Ornamental elements are used to add interest to the design of buildings. These include the Mayan Revival style, concrete as a building material, and the use of arches.
Mayan Revival style is an architectural style that originated in Mexico at the turn of the 20th century and gained popularity in Florida during its 1920s boom period. It’s characterized by dramatic facades with stepped massing, strong rooflines, and heavy overhangs with ornamental detailing. The Maitland Art Center was built in 1926 using this style. It’s one of only two examples left in existence (the other being the historic Lake Eola Park Substation).
Architectural Features
The building is a Mayan Revival style, with stuccoed exterior walls and curved corners. The doors and windows are flanked by carved stone lintels (horizontal members over the opening) decorated with geometric designs or figures. Look for carvings of human faces on some of the lintels and carved stone columns and capitals (the top part of a column) at various points in the building. Other decorative carvings include panels that form borders between rooms inside Maitland Art Center.
The Maitland Art Center (originally called the Research Studio)
The Maitland Art Center (originally called the Research Studio) is a unique example of Mayan Revival architecture in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by painter and art educator Andre Smith (1880-1959) as a center for his art education program.
The building was designed by architect John Storrs, who drew inspiration from Mexican colonial architecture and Maya architecture to create an exotic-looking structure with Mayan elements. The Maitland Art Center is one of few American buildings with this style of architecture.
Conclusion
Walking through the doors of the Maitland Art Center, you are transported back to the 1920s. It is a place where art, architecture, and culture come together to create a unique experience. We hope that you will come to visit us soon!
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