Josh Garrick: Culture Worthy of Your Calendar

Now through Sept. 19 – A&H explores the Maitland Art Center

The brilliant new exhibit at Art & History Museums – Maitland is called “A Day in the Life of the Research Studio,” and it takes viewers back in time to explore the center during the life of founder André Smith (1880 – 1959), who invited artists to live and create within its walls. From 1938 to 1959, 70 artists participated in this artistic experiment, including Milton Avery and Ralston Crawford. The exhibit makes that classic period come alive with treasures around every corner. From the painted door that invites you into the exhibit to the rain-god fountain in the final room, visitors are offered a first-hand view of the creativity that marks the real history of the Maitland Art Center. It’s a great exhibit and an important part of Central Florida’s cultural legacy. Call 407-539-2181 or visit ArtandHistory.org

Aug. 18 – “And in a related story …”

We are fortunate to have found eight large André Smith paintings – yes, the same André Smith who founded the Maitland Art Center. Our Floridian heat and humidity has caused these wonderful paintings to need restoration work, so the André Smith Restoration Project has been created. The Project will hold a silent auction to support the restoration on Aug. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Maitland Art Center, 231 W. Packwood Ave. The paintings were donated to Eatonville’s St. Lawrence AME Church in the 1930s and are of historical significance to the town of Eatonville as well as the Maitland Art Center. Along with the silent auction, there will be music and refreshments. All funds raised will benefit the restoration with an exhibit, highlighting the restored paintings, set to take place in 2013. For information – or to contribute – call Jerry Bell at 407-672-1001 or email him at [email protected]

Aug. 2 to 25 – The Winter Park Playhouse opens its 10th anniversary season

It’s hard to believe, but the Winter Park Playhouse will open its 10th anniversary season of professional musical theatre on Aug. 2. In those 10 years, it’s earned a well-deserved reputation for bringing musical comedy fun to Central Florida often followed with a chaser of wackiness. That is certainly the case with “Nunsense,” the winner of four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Off-Broadway Musical. It’s about the Little Sisters of Hoboken who discover their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, (get it?) has accidently poisoned 52 of the sisters, and those sisters – left standing – have to put on a show to raise funds for their burials. Directed and choreographed by Roy Alan, this wacky musical comedy features some of Central Florida’s strongest singing talents including Cami Miller, Lorri Key, Kate Zaloumes, Natalie Cordone and Kayla Kelsay. Call 407-645-0145 or visit winterparkplayhouse.org

Aug. 3 to 26 – Mad Cow Theatre times two

The Mad Cow Theatre in downtown Orlando invites us to leave the heat of August and step inside their intimate theaters for two very different plays, both of which open on Aug. 3 and run through Aug. 26. The first is the American classic “Twelve Angry Men” set on an August night in New York City as a jury files into the deliberation room to decide the fate of a young man accused of killing his father. The men must face themselves, their prejudices and their sense of justice knowing the life or death of the young man hangs in the balance.

The second is “Billy Bishop Goes to War” about an unlikely hero (the worst student in the Royal Military College) who goes on to become the most decorated officer of the Royal Canadian Flying Corps during World War I. Both funny and poignant, the play tells of high-flying escapades and the front lines of battle. This two-man show features a piano player who accompanies Billy as he regales the audience with tales of war. Mad Cow Theatre is at 105 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando. Call 407-297-8788, ext. 12, or visit madcowtheatre.com

Aug. 4 through Oct. 28— Jimm Roberts Photography Exhibition

For more than 30 years, Orlando-based photographer Jimm Roberts captured Florida's most accomplished personalities in portraits. The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) will share a collection of Roberts’ portraits in the exhibit “Southernmost Art and Literary Portraits: Fifty Internationally Noted Artists and Writers in Florida by Jimm Roberts” on view through Oct. 28. Roberts traveled throughout Florida to meet, photograph and interview prominent artists living in the state. Some of the prestigious artists featured in the exhibit include Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist. Related events include a Gallery Talk by Jimm Roberts on Aug. 15 and a book signing by James Rosenquist on Sept. 22. Call 407-896-4231 or visit omart.org