Debut event makes waves

The event committee was expecting 50, maybe 100 people at the first Culture and Cocktails event at the Maitland Art Center.

But folks kept flowing through the door Friday night, bringing the total to about 300 people.

“Eventually, we ran out of supplies, and we had to go buy some more wine,” said June Flowers, member of the Maitland Art and History Association event committee and executive director of the Performing Arts of Maitland.

The event was supposed to end at 9 p.m. but went on well after that because attendees didn’t want to leave, Flowers said.

“We didn’t kick anyone out,” she said. “The music continued and the art was so beautiful … there was a lot to look at and do.”

Performing at the Culture and Cocktails event was Radio Jones with David Schweizer, and the featured artist was Stacy Barter. The event was an unofficial kickoff to United Arts of Central Florida’s Arts Fest, the annual lineup of free arts events happening Feb. 4-13 this year.

The next Culture and Cocktails event will be held from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11. Organizers plan to host the event on the second Friday of each month through April and then resume in October, after the sweltering summer months.

Flowers said she hopes Culture and Cocktails will continue to grow. The plan is to have musicians set up on Packwood Avenue and have artists’ displays on both sides of the street. Eventually, they’ll open the museums, art gallery and the gardens during the event.

Friday’s event brought folks to Maitland who usually drive right through to visit Winter Park, she said. “It brings people not only to Maitland, but it brings awareness to the Art and History Association.”

MAHA Executive Director Andrea Bailey Cox agreed.

“One of the highlights of the night was our diverse audience representing, old and young, members and not yet members, MAC members and [Maitland Historical Society] members, and some people who have not visited in years,” Cox said. “We heard lots of good feedback about how our location has been re-energized.”

Last year, the Maitland Historical Society and the Maitland Art Center merged to become a stronger, more efficient cultural force in the community. The Culture and Cocktails event is similar to the Orlando Science Center’s Cocktails and Cosmos and the Orlando Museum of Art’s 1st Thursdays.

Admission to the Maitland events is $5 and includes one drink. They don’t serve cocktails yet, but they do have wine, beer and appetizers.

Learn more

The next Culture and Cocktails event will be held from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11 at the Art Center, 231 W. Packwood Ave. and will feature painter Cindy Anderson, photographer Rich Franco and music from Blues Mama and the Maj Band.