Hannibal Square Heritage Center Visiting Exhibition

The first Visiting Exhibition of 2012 at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center (642 New England Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789) is "The Art of Missionary Mary Proctor" which will run January 20 to April 21 featuring Tallahassee-based Missionary Mary Proctor. The artist will speak at the opening reception Friday, January 20th, 6-9pm t the Heritage Center. She is a self-taught African-American artist who has exhibited her highly distinctive work nationally at galleries, festivals and in visiting and permanent collections in museums including the Museum of African American Art in Tampa, the Mennello Museum of American Art in Orlando, the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee, the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, and at the House of Blues in Orlando, Chicago and New Orleans. 



She has won numerous Best in Show awards, and has been featured in the New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Raw Vision Magazine, andModern Maturity Magazine. The exhibition will include work from Mary’s personal collection in Tallahassee as well as from the permanent collection of the Mennello Museum of American Art. 

Prior to becoming an artist, Mary ran a junk and odds and ends store in rural north Florida. Told by God that “the door is the way,” she began to paint on an old door lying in her yard, and thereafter her focus turned to art making. Using found objects from her junkyard, (now her American Folk Art Museum & Gallery) Missionary Mary crafts three dimensional assembled works from buttons, mirrors, jewelry and other trinkets. Some works are inspired by Bible scripture and others by memories of her grandmother or her childhood, and most include written messages of spiritual truths or life lessons.

On April 21, 2012, at the close of the exhibition, Crealdé will host its 3^rd Annual Hannibal Square Heritage Center Folk Art and Traditional Craft Festival at 642 New England Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789. The festival features work for sale by Florida artists, including the original Florida Highwaymen painters, folk artists working in a variety of media from throughout the state, and Crealdé ceramicists, as well as live folk music, local soul food, and displays by Heritage Center partner-vendors. The festival includes a free, hands-on “Kid Folk” Workshop for ages four and up, in which a folk art piece is made by each child to take home. Come and enjoy the spring day at this fun and colorful event!