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Page 1: ARTS & CULTURE - cityofwinterpark.org · cornerstone in both Florida’s historical and contemporary cultural scene. The Polasek Museum is delighted to host Kelvin Hair as our special

ARTS & CULTURE PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: February 6, 2013 THE POLASEK MUSEUM CELEBRATES THE ROOTS OF PLEIN AIR PAINTING: FREE PRESENTATION AND DEMO BY FLORIDA HIGHWAYMEN, KELVIN HAIR Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 1:00 pm WINTER PARK – The 2013 Winter Park Paint Out kicks off with a splash of Florida History in this special demonstration and lecture by awarded Florida Highwaymen, Kelvin Hair. Before this year’s 25 plein air artists fill up the Polasek’s Museums wet-room gallery with their lively artwork (April 22-27), we hope to introduce visitors to the roots of Plein Air painting in Florida. Admittance to the museum, gardens, and demonstration will be FREE! We encourage guests to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets, sit back and relax with a glass of sweet tea while you learn, and watch the magic unfold on Kelvin Hair’s canvas. Limited outdoor seating is available, so get your seat early for the best view! Refreshments will be available for sale on site-please no outside food or beverage on grounds. The demonstration and lecture begins at 1:00 pm and the museum will be open until 4:00 pm. Mr. Hair’s artwork will be available for purchase the day of. Here’s your chance to speak to and learn from the artist selected by Governor Rick Scott as the 2012 Black History Month artist! The Albin Polasek Museum acknowledges and celebrates not only the European beginnings of “plein air” painting, a French term meaning “in open air” or simply outdoor painting, but also of the contemporary legacy of the Highwaymen and artists such as Kelvin Hair. It is doubly fitting that the Highwaymen were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004, the very same year Albin Polasek was also inducted. The Florida Highwaymen were a group of 26 African-Americans; Kelvin Hair’s father, Alfred Hair, among the original founders and organizers group broke racial and artistic conventions of the 1950’s to paint Florida’s landscapes. Their determination and creativity outshone an era marked by racism and poverty. The name “highwaymen” stuck because their work was originally shunned by local galleries, forcing these entrepreneurs to sell their art from car trunks along the Eastern coastal roads and door-to-door. Much like Albin Polasek, whose signature piece of sculpture is entitled “Man Carving His Own Destiny,” the Highwaymen’s artwork has also become a symbol of overcoming insurmountable barriers and the belief in power of inspirational and beautiful art. Today the Highwaymen’s artwork is highly prized, and the artists are considered a cornerstone in both Florida’s historical and contemporary cultural scene. The Polasek Museum is delighted to host Kelvin Hair as our special guest artist for the 2013 Winter Park Paint Out. Kelvin Hair was born in Vero Beach, Florida, and is the son of Mattie Thornton and Alfred Hair. Kelvin’s father first introduced him to art when he was a toddler. Very much in keeping with the traditions of the original Highwaymen, who were self-taught and shared their craft among one another, Kelvin Hair was mentored by the legendary A.E. Backus, who is widely known to be the art teacher of the Highwaymen founder, Alfred Hair. To learn

Page 2: ARTS & CULTURE - cityofwinterpark.org · cornerstone in both Florida’s historical and contemporary cultural scene. The Polasek Museum is delighted to host Kelvin Hair as our special

more about the artist Kelvin Hair, please visit his official website: khairart.com . Do not miss this opportunity to watch plein air history created live!! This project is funded in part by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program. Note to Media: Images are available to media. Please contact Claire Ponsonby at 407-647-6294 or [email protected] About the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Founded in 1961, the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens is home to an art collection created by award-winning, internationally recognized, Czech-born American sculptor Albin Polasek. The museum’s primary exhibit is American representational sculpture, with over 200 works by Polasek. The museum also exhibits contemporary art in all mediums in its gallery space. Guided tours of the historic Polasek residence and chapel are hallmarks of this museum, as well as its breathtaking sculpture garden located on Lake Osceola. The museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of only 30 members of the National Trust’s Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios.