Art and history exhibit opens at the Healthy West Orange Arts and Heritage Center on
Friday, April 1
Discover Oakland during its heyday as the headquarters of the Orange Belt Railroad with a thriving business district and opera house and learn about the repercussions the Great Freeze of 1895 had on the town’s progress in becoming a major city in Florida.
“Est. 1887,” the new exhibit at the Healthy West Orange Arts and Heritage Center, explores Oakland’s history as an industrial and social hub of Orange County 135 years ago. Featuring historic photographs, documents, and artifacts,“Est. 1887” traces the origins of the Town of Oakland and the major players behind its founding, like Peter Demens, an enterprising Russian immigrant with goals to build a railroad from the St. Johns River to Tampa, and James Gamble Speer, a landowner with dreams of a flourishing town on the southern shore of Lake Apopka.
Local Central Florida artists, including Joseph Warren, David Minichiello, Anne Fanelli, Heather Lorenz, and Mike Jakubowski, display complementary artwork highlighting the area’s unique charm and natural beauty.
Displays feature artifacts relating to Oakland’s incorporation and include historic minute books giving a glimpse into early government operations, the original Town seal, century-old railroad ties, and more. Visitors may also view the Center’scornerstone, the historic Oakland Presbyterian Church’sbeautifully illuminated stained-glass window, dating back to the 1919 brick structure.
The exhibit opens on Friday, April 1, and will run through June 17. The Center, located at 126 W. Petris Ave., is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 am – 3 pm and for extended hours during special Town events, like Celebration Among the Oaks on Saturday, April 9 from 10 am – 1 pm and International Jazz Day on April 29 from 11 am – 6 pm with live music from 3-6 pm For more information, visit www.oaklandfl.gov/artsandheritage or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HWOAHatOakland.
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About the Healthy West Orange Arts and Heritage Center at the Town of Oakland
The Healthy West Orange Arts and Heritage Center is committed to preserving Oakland’s past, present and future. Working with its partners, the Center provides important tools and social connections to help residents eat well, stay active and enjoy life. This project is funded in part by a $1 million lead grant from the West Orange Healthcare District, as well as funding from Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program and countless other donors. The Center supports the mission of Healthy West Orange, a grassroots movement to inspire west Orange County to become the healthiest community in the nation. For more information, visit www.oaklandfl.gov/artsandheritage andwww.facebook.com/HWOAHatOakland.
