OAKLAND, FL — The Town of Oakland invites visitors to explore its new joint history and art exhibition: “Old Town Road” and “Land, Water, Air” at the Healthy West Orange Arts and Heritage Center. An open house will be held at the Center on Friday, June 24 from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m., where visitors can meet the artists, purchase work, and enjoy food trucks and live music featuring Aaron Iannitelli.
Local Florida artists, including Racheal Foley, Adrienne Lee, Jambvant Ramoutar, Julio Milanes, Joseph Warren, David Minichiello, Anne Fanelli, Heather Lorenz, Loulia Kachirskaia, Carissa Imel and more, will display artwork that celebrates movement and transportation on roads, waterways, trains, cars, bikes, boats, planes, and more in the vibrant “Land, Water, Air” display.
While browsing art, attendees will have the opportunity to dig deeper into the stories behind Oakland’s historic street names, as part of the “Old Town Road” history exhibit. Explore Oakland’s history of thriving citrus groves, industrial center, and social hub of Central Florida through the lens of the major players of Oakland’s past, featuring historic photographs and artifacts. In 1886, over 136 years ago, the Town of Oakland was officially platted in a uniform square of roughly ten blocks. First Avenue through Eighth Avenue were the East/West roads, and First Street through Tenth Street were North/South. These simple street names remained the same for 86 years, until 1972 when town leaders decided to rename the streets to honor those who put the Town on the map: Oakland’s historic figures, early pioneers, and officials.
Visitors may also view the Center’s permanent exhibits, including the historic Oakland Presbyterian Church’s beautifully illuminated stained-glass window, dating back to the 1919 brick structure, and a video presentation on the continuing historic preservation of Oakland’s Historic African-American Cemetery.
The exhibition will run through Aug. 26. The Center, located at 126 W. Petris Ave., is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on the 4th Fridays of the month during the summer and on select Saturdays. For more information, visitwww.oaklandfl.gov/artsandheritage.
###
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, visitwww.oaklandfl.gov/artsandheritage and www.facebook.com/HWOAHatOakland.
