Arts On Douglas 2018
Florida Before Disney Beau Redmond
Arts On Douglas, New Smyrna Beach, Florida Artist’s Reception: Saturday, May 5th, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
On Exhibit: May 5th – June 16th, 2018
Right from the beginning, this project was a collaboration. My wife Peggy (Elizabeth Friedmann) and I discussed different themes for the exhibition and we both found “Florida Before Disney” an intriguing idea. As an artist, I wanted to paint Florida locations that were meaningful to visitors from very different areas. As a writer, Peggy was interested in the history of each place.
We chose those places that were popular from the turn of the twentieth century until 1971 when Walt Disney World opened. Many of the places we selected have long been forgotten as destinations.
We determined that the locations must be within 100 miles of St. Augustine, so we could make day trips to explore them. Also, it was important to eliminate those locations on the coast which are still popular destinations.
We visited each place to get the feel of it as it is today. Each visit provided a score of photographs that I used to compose the paintings. Peggy then collected collage materials — magazine and newspaper articles, post cards,
advertisements — that reflected the spirit of the place.
I soon learned that long before Disney there were fascinating places in Florida to discover and enjoy. In many ways, to me, this represents the ‘real’ Florida.