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Seminar on Wheels The Cultural and Educational Treasures of Winter Park, Florida
Sunday, January 22, 2012, 11:15 am to 5:00 pm
 In the company of distinguished study leader Bill Hinchliff, a part-time Winter Park resident, a group of ETC 2012 attendees experienced the cultural face of central Florida within the quaint and historic community of Winter Park—a trendy and colorful haven of specialty shops, galleries, sidewalk cafes and museums.
 Following a catered lunch in the Galloway Room on the college campus, Rollins College President Emeritus Dr. Thaddeus Seymour led participants on a brief tour of the magnificent Spanish Mediterranean-style buildings of Rollins College along the shores of Lake Virginia, including the Walk of Fame, Pinehurst Cottage, 9/11 Memorial and the beautiful Knowles Memorial Chapel. Founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists, Rollins is the oldest recognized college in the state of Florida.
 Onward to the Morse Museum of American Art, which houses the world's most comprehensive collection of Tiffany works and glass displays as well as works by John La Farge, Daniel Chester French, John Singer Sargent and Frank Lloyd Wright, along with Arts and Crafts furniture and pottery. The museum’s new jaw-dropping 12,000-square-foot wing devoted to Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany's huge estate on the North Shore of Long Island, features more than 250 art and architectural objects associated with the estate. The Morse Museum opened at its current location in 1995, and a 1999 addition houses the magnificent Byzantine-Romanesque interior of the chapel Tiffany created for the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition.
 Next, a short ride brought our participants to the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens. Founded in 1961, the museum is known for its collection of American representational sculpture, including more than 200 works by Czech-born American sculptor Albin Polasek (1879-1965). In 2004 Polasek was posthumously inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. The museum, his former retirement home, 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. Our tour includes a viewing of a special exhibition, Artful Strings – Four Centuries of Harp Making – showcasing 50 harps from the International Harp Museum’s collection dating from the 18th century to 21st century. Along with American and European instruments, there are examples of ancient African, Asian and Egyptian harps, vintage photos, artwork, costumes and jewelry.
Following this visit, our group boarded its minibus for a short driving tour of historic homes in Winter Park. Study Leader: In the later part of his career, Bill Hinchliff turned his attention to professional guiding, both in the Chicago area and in other parts of the U.S. His many clients over the years have been the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Smithsonian Institution, and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), as well as many art museums, universities, and historical societies. Bill has also co-written a booklet on the architecture of George Maher in Kenilworth and contributed two chapters to the highly-acclaimed AIA Guide to Chicago. Hinchliff taught high school English for many years, while also pursuing the hobby of architectural tour-guiding. In this latter capacity, he served as a docent for the Chicago Architecture Foundation for 33 years. Bill is a part-time resident of Winter Park, Florida. He holds degrees from Yale and Georgetown. Escort: Aleks Matic, Associate Director, Member Travel, The Art Institute of Chicago. A detailed itinerary is available here . |
