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ABOVE: Originally home to Delray Elementary, the
Cornell Museum of Art & History features exhibitions
of paintings, sculptures, graphics, mixed media
and photography.
ABOVE: “Young Girl with Parasol” is part
of Mary Lane McMillan’s exhibit, “Parasols
and Palmettos,” on view from Jan. 15 to March
14, 2004.
ABOVE: McMillan completed “Italian Villa 2”
in Florence, Italy, in 1910.
ABOVE: In the decade after McMillan moved to Florida,
she drew on her surroundings for inspiration, as
seen in “Florida Fishing Cabin.”
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Imagine yourself
transported to the Victorian era. You’re an observer.
A pretty young woman with hair upswept and wearing
a white linen dress is painting in a garden. She’s
an artist — a budding artist. You follow her
through her life, from her birthplace to her many
travels abroad. Gazing through her eyes, you watch
her life unfold in soft pastels and luminous color.
Finally, you’re brought back to the present and
find yourself standing in the middle of “Parasols
and Palmettos,” a retrospective exhibition of
Mary Lane McMillan’s work on exhibit at the Cornell
Museum of Art & History from Jan. 15 through March
14, 2004.
Such rare moments of solitude and nostalgia seem to
be commonplace at the Cornell. Part of a 4-acre cultural
arts center called Old School Square in downtown Delray
Beach, Fla., the Cornell shares the site with the
Crest Theatre, which provides a forum for professional
theater, dance, music and lectures, and the Vintage
Gymnasium, where community residents celebrate weddings,
birthdays and more.
Once home to Delray Elementary, which was built in
1913, and Delray High School and Gymnasium, which
were completed in 1925, the three original structures
were saved from the wrecking ball in 1989 thanks to
the efforts of local cultural patron Frances Bourque,
numerous volunteers and a very supportive community.
Soon after, the site was incorporated as Old School
Square, Inc. and extensive renovations began on each
building. By 1990, the elementary building had been
transformed into the Cornell Museum of Art & History,
and by 1998, other structures had been restored. Today,
Old School Square is listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
Many attribute Delray Beach’s aesthetic and cultural
renaissance to the rejuvenation of this historic property.
“If you had seen what it looked like in the ’70s
and early ’80s — it was truly a mess,”
Museum Director Gloria Rejune Adams says. “But
once the museum was completed, people started to buy
adjacent properties. Little by little, the area around
us started to bloom.”
The museum, which opened its doors in 1990, encompasses
four gallery spaces, two atria and a tea room. “A
phenomenal all-women’s photography show was our
first exhibit, and we’ve been moving forward
ever since,” Adams says. Today, the museum schedule
includes six or seven exhibits per year, and though
the focus is primarily regional, the shows often have
national and international appeal.
Variety also seems to be the norm. Displaying everything
from military miniatures to quilts and fine art, the
Cornell opens its doors to almost any subject matter.
Not long ago, the museum organized a well-received
Barbie® exhibit, which chronicled the 40-year
history of the doll, addressing everything from changing
fashions to views on women. As diverse as this slate
of exhibits might seem, there is a unifying thread.
“We tie everything in some way to both art and
history,” Adams says.
“A World of Puppets: Art & Imagination”
is currently on exhibit until Jan. 11, 2004. “Parasols
and Palmettos,” featuring 60 sketches and paintings
ranging from the late 19th century to 1967, follows
soon after.
“McMillan’s work is just wonderful. She
was proficient in all the media that she chose to
work in, which is a rarity, “Adams says. “I
think she allows the viewer to step back in time to
a simpler, quieter time and to fully experience the
joy she must have felt creating these wonderful works
of art.”
Though the Cornell does not have an official permanent
collection to date, it is moving in that direction
with a collection of original works from Florida Hall
of Fame artist A. Bean Backus as well as several Rembrandt
etchings. Art classes for adults and children are
also available to the public throughout the year.
For those seeking refuge from the clamor of everyday
life, the Cornell Museum of Art & History provides
visitors with a slice of history, a bit of solitude
and pieces of great art. For more information on upcoming
exhibits at the museum, please call 561/243-7922,
ext. 322. For general information on Old School Square,
visit its web site at www.oldschool.org. |
