The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens is pleased to announce its winter exhibition, Venetian Canals of Winter Park: The Art of Don Sondag. The exhibition will run from December 10 to April 12, 2020. Venetian Canals explores the history of Winter Park and why it was called the “Venice of North America” through archival images, documents, and vintage memorabilia accompanied by the exquisite paintings of acclaimed artist Don Sondag, who has spent his career documenting the beauty of Winter Park’s unique water features. Sondag’s paintings transform from a rich impressionistic tapestry of color and brushwork into photorealistic images that make you feel as though you have become a part of the scene.
Sondag is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and studied portraiture at the National Academy of Design and Art Student League in New York City. Sondag paints with oil using a variety of brushes and palette knives and works both on location and in his studio from sketches and photographs. Commissioned illustration and portraiture drove his early career and continues to make up a large portion of his practice. He has also taught at Seminole Community College, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Feature Animation, and Crealde School of Art. Sondag’s 28-year association with McRae Art Studio allowed him to work amongst Central Florida’s most esteemed artists and refine his work. This exhibition is supported by Fannie Hillman + Associates, United Arts of Central Florida, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, and Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, and the City of Winter Park.
About the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens: Founded in 1961, the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens preserves the 200+ piece collection of world-renowned Czech-American sculptor Albin Polasek (1879-1965). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum offers guided tours of Polasek’s home, studio, and sculpture gardens. Thousands of visitors each year come from all over the world to be inspired by Polasek’s story of emigrating to the United States in 1901, becoming a celebrated artist, and continuing to create monumental works of art from his wheelchair after suffering a debilitating stroke at age 70. The museum is also home to the historic 1885 Capen House that was saved from demolition, renovated, and opened to the public in 2015. For more information, visit polasek.org or find us on Facebook and Instagram. The Polasek is proud to be a part of #wpinspires, arts and culture in the City of Winter Park.