Festival of Trees at the Orlando Museum of Art

Posted by rlashea on July 14, 2010

Situated in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park, the Orlando Museum of Art plays host to a wide variety of art works, from those created by local painters and photographers to those created by internationally-renowned artists. The museum’s Festival of Trees is an event held during the early part of the holiday season each year.

Orlando Museum of Art

Opened in 1924 with the mission of collecting and preserving works of art, and showcasing them to residents and visitors of central Florida, the Orlando Museum of Art maintains that same vision today. Ten to 12 exhibits are showcased at the museum each year, and 13 off-site exhibits throughout the city are sponsored by the museum annually. Aside from the art collections and exhibits, the Museum of Art also provides educational programming for the local community.

Permanent Collections

Aside from the rotating temporary exhibits that come through the museum doors each season, the Orlando Museum of Art hosts three permanent collections: American Art, Art of the Ancient Americas and African Art. American Art at the museum includes 18th century to modern artwork by American artists and photographers, such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams, while the Ancient Americas are represented by ceramics, jade carvings and other hand-made items, dating from as far back as 2000 B.C. The African Art Collection includes wooden masks, ivory carvings and beadwork from all across Africa.

Festival of Trees

Taking place over nine days in mid-to-late November, the Festival of Trees is only one of a number of special events held at the Orlando Museum of Art throughout the year. During the festival, holiday villages, including the Gingerbread Village and Toyland Town, are erected inside the museum, and a variety of live entertainment is offered, such as performances by local school choirs and ballet recitals. The museum is also adorned in holiday décor, such as wreaths and, of course, trees. The designer trees and wreaths displayed are available for sale to museum visitors.

Attend the Festival

Admission to the Festival of Trees at the Orlando Museum of Art can be purchased at the museum upon arrival. General admission for the Festival of Trees, as of the 2009 festival, was $10 per adult and $6 per child. An opening night party, featuring a selection of fine foods and entertainment is also held each year. A ticket for the 2009 party was $100. Party guests also get the first opportunity to pick and purchase the trees and wreaths on display.

Other Things to See

Home to the Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios Florida, Orlando is a tourism Mecca. Other area theme parks include Sea World, Busch Gardens, and Discovery Cove, which attempts to mimic the experience of an island vacation by offering tropical a variety of settings and experiences, including beaches, snorkeling in coral reefs and swimming with dolphins. Orlando’s International Drive, home to Discovery Cove, Sea World and Universal Studios, also offers a host of additional activities for tourists, such as indoor skydiving, mini golf and a Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum.