PRESS RELEASE: AUGUST 19, 2024

Florida School of the Arts presents watercolors by architect William Carpenter

Palatka

Ravine Gardens Palatka

Florida School of the Arts presents watercolors by early 20th century architect William Carpenter. The exhibit opens with a reception on Thursday, September 5 at 5:00 p.m. at the FloArts main gallery on the SJR State Palatka Campus. The event is free and open to the public.

A prominent architect of the early 1900s, William Carpenter’s legacy includes buildings in St. Petersburg, DeLand, and Daytona, as well as El Paso, Spokane, and Pittsburgh. During his career and the time he spent living in Northeast Florida (including Palatka), Carpenter also created more than 50 watercolors reflecting the buildings he erected and his love for landscapes and the St. Johns River.

According to Carpenter’s website, his architectural designs include one-bedroom cottages in Daytona during the Depression to elegant mansions on Millionaires Row in Pittsburgh during the great days of the Steel City.

One of Carpenter’s paintings include the Putnam Hotel - his first architectural commission in DeLand in 1923. Carpenter painted a rendering of the hotel as it became a winter destination for prominent winter visitors. It remained a historic landmark until 2023.

According to FloArts gallery director Sarah Alexander Bjorn, each year outside artists are invited to showcase their work. “Our purpose for the gallery is to exhibit artists whose work shows a high degree of skill, professionalism and craft to the students and community, fostering creativity and communicating varying ideas, whether that be ideas of beauty, social and economic concerns, the interior world of the artist,” Bjorn said. “The students benefit from seeing the work of artists outside of their norm, so that when they have a show of their own, there is a standard being presented to strive for.”

“This particular exhibit is the result of our president, Joe Pickens, recently meeting Carpenter’s grandson, Jack,“ Bjorn continued. “In addition to showcasing Carpenter’s talent for watercolors, we’re excited to share paintings with ties to the community and surrounding areas.”

The exhibit can be viewed 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and during FloArts main stage performances through October 28.

Florida School of the Arts is located on the St. Johns River State College Palatka Campus and serves the entire state of Florida. FloArts is part of the academic and administrative structure of SJR State and awards associate degrees in acting, dance performance, musical theater, stage management, theater technology, graphic design/new media and studio art. For more information, call (386) 312-4300 or visit FloArts.

The Putnam Hotel design was Wm. J. Carpenter’s first architectural commission in DeLand in 1923. By 1925, it had become a winter destination for prominent winter visitors who were entertained by many celebrated entertainers of the period.