Our crew is on the larger size and everyone has a lot of opinions on where we should travel for family vacations. Kinda like picking the right flick for family movie night. Of course, all the craziness is worth every moment when we’re all together.
As we were discussing where to gather for Thanksgiving this year, I started thinking about all the logistics that go into such outings and how we don’t typically put much energy into planning a trip in or near where we live.
What if we took just an hour to look at what our community has to offer? Did you know, for example, that Orlando Family Stage is the state’s only professional theater for young audiences, and one of the few in the country? And did you know that Orlando Museum of Art is one of just 3 percent of museums nationwide that is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums?
Oh, and there’s more exciting news! Rollins Museum of Art will open the doors of its new facility in 2027. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is building a new pavilion for events and educational programming. And funding has been secured for The Holocaust Museum for Hope & Humanity.
What better time than our country’s 250th birthday to seek out these local treasures and salute local talent? And speaking of local talent, our cover features artist Lisa G. Moore, a heritage quilter who is currently a studio artist at the Maitland Art Center.
Entitled Between the Flag and Freedom, her piece honors her sixth great-grandfather, John E. Proctor, a Black political leader whose life reflects both the hope and hardship of Reconstruction in the American South. The quilt will be on display at the Orlando Regional History Center as part of its By Heart and By Hand exhibition.
Let these pages serve as a road map to explore. The Dalai Lama once said: “There are only two days of the year that nothing can be done. One is called Yesterday and the other is called Tomorrow. Today is the right day to Love, Believe, Do and mostly Live.”
Cindy Bowman LaFronz
Editor-In-Chief, Artistry
