A new art and memorial exhibit honoring Disney Imagineer Cicero Greathouse has opened at the Art & History Museums in Maitland, FL.
Photo by: Matthew J. Palm / Orlando Sentinel
What’s Happening:
- The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that a new exhibit honoring late Disney Imagineer, Cicero Greathouse, has opened at the Art & History Museums in Maitland, Florida.
- Greathouse was born in Japan, lived in Germany, and served in Vietnam. While he travelled all around the world, he established a home and studio in Mexico and Florida. He passed away in 2019.
- Cicero Greathouse: An Artist’s Journey features a curated collection of works spanning Greathouse’s artistic career, with some pieces dating back to his days as a student.
- One room in particular honors Greathouse with an ofrenda, or memorial, traditionally found in Mexican Día de Muertos celebrations. Disney fans familiar with Pixar’s Coco will be reminded that this is one way the culture commemorates the life of a loved one who’s since passed on.
- Among the collection of personal belongings is a note from Imagineer Marty Sklar and a construction hat featuring Sorcerer Mickey.
- During his time at Disney, Greathouse served as senior art director and worked on Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Tokyo Disney Resort parks. He was among the group that traveled abroad with Joe Rohde for research on Animal Kingdom. Greathouse believed the details made for a more immersive and enjoyable experience for guests.
Cicero Greathouse: An Artist’s Journey Details:
- The Art & History Museums — Maitland is located at 231 W. Packard Ave.
- The exhibition will welcome visitors Thursdays-Sundays now through September 20th.
- Tickets are $4-$6 and the museum is open from 11am-4pm.
- For more information guests can call 407-539-2181 or visit ArtandHistory.org
- Fans who can’t make it to the exhibit but are interested in supporting the arts can contribute to The Cicero Greathouse Fund. The fund was established to help preserve the grounds and facilities of the Maitland Art Center, a National Historic Landmark.
Cicero Greathouse, pictured in 2004. Photo by Hilda M Perez / Orlando Sentinel
What They’re Saying:
- Kahren Jones Arbitman, a friend of Greathouse’s: “His goal was to capture the totality of the Florida experience: the vast sky stretching out in all directions, the sunsets made of tinted steam, the ecosystems bubbling beneath the mangroves. Cicero’s talent was that he could meld these visual, tactile, and audible sensations on a single canvas.”
- Cicero Greathouse on Florida as an inspiration: “The landscape of Florida, specifically the river flats of the St. Johns River and the coastal mangroves, have long been a reference point for my painting.”
- Cicero Greathouse in a statement about the exhibit: “[I’m] inspired by the colors, shapes and textures that surround me. These three elements can be found in landscape, architecture, a ritual or a journey.”