A first-ever arts event is happening this weekend only in Winter Park.

  • Weekend of the Arts tries to expose art scene
  • Event happening from Feb. 16-19
  • Find day-to-day schedule at city's page

Winter Park Weekend of the Arts (Feb. 16-19) involves 18 organizations hoping to expose — or reintroduce — Central Floridians to its art scene.

"My gosh, the population of Winter Park is just 29,000, and that's a small part of Orange County. But we have a large chunk of the spending in arts and culture community," said Craig O'Neil, the City of Winter Park's assistant director of communications.

You might have noticed even sculptures pop up on Wednesday, some in front of City Hall. They're part of the event but will stay out there for about a year.

"There are a lot of people in Central Florida who haven't been to some of our museums, or the (Winter Park) Playhouse or the Blue Bamboo," O'Neil said.

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is also taking part. It now has a 150-square foot masterpiece called "The Domes of Yosemite" on display.

"It's a sweeping, dramatic, theatrical, operatic, lavish landscape," Morse Museum director Laurence Ruggiero said. "You feel almost dizzy because you're there in Yosemite on the domes, looking down on this valley."

The piece is only here until July before heading home to Vermont. The museum is opening its doors for free for the four-day event.

If theater is your jam, this could also be your opportunity to discover the Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College. The poetic drama "The Women of Lockerbie" debuts this weekend.

"The Women of Lockerbie" is a ticketed event, but most of the events this weekend are free. Organizers say one of the weekend highlights is the Winter Park Institute 10th Anniversary Celebration. The celebration is Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. at Central Park.

You can find the complete day-by-day schedule on the city's official page.