Orlando Arts & Culture

Orlando Arts & Culture

While our world-famous attractions have made Orlando a household word, those seeking adventures off the beaten path have discovered Orlando's "unexpected" treasures. From the world's most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of Art, hands-on exhibits at the Orlando Science Center and rich Central Florida history at the Orange County Regional History Center to opera, ballet and theater, there’s something "unexpected" for everyone to enjoy.

Florida’s entertainment capital is rich in arts and culture. While most residents are very grateful for the tourism dollars that such attractions bring in, they claim that most tourists never see the “real Orlando”. The city of Orlando and its neighboring suburbs have developed a rich and growing arts and cultural scene that has been gaining momentum over the last ten years. Following are just a few of the arts and cultural delights Orlando has to offer:

Cornell Fine Arts Museum situated on the campus of Rollins College, features significant loans, recent acquisitions, and items from the Cornell's renowned permanent collection. Admission is free.

The Orlando Museum of Art, which has ongoing exhibitions of American portraits and landscapes, American impressionist works, and art of the ancient Americas.

The artistic director of the Orlando Ballet, Bruce Marks, is internationally renowned in ballet circles.

Orlando is home to one of the top orchestras in the state.

Orlando is home to the top opera in the state.

The City of Orlando’s Public Arts division curates three galleries, all of which are free to the general public. Two of the galleries are located in Orlando’s City Hall; the third is housed within the historic Harry P. Leu Gardens Garden Home.

The Florida Film Festival in Orlando has been ranked among the top 10 festivals in the world by The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, 2nd Edition.

The Zora Neale Hurston Festival is an internationally known celebration of the cultural contributions that Africa-descended people have made to the United States and to world culture.

The Orlando Museum of Art boasts a renowned permanent collection and has played host too many world-famous traveling exhibits, including American glass artist Dale Chihuly, China’s Ming Dynasty Collection, and American folk painter Grandma Moses. In the past, they have hosted the Ming Exhibit, among others.

Orlando annually hosts the Orlando Broadway Series, Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival and the Festival of Orchestras.

The Orlando Fringe Festival is a well-known, off-beat cultural event.

United Arts of Central Florida is a dynamic collaboration of businesses, governments, foundations, arts and culture organizations, school districts, artists and individuals.

The Orlando Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) is an independent non-profit 501(c)3 dedicated to develop, build and operate the new performing arts center.

Source: Orlando EDC