Genius & Generosity-The Elliott Story

A new exhibit for a new year! During the summer and fall of 2020, I was hired to design, Genius & Generosity-The Elliott Story, a new permanent exhibit for the Elliott Museum located in Stuart, Florida.

I partnered with Paul Orselli Workshop (POW!) and we worked with the museum's Curator, Linda Geary, to design and develop the content for this exhibition.

This exhibit about the museum's namesake, Sterling Elliott, is a tribute to his life as an inventor, social reformer, and the successful business empire which he built with his son, Harmon Elliott.

The exhibit follows Sterling's inventing life from the 1800s to the early 20th century. His invention of the steering knuckle for his quadricycle revolutionized the automobile industry and made him extremely wealthy. 

His improvements to the design of the harness racing sulky resulted in the champion driver, Budd Doble, racing the Elliott sulky to a new world record in 1892. 

Not only did his bicycle inventions make cycling safer, but they improved the lives of women and African Americans. The Sterling Bicycle Company made bicycles designed specifically for women when other bicycle manufacturers believed women should not be allowed to ride bicycles. Elliott used his role as President of the League of American Wheelmen to fight and gain the right for African Americans to compete in cycling races. This lead Marshall Taylor to become the first African American World champion cyclist in 1899.

The Elliott Addressing Machine Company came about when Sterling purchased The Bicycling World magazine and became editor of LAW Good Roads magazine. Sterling's invention of the addressing machine was a brilliant solution to the time-consuming problem of addressing the magazines to each subscriber by hand.

Together, Sterling and Harmon Elliott filed over 200 patents for their inventions. The Elliott Museum was built by Harmon Elliott in 1961 in memory of his father. Harmon donated the museum and its collections to the non-profit Historical Society of Martin County which operates both the Elliott Museum and the House of Refuge.

The pandemic posed some unique challenges for us with materials being in short supply as well as personnel. The indefatigable staff at the Elliott Museum rolled up their sleeves to help finish the exhibit. Even the museum's Financial Manager, Vikki Tobiasz, and Special Events Coordinator, Deb Banta, pitched in to help with the installation. I'm very proud of what we all managed to accomplish despite some of the obstacles we faced. 

The Elliott Museum is located at 825 NE Ocean Blvd in Stuart, Florida. It's open to the public 7 days a week from 10 am until 5 pm. The 50,000 sq. ft. building offers plenty of space to safely social distance while enjoying the exhibits. We hope you will visit soon and let us know what you think of our new exhibit.

Portfolios-Eclectic Artists and Art at the Elliott

This is the last week to check out the art exhibit at the Elliott Museum.

Portfolios-Eclectic Artists and Art at the Elliott features art in a variety of mediums and styles. 

This invitational exhibit showcases the paintings, photography, jewelry, and sculpture of myself and 13 other local artists.

Located at 825 N.E. Ocean Blvd on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida, the Elliott Museum offers 50,000 sq. feet of socially distanced exhibit enjoyment!

This fabulous exhibit ends on January 3rd, 2021.

 

Elliott's Portfolio of Eclectic Art

I was honored to be asked to participate in an invitation-only art exhibit at the Elliott Museum. Four of my paintings have been selected for the upcoming show, Elliott's Portfolio of Eclectic Art. 

The opening reception is October 15th from 5:30-7:30 and the exhibition will be up through January 3rd, 2021.

I was also pleasantly surprised to open my email this morning and discover that my artwork had been featured in the Historical Society of Martin County newsletter. Thank you HSMC!

An Update from the President & CEO Good Day everyone, “Without art, the crudeness of the world would make life unbearable.” - George Bernard Shaw We could all do with a steady stream of art in our lives about now…eh? Enjoying art up close and in person can be a wildly uplifting experience to anyone with a mind that is open even a crack. Throughout most of 2020, we have all been bombarded with challenges and messaging that effectively take away our ability to live in a world of beauty and wonder. We would like to invite you to plan a visit to the Elliott Museum soon to escape the drudgery and despair to a much happier space. The Bulldog Breed British Bikes exhibit just loaded out of our Flex Gallery, and after some repairs and a coat of fresh paint on the walls, we will be loading in an exciting new Art Exhibit. I won’t spoil the surprise today, but I will assure you that the exhibit will be memorable and something few people have had the chance to enjoy. As ever, keep your eye on our website (hsmc-fl.com) for details about the opening. You absolutely never know what is next at the Elliott Museum! “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” - Thomas Merton I was recently introduced to the term “disaster fatigue.” It is fair to say that it is a genuine phenomenon, and most of us are probably suffering from some level of it. There is no vaccine for it, and the traditional treatments involving pharmaceuticals and alcohol are ultimately not always the most effective way to treat it. Separating ourselves from the unending pressures of this tumultuous year and taking a moment to remember to be grateful for all the great things in our life is a miracle cure. As Thomas Merton reminds us, spending some quality time immersed in art can be incredibly therapeutic. The trick is to quiet your mind as you are standing in front of a piece of art that speaks to you, and allow your thoughts to stay within the boundaries of the canvas. The artwork of Kim Nolan, who is one of the featured artists in the Elliott Museum's next exhibit. “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist when we grow up.” - Pablo Picasso Art is for the ages and for all ages. All of us at the Historical Society of Martin County offer a heartfelt invitation to the young and old alike to pay a visit to our museum and tune into what we hope will become a lifelong habit for you. Teaching your children or grandchildren to appreciate art is a gift that lasts a lifetime. Art simply cannot be contained. No matter your location, vocation, or station in life, art remains accessible to you. Please feel welcome to immerse yourself in one of our gallery spaces and stay as long as you like. Bask in the creative talent that seems limitless…in a sea of limitations. Enjoy art every day of your life! “The highest form of art is making people happy. (My daily affirmation!) - P.T. Barnum Be unbridled and playful, Rob Steele President & CEO Historical Society of Martin County

Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge Museum

Last weekend was the annual holiday open house at the Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge Museum. This event took place on December 8th. Admission and tours were free between the hours of 1-3pm. 

The museum was festively decorated for the holiday and a pianist was playing holiday music on the porch. They also offered free refreshments which included cookies and warm cider. We had a really nice afternoon touring the museum and meeting the wonderful volunteers that work there.

Gilbert's bar is a shoal of Anastasia rock, which is a formation of shell and limestone compressed by the sea over thousands of years. The shoal runs along the coastline and has caused many wrecks for unsuspecting sailors.

Gilbert's Bar is named after the legendary pirate Don Pedro Gilbert. The son of a Spanish nobleman, Gilbert reportedly sailed his ship in the Hutchinson Island vicinity during the 1820s and 30s. He and his crew would start a fire to deceive ships passing in the night forcing them to run aground on the rocky shoal. They would then kill the men, steal their cargo, and burn the ship.

In 1874, The United States Congress authorized the construction of five houses of refuge. They were placed at 26-mile intervals along on the unpopulated east coast of Florida where shipwrecks often occurred close to shore. Shipwreck victims were usually able to reach the beach safely but would eventually perish without food, shelter, or water. 

Houses of refuge were part of the United States Life-Saving Service (USLSS) and were manned by a Keeper and his family. Keepers were required to walk the beach following storms in search of shipwreck survivors.

By 1885, there were ten houses of refuge with room and supplies to accommodate 20 shipwreck victims for two weeks.

Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge, completed on March 10th, 1876, is the only house of refuge remaining of the original ten houses. It is the oldest structure in Martin County and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum tour begins in the basement with a timeline of the human occupation of Southeast Florida.

The Ais or Ays were a Native American tribe of Florida. They inhabited coastal regions of eastern Florida from Cape Canaveral to the Indian River.

The basement has an exhibit that includes several small displays of Ais Indian artifacts and historical lifesaving equipment.

Shown in the picture above, are life vests, blankets, and one of the cots that were supplied to shipwreck survivors.

The Breeches Buoy was a piece of life-saving equipment used by the House of Refuge prior to the invention of the helicopter. It consisted of a cork ring-used to keep the person afloat-with canvas breeches attached to it. It hung from a pulley that could be pulled back and forth by hauling lines. A line was fired from the shore to the distressed ship and attached to a high point on the vessel. One by one, the crew and passengers were pulled safely to shore.

The floor plans of all the Houses of Refuge were identical. This was the Keeper's bedroom (shown in the picture above). On the east and west sides of the house, all the doors and windows line up with each other to take advantage of the cross breeze. This was not only to keep the house cool but to keep the bugs out as well. The windows on the west side of the house have a view of the Indian River and the windows on the east side of the house are facing the ocean. If I had the misfortune of being shipwrecked, I wouldn't mind winding up at this House of Refuge.

This artwork, known as hair art, was a popular art form in the Victorian Era. It is woven out of human hair.

The parlor was used for entertaining. The Keepers were provided with trunks that contained books for entertainment. A few of them also had a Victrola or Edison, an early version of the record player. They often owned music boxes.

The brass lanterns above the settee were recovered from the Cosme Colzada which came ashore during a storm October 17, 1904. The surviving crew was housed at the House of Refuge.

The paintings were donated by local pioneer, Curt Whiticar, in 2016 when he was 105 years old.

This is a display of beautiful Seminole Indian Dolls.

This clock is an Admiral Dewey shelf clock, made of oak, circa 1889.

The dining room (shown above) displays china and a lace tablecloth that belonged to Mrs. Bessey, a Keeper's wife. The glass pitcher belonged to the Craigs, a pioneer family in Stuart. The portable oil heater is the only heat source in the house other than the fireplace in the kitchen.

The shotgun hanging over the door in the kitchen was always loaded and ready as bears were a real threat. During turtle nesting season bears swam to the island to raid the turtle nest and eat the hatchlings. 

The fireplaces on all the Houses of Refuge were not very functional. The smoke came back down the chimney into the house. Due to this and also the heat it would have created in the house, a lot of the cooking was probably done outside. In later years the Keepers had stoves.

Ironing was done with cast irons which were heated in the fire. The ironing board is on exhibit in the basement as it is an artifact from the Georges Valentine. It never had legs but was balanced between two flat back chairs.

Museum visitors were not permitted on the second story but according to the sign, the second story is one big room the length of the building. It was equipped with cots and provisions for the shipwreck survivors. If the Keeper had any children they may have slept up there.

The Keeper was paid a salary and had to provide for himself and his family. The closest place to buy supplies was Titusville. He had to travel by small sailboat up the Indian River lagoon and it could take up to two weeks. The longest supply run recorded was two months when one keeper was stranded in Titusville by two hurricanes.

This ship's wheel is from The Adonis. It was built in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia in 1903. She was abandoned at sea on October 19, 1920, 20 miles northeast of Jupiter while bound from Jacksonville to Sagua. She drifted ashore and was a total loss.

In 1915 the U.S. Coast Guard was formed when the U.S. Life Saving Service merged with the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service. The House of Refuge became the U.S. Coast Guard Station #207. A lookout tower and additional buildings were added to the property after German U-Boats torpedoed freighters along the Treasure Coast in 1942.

The House of Refuge closed its doors from April 1945 until 1955 when the Historical Society of Martin County opened it in 1956 as a museum.

The House of Refuge is located at:

301 Southeast MacArthur Boulevard,

Stuart, Florida 34996

The museum is open Monday-Saturday from 10am-4pm and Sundays from 1 pm-4pm.

https://houseofrefugefl.org/