Side Streets and Back Yards

Solo Exhibition by Artist Robert RosS: January 20 - March 26

Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum (in collaboration with Crealdé School of Art) presents Side Streets and Back Yards, a solo exhibition by acclaimed Winter Park artist Robert Ross. Featuring 14 original paintings, the exhibition draws inspiration from Ross’s daily walks through Winter Park neighborhoods, where quiet side streets, back yards, fences, and modest homes reveal unexpected beauty.

Ross’s work explores the meeting point of the built environment and nature, celebrating the quiet poetry of ordinary places. Many of the paintings are inspired by Hannibal Square and surrounding areas, highlighting mid-century homes of the 1950s—“a time when good design was made available to ordinary people,” as Ross describes it. Through strong composition, simplified forms, and a nuanced use of light and color, his paintings bring vitality and emotional resonance to spaces often overlooked.

“I find beauty and vitality in ordinary places and in the spaces between things,” Ross says. “For me, these spaces are alive with relationship and a tension between quiet stillness and a sense that something is about to happen.”

Ross has exhibited widely across Florida, including a solo exhibition at the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts & Sciences and group exhibitions at the Polk Museum of Art. A three-time cover artist for Winter Park Magazine, he has taught painting at the Crealdé School of Art for more than a decade, regularly participates in the Winter Park Paint Out, and has earned top honors at outdoor art festivals statewide. His work is held in private and corporate collections throughout the country.

EXHIBIT

January 20 - March 26

Public access Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum
656 Park Avenue North, Winter Park

Please note: The upstairs gallery of Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum, where this exhibit is located, is not wheelchair accessible. We invite people of all mobility levels to come and tour the downstairs and grounds of Casa Feliz.

OPENING RECEPTION

January 20
4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum
656 Park Avenue North, Winter Park

RSVP: casafelizrsvp@gmail.com

Please note: Refreshments and artist remarks are downstairs at Casa Feliz, although the exhibit is upstairs, which is not wheelchair-accessible.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Artist Gallery Talk
February 10 & March 10
11 a.m.

No RSVP necessary.

Inspired by Matisse
A relaxed still-life painting workshop with Robert Ross

February 28
9 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Registration Fee: $50 (includes all materials, plus bagels, mimosas, and coffee)

Join us for a relaxed, hands-on morning of artmaking at Casa Feliz with our Matisse Still Life Workshop, led by acclaimed Winter Park artist Robert Ross. Inspired by Henri Matisse’s bold color, simplified forms, and joyful approach to composition, this approachable workshop is perfect for beginners and experienced painters alike. Robert will guide participants step by step as you create a vibrant still life that captures the spirit of Matisse—no prior experience required.

The workshop takes place Saturday, February 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, and the $50 registration fee includes all materials, plus bagels, mimosas, and coffee to keep the creativity flowing. Best of all, you’ll go home with your own finished masterpiece, painted in the style of Matisse, and the confidence to keep exploring your artistic side. Space is limited—come paint, sip, and be inspired in the beautiful setting of Casa Feliz.