LOCAL LIMELIGHT AUSTIN ARTHUR TALKS WITH PHILIP SELF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WINTER GARDEN ART ASSOCIATION
ARTICLE AUSTIN ARTHUR
winter garden to
be an arts town? PHIL SELF SAYS THAT HE WANTS TO MAKE WINTER GARDEN AN ARTS TOWN, BUT PHIL IS NOT ALONE. Along with the Winter Garden Art Association, of which he is the executive director, Phil, the City of Winter Garden, and scores of artists throughout West Orange have made much progress toward that goal. According to Phil, the Winter Garden Art Association began 8 years ago and was founded by Mary Keating and Elizabeth McKinney, both longtime and active locals in the community. A couple years after they began the association, the SOBO Art Gallery opened which gave the WGAA a physical home in Historic Downtown Winter Garden. The building, which was constructed in 1938 as Winter Garden’s first fire station is located at 127 S. Boyd Street. Since opening, the association that Phil has led for the past 2 years has been very active. Many locals have noticed their work, including the mural projects popping up in downtown Winter Garden. Bringing beautiful art to the town is part of what Phil states is the first of three functions the WGAA has. "I want the arts and creativity to be seen on the same level as eating healthy and exercising. It reaches across
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Winter Garden Lifestyle | February 2021