Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park, Orange County, United States | Art Gallery | Attraction | Museum | Historic Site | Art Museum

Welcome to the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Winter Park, Florida,USA.

Internationally renowned artist Albin Polasek is one of America’s prominent sculptors of the 20th century. While he worked in a variety of mediums, including stone, bronze, plaster, wood and painting, Polasek’s legacy is left in the sculptures he created. He strove to show the essential unity of head or figure and the beauty of “movement.” He believed the flow of one mass into another made the difference between a living work and something inanimate.

Polasek’s most recognized impact on the American art scene began when he was invited to head the Department of Sculpture at the Art Institute in Chicago, a position he retained for nearly 30 years. He gained a reputation as a “Chicago” artist because he created many monumental landmarks. His sculptures can still be seen throughout the city in front of buildings and in parks.

Large public commissions made Polasek a renowned sculptor. The Sower (1913) was a controversial nude piece that is now proudly displayed in the Chicago Botanical Garden. Also in Chicago, the Spirit of Music (1923) resides in memory of the founder of the Chicago Symphony, Theodore Thomas.

In 1961, the Albin Polasek Foundation was founded by the sculptor and his wife, and at that time, the residence, galleries, chapel and gardens were opened to the public as a Museum. Because it was originally intended as a simple residence, the property is different from the standard Florida estate. The residence is not lavish, as Polasek had a deep appreciation for an uncomplicated aesthetic. Similarly, the gardens are quiet and subdued, utilizing gardening art in classic form.The mission of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture gardens is:

To promote the legacy of internationally known sculptor, Albin Polasek, N.A. and to encourage study, appreciation and the furtherance of representational art.