‘Finding Beauty’ exhibition now on display at CF Appleton Museum of Art

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The Appleton Museum of Arts’ latest exhibition, “Finding Beauty,” a unique collaboration between the Appleton and the Ocala Civic Theatre, is currently on display, according to a June 20 press release.

The exhibition merges costume drawings and more from the theatre’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” with works from the Appleton collection that inspired them.

“After a highly successful run of performances,” said Lisa McGinnes, manager of marketing and public relations at the College of Central Florida, “’Beauty and the Beast’ has come to a c lose and a selection of costumes are now on view in the museum’s ‘Finding Beauty’ galleries.”

Award-winning costume designer Eryn Brooks Brewer designed the costumes, working closely with museum staff. She gained inspiration from two- and three-dimensional Rococo-style art and objects in the collection, according to the press release.

Along with the costumes, museum visitors are fully immersed in the creative design process from start to finish, discovering how a static object, such as a clock, can eventually become the costume for a living actor to magically transform into a character such as Cogsworth, said McGinnes.

The exhibition also includes set photos, video, a touch table of fabrics and costume embellishments, a photo op with props and more.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, the community is invited to a special photo op including Belle, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There is no fee to pose with the princess. Admission to the museum is free all day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as part of the monthly Free First Saturday program.

The “Finding Beauty” exhibition is open through Jan. 15, 2023.

The Appleton Museum, art space and store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on S.R. 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free.

For more information, call (352) 291-4455 or visit www.AppletonMuseum.org.