TALLAHASSEE, FL – On Monday, June 2, 2003, Secretary of State Glenda E. Hood will induct the late Earl Cunningham (1893-1977), a folk artist, into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. The presentation and reception will take place from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Mennello Museum of American Folk Art in Orlando. Marilyn and Michael Mennello will accept the award on Mr. Cunningham’s behalf.

“The vision and imagination of Earl Cunningham has produced a wonderful collection of vibrant folk art for the world to enjoy,” said Secretary Hood. “This talented artist has had a tremendous impact on our state and his creations led to the establishment of the Mennello Museum of American Folk Art in Orlando which holds the largest collection of his works.”

Earl Cunningham, now recognized as one of the greatest American folk artists, was a self-taught painter who used vivid colors to portray his own reflections of American life through a series of unique landscapes and seascapes. His life experiences influenced his works, which celebrate the beauty of nature and often depict dramatic storms or sunsets. Painted in the American folk art style, his canvases are filled with images of birds, trees, boats and the sea, and are a unique reflection of American history, from Native American life to more modern times.

The artworks of Earl Cunningham would not enjoy the recognition they do today if it were not for the vision and determination of art collector Marilyn Mennello of Winter Park. Ms. Mennello first recognized the artist’s genius in 1969, when she visited his Over Fork studio in St. Augustine and purchased one of his pieces. Years later, after the artist’s death in 1977, Ms. Mennello acquired 62 additional works and then, together with her husband, Michael, set out to find as many more as they could. Throughout his life, Earl Cunningham was not recognized as a significant artist and he rarely sold a painting. It was his dream to have all of his works displayed in a museum setting; a dream that was realized in 1998 when the City of Orlando opened the Mennello Museum of American Folk Art to house the Mennello’s extensive collection of Cunningham’s works.

“My husband Michael and I are so very proud that the Florida Arts Council recognized the genius of this remarkable Florida painter through this prestigious award,” said Marilyn Mennello. “Earl Cunningham would have been immensely proud of this great honor and would have felt that his dreams had come true.”

Prior to the establishment of the Mennello Museum of American Folk Art, Earl Cunningham's paintings reached national prominence and were exhibited in one-man exhibitions in thirty museums across the United States. His work is represented in 10 major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Abbey Aldrich Rockefeller Museum in Williamsburg, Virginia. His paintings have also been displayed in several U.S. embassies as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Art in Embassies Program. In 2007, Cunningham will be the first folk artist to have a one-man exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Established by the Florida Legislature in 1986, the Florida Artists Hall of Fame recognizes persons, living or deceased, who have made significant contributions to the arts in Florida either as performing or practicing artists in individual disciplines. These individuals contribute to Florida's national or international reputation as a state with a strong and sustained commitment toward the development of cultural excellence. The Florida Artists Hall of Fame currently consists of 32 inductees, including musician and performer Ray Charles, writers Zora Neale Hurston, Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway, and visual artists Duane Hanson, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist.

For general information about the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, please visit www.florida-arts.org or contact Valerie Ohlsson at the Division of Cultural Affairs: 850/245-6470. Persons with disabilities, please dial Florida Relay at 711. This material is available in alternate formats upon request.