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MARK AND MARGERY PABST VISITOR CENTER & GALLERY Atlantic Center for the Arts’ Mark and Margery Pabst Visitor Center & Gallery, dedicated in January 2007, was conceived to serve ACA’s growing public. Sited on the grounds of this world-renowned international artists’ community, the building provides increased opportunities for the community to learn about and experience the artistic process and allows for new and expanded partnerships with public schools, universities, volunteers, environmental and tour groups. Designed by architect Will Miller, who designed ACA’s original buildings in the late ’70s and early ‘80s, the Mark and Margery Pabst Visitor Center & Gallery honors the memory of Mark, who passed away in 2006. “Mark was an astute businessman, but he was also very nurturing to younger colleagues,” Margery said about her husband. “He loved Atlantic Center for the Arts because it nurtures artists, and he had a personal commitment to that philosophy.” THE GALLERIES Jean G. Harris History Gallery
Master Artist Gallery A changing exhibition space that features work by ACA Master Artists, the annual Florida state university student exhibit, and themed shows. Atlantic Center for the Arts Events
Dr. Murphy served as executive director of the Society for Photographic Education and of Mount Dora Center for the Arts. He was the first program director of Atlantic Center for the Arts, and has worked as an independent curator and consultant to various arts organizations. He is the author of reviews, articles and catalogue essays, including a chronology of Doris Leeper for her 1995 retrospective exhibition catalog. In addition, Dr. Murphy has lectured on Photography and Art at the Southeast Museum of Photography, and has curated group exhibitions at Arts on Douglas Gallery in New Smyrna Beach. Dr. Murphy holds a B.A. in Art History from Saint Peters College, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Florida State University. Jack Mitchell Portrait Gallery
The gallery was named in honor of Jack, through the generosity of former Board Chair, Jim Pugh, and his wife, Alexis. Gift Shop The unique shop features items that relate to ACA including Master Artist books, archival residency posters, and ACA-logo items such as t-shirts, hats, coffee cups, potted plants, and magnets, as well as survival items such as bug spray and sunscreen. The best-selling item is Spruce Creek Wild Honey, produced and harvested on the grounds of ACA. For more information or to purchase items on-line, go to the Gift Shop tab. The Gift Shop was named in honor of Helen Kolodinsky by former Board Chair Rick Kolodinsky, and his wife, Alison. Stine Way A 500 ft. public art and nature trail, which identifies 20 indigenous plants and animals was sponsored by Bob and Genie Stine. Dial Vig Walkway The entryway from the parking area to the front door of the Pabst Visitor Center & Gallery was sponsored by Patricia Dial Vig. Sorensen Walkway The path from the entryway to the outdoor sculptures, Celebration by ACA Founder Doris Leeper and Great Green Whale by Master Artist Gio Pomodoro and Associates, was sponsored by Gary and Barbara Sorensen. ABOUT THE ARCHITECT William Jerome Miller’s active architectural practice began in New Smyrna Beach, Florida in 1977 with the underlying design philosophy that the man-made environment should not be in contrast with nature, but rather should exist as a poetic result of the natural conditions that determinate how the design is composed. This philosophy is evident at Atlantic Center for the Arts, one of Will’s first commissions; the Bell Administration Building, the Whatmore Commons, the Master Artist cottages and the Urban Amphitheater were designed by Will and dedicated in 1982. The dynamic design of the Pabst Visitor Center & Gallery, constructed of formed-in-place concrete, glass and wood beams with a galvanized aluminum roof, is responsive to the site and to Atlantic Center’s legacy of environmental conservation and ecological preservation. |
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The Jean G. Harris History Gallery portrays the remarkable history of Atlantic Center for the Arts, and documents the mission of the organization through a permanent exhibition – lighted panels that narrate the chronological history, a slide show of residency images, and a computer to log onto ACA’s website or research artists – the gallery is meant to enlighten and inform visitors about the important work of ACA, and the lasting contributions of artists’ communities to our nation’s cultural and environmental legacies. 
The gallery was named in honor of Jeanie Harris, through the generosity of Trustee Ed Harris, for his wife, Jeanie.
About Doris “Doc” Leeper (1929 – 2000): Leeper is listed in over a dozen important publications including Who's Who in American Art and has received honorary doctorate degrees from Duke University and Stetson University. In 1999, Leeper was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, the highest and most prestigious cultural honor that can be bestowed upon an individual in the State of Florida. It is reserved for those who have demonstrated significant contributions to the arts in Florida and have received national and/or international recognition through achievements in an artistic discipline. She received the 1993 Florida Arts Recognition Award, which recognizes outstanding initiative, leadership or excellence in supporting the arts in Florida. In 1990, she received the Humanist Arts Award from the American Humanist Association for outstanding contributions to humanity through the arts. Leeper received individual artist's fellowships from the State of Florida and the National Endowment for the Arts. She also was the recipient of an Artist-in-Residence Fellowship from The Rockefeller Foundation. A resident of New Smyrna Beach since 1958, Leeper had served as a leader in educating the general public as to the sound management of natural resources and innovative land use planning for over 40 years. Her lifelong interest in the relationship of natural and built environments has created two testimonials to her vision - Canaveral National Seashore and Atlantic Center for the Arts. In what is perhaps her most well known legacy, Leeper conceived the idea of a residency program in which artists from different disciplines could convene and collaborate in an environment that promoted both tranquility and stimulation. Thus began five years of planning and fundraising for Atlantic Center for the Arts, an internationally renowned artists' community situated on 69 acres of tidal estuary in New Smyrna Beach, which opened in 1982. Leeper devoted the majority of her time in the '80s to ACA and is considered the prime mover in its development, forming its first board and national advisory council. Almost two decades later, Atlantic Center is considered one of the premier artists' communities in the world, as well as a model for the harmonious existence integrating manmade structures and the natural environment. Leeper was also a founding member and the catalyst behind the creation of the Alliance of Artists' Communities, a consortium of artists' colonies and residency programs across the country. The mission of the Alliance is to improve the environment in which artists' communities support artists and their creative processes. For over forty years, through her professional career in the arts, her extraordinary commitment to the field, and her passion for environmental causes, Doris Leeper has made vital and long-lasting contributions to the enhancement of the arts and the preservation of the environment. Doris Leeper passed away on April 11, 2000 at the age of 71. 
About Dr. James J. Murphy: James J. Murphy is a retired educator and arts administrator. He has taught classes in art history at Florida State University (where he also served as chairman of the Department of Art), the University of Alabama, Stetson University, Valencia Community College and Daytona State College. 
The Jack Mitchell Portrait Gallery showcases 180 Master Artist photographs spanning 22 years, from Atlantic Center’s inaugural residency in 1982 to the end of 2004. Individually these works are stunning visual images; collectively they convey the history of Atlantic Center’s artists-in-residence program in a dramatic and elegant display. The black and white portraits, framed to 16” x 14”, are a part of Atlantic Center’s permanent collection. |