A teary-eyed Althea Tombley-Carter stood in the gallery, reminiscing on the sacred history of her small town of Cross Creek.
The 75-year-old made the half-hour drive to the Matheson History Museum Saturday to see the work of Robert Carson, a self-taught painter and UF humanities professor, who died in 1971. Carson was one of 14 artists honored at the museum’s first one-day archival exhibit.
The “Art from the Archives” exhibit, held Saturday to celebrate the annual Downtown Arts Festival, contained 14 pieces spanning nearly two centuries of artwork. The pieces, belonging to the museum’s rarely displayed permanent collection, ranged from acrylic landscapes to a beaded dress bodice.
Tombley-Carter, whose cousin was a close friend and student of Carson’s, volunteers at the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park. Carson and his wife were instrumental in the restoration of Rawlings’ home in Cross Creek, where the renowned author wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Yearling.”
A photograph of Rawlings’ barn, displayed in the gallery, served as a viewer’s only connection to Alachua County’s rich past, said Tombley-Carter.
“It’s kind of part of your soul,” she said. “You thank God for what we have around us, and we need to take care of it.”
Carson had a vibrant watercolor on display in the exhibit, entitled “Cabot Pine Tar & Charcoal Factory.” Rebecca Nagy, the former director of the Harn Museum of Art, said it is one of the many examples of “Art from the Archives” pieces that tell a story.
Having donated a graphite drawing of Juniper Springs to the gallery, Nagy has been involved with the Matheson History Museum in several capacities and now serves on its advisory council.
She said the exhibit is not only significant because of the pieces’ high quality, but also because it brings to light landmarks that might otherwise be torn down.
“It helps people to be aware of historic places and buildings that need to be preserved, and maybe helps generate enthusiasm for historic preservation,” Nagy said.
One piece that stands out in the exhibit, “Novorossiisk Port,” is a century-old oil on canvas painting from Russia.
Gainesville and Novorossiysk, Russia, have been sister cities since 1982. The two towns support each other culturally, exchanging artifacts and tokens.
Though not related to Florida culture, it was a favorite in the gallery. According to museum director Salvatore Cumella, it is the first time the piece has been shown at Matheson.
Cumella, Gainesville’s former historic preservation planner, said the exhibit was a great way to showcase pieces from the museum’s storage that may only be displayed once in a decade.
The mission of the Matheson History Museum is to preserve and interpret the past, he added, but not often does the museum get to express the local culture in an artistic manner.
“Art is another one of those ways where you can learn a lot about a place's history,” Cumella said.
Contact Isabel Kraby at ikraby@alligator.org. Follow her on X @isabelgkraby.
Isabel is a general assignment reporter for The Avenue and is starting her first semester with The Alligator. She is a junior journalism student and transferred to UF from Daytona State College after her freshman year. When she's not writing for Ave, she loves going to concerts, crocheting and designing spreads for Rowdy Magazine.
