The Maitland Art Center at the Art & History Museums of Maitland was created in 1937 as a winter artist’s retreat. The labyrinthine compound was designed in an obscure Art Deco architectural style known as Mayan Revival. The winding pathways, hidden courtyards, and high walls are all richly adorned with thousands of hand-carved concrete sculptures, ranging from serene saints to defiant warrior goddesses. The complex is the dream vision of artist and architect Jules André Smith, a reclusive creative who built the center in 1937 as a place where artists…
