As dignitaries and arts supporters celebrated the expansion of the Maitland Art Center on Thursday morning, Danielle Thomas was reminded of the center’s original name.
Founder Jules André Smith first dubbed the center “Espero,” a word that means “I hope” or “I wait” in Spanish.
“That’s particularly meaningful today,” said Thomas, executive director of the Art & History Museums of Maitland, which runs the center. “We have been hoping and waiting for this moment for a long time.”
With gold-covered shovels, Thomas, Maitland Mayor John Lowndes and other dignitaries ceremoniously broke ground on a $3 million expansion of the art center’s campus, its first in more than 60 years. The National Historic Landmark, designated in 2014 because of its distinctive architecture, was founded by Smith in 1937.
A ray of light illuminates Danielle Thomas, executive director of the Art & History Museums of Maitland, at the Oct. 9, groundbreaking ceremony for the Que Throm and Cicero Greathouse Education Studios at the Maitland Art Center. (Matthew J. Palm/Orlando Sentinel)
The expansion, which will face Jackson Street, will triple the available classroom space used in the center’s public education programs for adults and youths, Thomas said. It’s funded by Orange County’s collection of the Tourist Development Tax on hotel and other short-term stays, as well as by private donations — most notably by a major bequest from the estate of Que Throm and Cicero Greathouse.
Throm was a founding faculty member of Valencia College’s visual-arts department who served on the A&H Museums board of directors, and Greathouse was a Disney Imagineer who maintained a studio at the center as part of its Artist in Action program. The expansion’s two new buildings will be named the Que Throm and Cicero Greathouse Education Studios in the couple’s honor.
Construction work, as seen Oct. 9, is paving the way for the Que Throm and Cicero Greathouse Education Studios at the Maitland Art Center. (Matthew J. Palm/Orlando Sentinel)
“They’re building on a legacy of love, creativity and community,” said Julie Frey, a friend of the couple who wore a necklace made for her by Throm to the ceremony. Greathouse died in 2019, Throm in 2022. “It’s quite a legacy to leave.”
The expansion also means other spaces at the art center can cease being makeshift classrooms and revert to their original purpose, serving as working artist studios.
Old letters, newly found, solve mystery of an artistic origin story
“I know firsthand the benefits of having the A&H programs we have,” said Trent Tomengo, an artist and past president of the board. “I’m a product of that.”
Tomengo was a former artist in residence, using the center’s studio space, and is now a professor at Seminole State College.
The expansion will also feature gallery space to exhibit art, something in short supply, according to Vicki Landon, Orange County’s arts and cultural affairs administrator.
A sign on the grounds of the Maitland Art Center on Oct. 9 foretells the addition of the Que Throm and Cicero Greathouse Education Studios. (Matthew J. Palm/Orlando Sentinel)
“This project is sorely needed not just for the Art & History Museums, but for the entire community,” said Landon, who has heard through surveys and public meetings that “there is an incredible need for space in our community.”
She said Orange County was glad to support the project “because we know cultural tourism is a critical driver of our economy.”
Lowndes also spoke about the benefit to the community, while joking that the center and the city were “joined in a shotgun wedding in 1970.”
Maitland Mayor John Lowndes speaks at the Oct. 9 groundbreaking ceremony for the Que Throm and Cicero Greathouse Education Studios at the Maitland Art Center. (Matthew J. Palm/Orlando Sentinel)
“We couldn’t be more pleased that this will be here for years to come, and the city of Maitland will be well served by it,” he said, adding that the center “makes Maitland a special place to be.”
The construction will be carried out by Lamm & Company Partners, with additional support from JCR Consulting for landscaping and Walter P. Moore for structural engineering. Mark Straite is the project architect. Construction is estimated to take about 10 months, and center leaders hope to have a grand opening in January 2027.
Thomas credited Throm’s support for ensuring the center would live on as “a catalyst for multigenerational creativity.”
“The art center will forever be grateful for having known her,” she said.
Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment or sign up to receive our weekly emailed Entertainment newsletter.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/09/maitland-art-center-groundbreaking/
