Pat Greene is Bungalower Media’s first sponsored Resident Reporter. Greene has joined our team as our Arts and Culture Correspondent, supported by the efforts of Interstruct Design + Build, an award-winning Orlando-based design and build firm.
Yesterday, I sat with the Timucua Foundation’s Executive Director, Leah Nash.
The Timucua Foundation (Website) has been on my radar from its very beginning. Twenty-five years ago, trumpeter Benoit Glazer (Website) opened his family’s home to the public for live performances.
At the time, they lived in a house on Timucua Court in Seminole County, which they called the Timucua House. Then in 2007, the Glazers jumped ship for a larger white house on Summerlin Avenue in Orlando, across from Boone High School’s football field.
The White House is a large, contemporary home that stands out because of its tall stature and design – Glazer, who is the former music director for Orlando’s Cirque du Soleil, designed and built much of it himself.
Full disclosure, the Civic Minded Five (Facebook), a group of Orlando-based art and music impresarios who organize concerts and events, has booked many shows there – and I am one of the five.
Matt Gorney, the founder and leader of the five, was instrumental (sorry about the pun) in bringing more experimental music into the space. Benoit originally booked a lot of straight-ahead jazz in the beginning, but I don’t know of a genre that hasn’t been represented there through the years. Many of those shows have been world-class and international performers.
When I say there is something for everyone, I’m not exaggerating.
Leah Nash has 27 years of nonprofit experience and is a longtime community cheerleader. In December 2023, she took over from Chris Belt, who is now the programming director at Judson’s Live (Website) at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Like Chris before her, Leah is enthusiastic when she speaks of Foundation and their White House.
“Timucua is a jewel. We have brought musicians from all over the world, and there has been a consistent response from the performers. I don’t think the word awestruck is hyperbole.
Many of these musicians come from places like New York City, London, Tokyo, and other areas known for their sophistication and culture.
Most seem surprised by the uniqueness and professionalism. The difference is that it is in a residential neighborhood. After, and before shows, there is plenty of mingling. Lots of nerding out about music and just hanging out. The house is elegant, but there is nothing stuffy about the experience.”
– LEAH NASH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TIMUCUA ARTS FOUNDATION
Timucua Arts Foundation has also developed a festival schedule. The festivals are: International Chamber Music Festival (January); Timucua Amplifies Black Voices (February); Opera Festival (New! March); Month of Jazz (April); World Music Weekends (May); International Guitar Festival (August); and Indigenous People Cultural Festival (November). their annual fundraiser will be held on November 15th. They also host a visual artist every month. Visual artists showcase their work at our shows and usually paint or draw live at least three times during the month they are featured. Timucua Arts Foundation takes no commission.
Nash was also happy to share that “if you’re looking for ways to help Timucua Arts Foundation, please consider donating to us through the United Arts Collaborative Campaign and selecting Timucua Arts Foundation as your beneficiary.”
They are always interested in volunteers.
Check the website, to get an idea of the variety of shows that take place. The Timucua House may be my favorite music venue. It feels like home. I see familiar faces every time I visit. The Glazer family plays a big part in that. I can describe it, show you pictures, but until you go there, you may not understand the vibe.