Starwood Hotels Donates Americana Murals to Tallahassee

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Featuring explorers like Sir Francis Drake, Vasco da Gama, Robert LaSalle and Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the mosaics once adorned what is now The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort.

Photo Credit: Deborah Desilets

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English explorer and navigator Henry Hudson is also depicted in the murals that were donated to the City of Tallahassee by Starwood Hotels.

Photo Credit: Deborah Desilets

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Christopher Columbus is just one historic figure featured in murals that will soon be displayed as public art in Tallahassee.

Photo Credit: Deborah Desilets

A dozen ceramic-tile mosaics of famous explorers will be restored and revived as public art.

Kay Stephenson remembers when she was a high school student in South Florida and visiting the Americana Hotel in Bal Harbour for proms. As she and her friends entered the grand hotel, they were awed by the 12 murals of legendary explorers.

Decades later, the Americana Hotel is no more. "The beach is totally different. It's not the same," said Stephenson, CEO of Datamaxx in Tallahassee and a member of the city's cultural council. "They are redoing all of those all old hotels."

But those murals live on. Starwood Hotels & Resorts has donated them to the city of Tallahassee.

"The murals will be a stunning addition to the city as they represent Florida's richness in art and culture," said Keith Fordsman, vice president of development for The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort.

The story of the murals is a lesson in Florida's architectural history, stretching more than half a century.

In 1956, the Tisch Hotel chain built the 475-room Americana, one three hotels in a tourist hub called "Gateway to the Americas."
 
This was no ordinary venture. The Americana was designed by world-renowned architect Morris Lapidus. Known for his iconic hotels and modern structures, Lapidus didn't just design the building. He hired a cadre of artists to add unique touches to the place. Among those was Anton Refregier, who created the Explorer-themed murals in the hotel lobby. Three-feet-wide, 12-feet-high, the images formed in mosaics of ceramic tiles.

Among the dozen murals were Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson, Sir Francis Drake, Vasco da Gama, Robert LaSalle and Vasco Nunez de Balboa.

The murals remained in the hotel even as its ownership changed. In 2007, as the hotel was being demolished, the new owner (Starwood) looked for a home for the artwork. Miami Beach-based architect Deborah Desilets thought of her hometown, Tallahassee.

"The prominence of Tallahassee in the history of Florida aligns with the desire to locate this art in a public place where Lapidus' intent for art for the people will be achieved," said Desilets, who was initially hired by Starwood hotels as a consultant on the "Spirit of Lapidus Project."

It seems almost inevitable that the murals would live on in a public space. Refregier is regarded as one of the most famous Works Progress Administration artists. And Lapidus also was a proponent of public art, Desilets said.

The mural panels arrived bubbled-wrapped in mid-August. City officials contacted the Smithsonian Institution about finding a conservator to restore the panels before they could be displayed publicly.

Once restored, each panel will weigh about 300 pounds. The lighter weight makes them more portable.

"It changes the dynamics of how we can display them," said Tallahassee City Commissioner Gil Ziffer, who has been involved with the project. He said the murals might be moved around and displayed at different locations.

"Wherever that is, it's going to be where the public can enjoy them," Ziffer continued. "The only stipulation is that we have to keep them in a public place. That is very good. I am a strong believer in art in public places. We should have more opportunity for art in public places."

Once mounted, the Explorers will join other notable pieces of public art, including Gregory Gomez's World Map outside the Challenger Learning Center, Hugh Bradford Nichols' Stormsong outside the Capitol Complex, John Henry's Quark at Doug Burnette Park and Romero Britto's Miami Beach Ball at Kleman Plaza.

However, the Explorers' historical theme is more reminiscent of Bronze by Cooley's The Native Americans, life-sized figures near the R.A Gray Building at the corner of Bronough and Pensacola streets.

"It's a major coup for Tallahassee to secure them," said Chucha Barber, chief executive officer of the Mary Brogan Museum in Tallahassee. "Anything that enhances art in a public place is a good for any community."

Andrew J. Skerritt is an assistant professor of journalism at Florida A&M University.