by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Starting Sunday, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Cummer Gardens. Next week’s festivities include a picnic and putting contest, artist lectures, a gala reception, a spring hat luncheon and contest, a secret garden tour of foliage at select residences, an interactive workshop and a concert in the garden by the Noel Freidline Quintet.
The garden was once a private backyard at the home of Arthur and Ninah Cummer. Later, the museum was erected where their home once stood.
It began when a landscape architect designed the grounds of the Cummer’s two- acre riverfront property. In 1910, the Cummers added ornamental vegetation to create a formal English garden. A putting green was installed seven years later. During the Great Depression, Ninah Cummer employed a New York designer to cultivate an Italian garden reminiscent of Tuscany. According to historians, the garden is one of the few unaltered designs by the designer still in existence. It was restored with the aid of photographs and the original planting plans.
“It is unique to have a private garden that remains and has been maintained properly after 100 years,” said Cummer director Maarten van de Guchte.
Later this year, museum officials plan to develop a comprehensive master plan for the entire grounds, including the recently acquired riverfront corner at Post Street.
“The museum has selected a Belgian landscape architect, Francois Goffinet, to develop the master plan for the green envelope,” said van de Guchte. “The green envelope includes all the gardens and the property surrounding the museum. In the last couple of years, the board has acquired additional property. With planting, lighting and architectural features, the plan will integrate the different units. We want to make a beautiful garden setting, that can be seen from either direction on Riverside Avenue.”
The museum also has an interesting history. Ninah Cummer, an avid art collector, established a foundation in her late son’s honor as a means to develop and maintain the collection. Designed by renowned architect Harold Saxelbye in 1961, the museum was built upon these pieces. Art works in the permanent collection currently number in excess of 5,000 pieces, spanning 8,000 years of art history.
“One highlight in the museum’s history is the gift of an 18th Century Meissen porcelain collection by Ralph and Constance Wark in 1964,” said van de Guchte. “It is one of three or four top collections of this material in the world.”
Other recent improvements include the addition of a riverfront gallery built by The Haskell Company in 1991 and the restoration of the Italian Garden in 1999, with the addition of a marble fountain imported from Italy.
Since the formation of the Cummer Council in 1974, traditions such as the Christmas tree exhibits, afternoon teas, lunchtime art workshops, museum tours and the annual Cummer Ball have become staples. The Cummer Ball and Auction fundraiser was first held in 1978 to keep the museum from going under.
The social was not without its mishaps. In 1979, with Sen. Bob Graham in attendance, the dress of the Cummer president’s wife caught fire. She was unharmed but the dress lost some of its length.
In 1985, a heavy storm the night before the ball collapsed a party tent and flooded the event space.
“We are very fortunate there have not been any fires or theft of art work,” said van de Guchte. “When Hurricane Andrew came through, the building was not in danger. From what I understand, the staff, their families and pets spent three or four nights here as a refuge.”