Anne Gilroy, Curator of the Historic Thomas Center Galleries (Gainesville, FL) and author of the book, Mr. Eddy Lives! will present the story of Eddy Mumma, a lonely shut-in living in Gainesville, Florida who taught himself to paint. Mumma mastered the expressive use of color to create over a thousand emotional, spirit-infused portraits that he hung on every inch of every wall in his home, sometimes several paintings deep. He created thousands of paintings that he refused to sell during his lifetime because he thoughts of them as his companions.

Learn the amazing tale of how upon Mumma’s death approximately 800 of his paintings were rescued by a dedicated art collector, Josh Feldstein, and ended up in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. the High Museum of Arts, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Samuel Harn Museum of Art, and other major U.S. museums.