The Orlando Museum of Art is giving Central Florida art lovers three new reasons to plan a museum visit this fall.
Beginning in September, OMA will roll out a trio of exhibitions that couldn’t be more different from one another. Visitors can step into the imaginative world of award-winning children’s book illustrator Sophie Blackall, take a nostalgic trip through Florida’s tourism past and explore the state’s wild side through the photography of conservationist Carlton Ward Jr.
The exhibitions open on different dates throughout September 2026, with some remaining on view into early 2027. For Orlando residents and visitors looking for something beyond the theme parks this fall, the new lineup offers an interesting mix of art, Florida history, literature and nature.
Hello Sophie: The Picture Book Art of Sophie Blackall
September 11, 2026 – January 3, 2027
McKean Gallery
Anyone who has spent time reading children’s books may already be familiar with Sophie Blackall’s work, even if they don’t immediately recognize her name.
Blackall has illustrated more than 50 children’s books, including the popular Ivy and Bean series. She is also a two-time recipient of the Randolph Caldecott Medal, one of the best-known honors in American children’s literature.
She received the award for her illustrations in Finding Winnie in 2016 and Hello Lighthouse in 2019.
OMA’s Hello Sophie: The Picture Book Art of Sophie Blackall gives visitors an opportunity to see the original artwork behind the finished books.
There’s something special about seeing an illustration you’ve encountered on a printed page hanging on a museum wall. The exhibition provides a closer look at the craftsmanship behind Blackall’s storytelling and offers families an opportunity to introduce younger visitors to the connection between books and visual art.
Blackall is also scheduled to visit the Orlando Museum of Art on Saturday, October 3. Her appearance will include a presentation and question-and-answer session followed by a book signing and meet-and-greet.
For families with children who enjoy her books, that date may be particularly worth adding to the calendar.
Floridiana: Material Culture from The Sunshine State
September 17, 2026 – February 1, 2027
Weyand Gallery
Florida tourism looked considerably different before today’s mega-resorts and attractions came to dominate the Central Florida landscape.
Floridiana: Material Culture from The Sunshine State turns the clock back to the mid-20th century with more than 130 objects collected by photographer, author and educator Gary Monroe.
Rather than presenting Florida history through traditional paintings or historical documents alone, the exhibition explores the state’s identity through the things travelers actually encountered and brought home.
Expect everything from old hotel ashtrays and rubber alligators to roadside attraction brochures and other Florida souvenirs.
Taken together, these everyday objects tell a much larger story.
They reflect a period when Florida was selling visitors an image filled with sunshine, beaches, exotic wildlife and unusual roadside attractions. The souvenirs may seem quirky today, but they helped shape how generations of tourists imagined the Sunshine State.
For longtime Floridians, the exhibition may spark a few memories. For younger visitors, it offers a glimpse of the Florida vacation experience before today’s theme-park era fully took shape.
There’s also a good reason to visit on opening day.
Floridiana opens Thursday, September 17, which coincides with OMA’s monthly Access for All day. The program, made possible by the Art Bridges Foundation, provides free admission to the museum.
That makes September 17 an especially appealing opportunity for Orlando residents to explore the museum and see the new exhibition without paying regular museum admission.
The Wild Path: Connecting the Florida We Don’t See
September 25, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Brooker Grand Gallery
Florida’s most famous images often involve beaches, palm trees and attractions. Carlton Ward Jr.’s photography reveals another Florida entirely.
The Wild Path: Connecting the Florida We Don’t See, Photographs by Carlton Ward Jr. features 70 photographs documenting landscapes and wildlife that many Floridians may never encounter in their everyday lives.
Ward is a National Geographic Explorer and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker whose conservation work has focused heavily on protecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
He founded the Florida Wildlife Corridor project in 2010 and has traveled approximately 2,000 miles on foot during two National Geographic-supported expeditions. His work has helped bring attention to the importance of protecting connected natural habitats and supporting the recovery of the Florida panther.
Ward’s conservation efforts also helped inspire the documentary Path of the Panther.
At OMA, visitors will be able to experience that work through photographs showing a side of Florida that exists far beyond its cities, highways and tourist districts.
Before the exhibition officially opens to the public on September 25, OMA will host an opening celebration on the evening of September 24, with Carlton Ward Jr. scheduled to attend.
Three Very Different Ways to Experience Florida This Fall
What makes the Orlando Museum of Art’s fall season particularly interesting is the contrast among the three exhibitions.
One gallery takes visitors into the detailed and imaginative world of children’s literature. Another explores Florida’s sometimes kitschy tourism history through objects that once filled roadside gift shops and hotel rooms. The third leaves the developed world behind to document the wildlife and natural landscapes that still survive across the state.
Together, they offer three very different perspectives on art and storytelling.
They’re also the kind of exhibitions that can appeal to different generations. Families may gravitate toward Sophie Blackall’s illustrations, longtime Florida residents could find themselves reminiscing over the Floridiana collection, while photographers, outdoor enthusiasts and conservation-minded visitors may be drawn to Carlton Ward Jr.’s images.
More Programs Coming to OMA This Fall
The exhibitions aren’t the only activities planned at the museum.
OMA will offer additional public programming connected with the fall season, including gallery talks and docent-led tours. Special events will also accompany individual exhibitions, including Sophie Blackall’s October appearance and the September opening celebration for The Wild Path.
Programming and event details can change, so visitors should check the museum’s current schedule before heading out.
Plan Your Visit to the Orlando Museum of Art
The Orlando Museum of Art’s fall 2026 season begins September 11 with Hello Sophie, followed by Floridiana on September 17 and The Wild Path on September 25.
With the exhibitions continuing through January and February, there will be plenty of opportunities to see them. Still, September and October offer some particularly interesting dates thanks to the free Access for All day, exhibition opening events and Sophie Blackall’s scheduled appearance.
For those of us at OrlandoEscape.com, this lineup is also a reminder that exploring Orlando doesn’t always have to mean spending a day at a theme park. The city has a growing arts and cultural scene, and OMA’s fall exhibitions provide another way for residents and visitors to experience it.
Whether you’re interested in children’s literature, old Florida nostalgia, photography or the state’s natural environment, there’s something different waiting inside the museum this fall.
For current exhibition details, admission information, hours and the complete calendar of educational programs and special events, visit the Orlando Museum of Art website at omart.org.
