unitarian universalist church of tarpon springs

This wee church off a Tarpon Springs bayue in a Victorian neighborhood has inspiring works by George Innes Jr. who wintered locally ( you can find his house on one of the citrus fruit street. Staff is friendly and welcoming.

Kind of quirky UU church with George Innis, Jr. murals on the walls. Not the best art we've seen but semi interesting.

While walking around the side streets in Tarpon Springs, we came to the U.U. Church and noticed a welcoming sign. What a surprise to see the large collection of George Inness Jr. paintings in such an atmospheric setting. Our guide not only provided an ample description of the artwork but he also helped us understand the early days of settlement of Tarpon Springs. Well-to-do Chicago businessmen (and women) settled here to escape the harsh northern winters and the Springs reminded them of home. Thus the "northern" turn-of-the century architecture. I was visiting from Sarasota, the home of John and Mabel Ringling, and was surprised to find that they wished to join the Tarpon Springs settlement but were rejected because they were "circus people!" Our gain, Tarpon Springs' loss.

My wife and I are amateur art historians, and were on a 6-week tour of Florida's art museums. Using Clearwater as a base, we spent many days in the surrounding cities, visiting as many museums (not just of art, but also social and natural history). We heard about the George Inness Jr. Paintings, and telephoned the Universalist Church (727) 937-4682 to see if we could see them. Even though we were outside the normal view times (10:00-14:00 hrs), a charming lady answered that she would show us the paintings. They are gloriously luminous, and look so good in the simple little church for which they were painted. Our guide (I wish I could remember her name) was well versed in the history of the artist (and his wife, and his famous father) and the paintings. I think we spent about an hour looking at the artwork, and felt that it was time well spent. There is no fee to visit, but donations are welcomed.

We were walking around the neighborhood and enjoying the old houses of Tarpon Springs when I noticed a sign in front of the church that they were giving tours of the George Inness Jr. paintings housed there. These paintings are magnificent, and Inness' ability to paint and portray "Light" is nothing short of breath-taking. Several of the paintings were made specifically for the church, to fill in windows that had been blown out in a hurricane. This is the oldest Universalist Church in Florida and it's very special in its own right.The talk was in-depth, and took about an hour. We learned much about Inness and his family. (His father, George Inness Sr., was a famous painter and a 'tonalist'.) If you don't have time for the entire tour, that's okay--it's a very relaxed atmosphere. These paintings will soon be housed temporarily in a nearby museum as the Unitarian Church will be undergoing some repairs. I hope you can visit them in the church for which they were painted. This was a highlight on our Tarpon Springs trip. Tours are Tuesday from 10:00-2:00, or by appointment. Donations accepted.

The church houses a collection of paintings by George Innis Jr. These are wall sized murals, well worth making the call to view them. One of the paintings has been exhibited in the Louvre, and is still in the frame from there. You also learn about the life and history of the Inness family. We found that the best time to visit is on Sunday's after the church service. However by calling the church, appointments can be made. This art collection is one of the hidden secrets in Tarpon Springs.