Historic photographs of citrus groves, lake life, downtown streets and community gatherings will soon receive a colorful reinterpretation through Clermont Main Street’s first public art project.

“With Love from Clermont” features 50 local and regional artists creating original paintings based on photographs from the Clermont Historic Village collection. The completed works will be unveiled Sept. 13 at the Downtown Clermont Farmers Market.

Each artist received a 2-by-3-foot canvas and a $300 honorarium to recreate or creatively reimagine a selected photograph. Every painting will resemble a vintage postcard and include the words “With Love from Clermont.”

Clermont Main Street Executive Director Natalie Kahler developed the project as a way to introduce more public art downtown while helping residents learn about the community’s past.

“There are so many people who are new to Clermont and don’t necessarily have an understanding of the history of the community,” Natalie says. “This is a way to get that information out there and also promote the Historic Village, which is such a treasure downtown.”

Clermont Main Street worked with the Clermont Historical Society to assemble a collection of photographs archived by Clermont Historic Village volunteers/board members Donna DiGennaro and Dieter Grube. The photos featured a wide variety of landscapes, portraits, artifacts, pageantry, fishing, camping, children playing in the water and many other scenes from Clermont’s history.

“The artists had the opportunity to pick a historic photo and then interpret it in their own style,” Natalie says.

The organization received 67 artist submissions, including entries from as far away as Sarasota. Three artists had already been selected to create inspirations to promote the program and another 47 were chosen through a juried process. Applicants from Lake County and Clermont received additional consideration.

Natalie says the response exceeded expectations, particularly because Clermont Main Street did not yet have an established network of artists.

The South Lake Art League helped select participants and is offering discounted memberships to everyone who applied, whether chosen for the exhibit or not.

“I like to get as many partners around the table as we can,” Natalie says. “Hopefully, everybody wins.”

After the Sept. 13 unveiling, the paintings will be placed inside businesses throughout downtown Clermont, where they will remain on display through mid-December. An online auction will run from Sept. 13 through Dec. 14, with proceeds benefiting Clermont Main Street.

Signs displayed with the paintings will identify the artist, explain that the original photograph came from the Historic Village collection and include a QR code linking visitors to the auction. Clermont Main Street also plans to feature a short bio of each artist on its website.

The artists may set up booths at the unveiling to sell other work, display promotional materials or demonstrate their creative process.

“It gives them a lot of exposure,” Natalie says. “People will be able to learn who the artists are, look them up and see more of their work.”

Each finished painting will also be professionally photographed and reproduced as a postcard. The front will feature the artist’s interpretation, while the back will show the original historic image and identify the artist.

“You might not be able to buy a painting, and you certainly aren’t going to buy all 50, but you could buy all 50 postcards,” Natalie says.

The exhibit is also intended to encourage visitors to explore downtown businesses while viewing the artwork.

“This is another way to get people into those businesses in a very low-impact way,” Natalie says. “They’ll have from mid-September through mid-December to explore downtown and see the paintings.”

Natalie hopes the project helps residents discover lesser-known pieces of Clermont history, including the community’s early tomato production, film connections and more.

“It’s an opportunity for people to learn bite-sized pieces of information about the place where they live,” she says.

Clermont Main Street is already planning future versions of the project, including an exhibit centered on the city’s film history and a smaller program that will give children 8-by-10-inch canvases to create artwork for display downtown.

“The point is to get more art out there, but also to help people understand what Clermont has been over the years,” Natalie says.

Photos: Nicole Hamel