Robert C. Broward, AIA (Guest Lecturer)
Bob is a native of Jacksonville and an architect who has practiced in this city since the 1950's, following an apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright in Taliesin.  He also worked with Wright on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland, Florida. His best known book is The Architecture of Henry John Klutho: The Prairie School in Jacksonville. He and Klutho were close friends for fourteen years, until Klutho's death in 1964.  Deeply involved in historic preservation, especially in Jacksonville, Bob has worked to preserve the city's Prairie School buildings. He is currently writing a book on the history of the Broward family in Florida. Bob is an artist, poet, philosopher, and an outrageous human being. On our Journey to Auldbrass, Bob will present a lecture, "How I Wrecked Frank Lloyd Wright's Bulldozer (and Other Stories)."

Steven High (Telfair Museum Director & Our Tour Guide)
Our tour of the Telfair Museum will be led by none other than Steven High, the director of the Telfair Museum of Art. Steven was formerly head of the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, director of the Anderson Gallery at the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University, and director of the Baxter Gallery at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art. He has a M.A. in Art History from Williams College, an M.B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is a graduate of the Getty Center's Museum Leadership Institute. He is a highly regarded as a contributor to the national and international art museum field.



Dr. Maarten van de Guchte (Raconteur d'Art)
Maarten has served as the director of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens for the last seven years. He was born in the Netherlands and spent two years in Italy and seven years in Peru. He studied art history at the University of Amsterdam and received his Ph.D. in pre-Columbian art and archeology at the University of Illinois. Before coming to Jacksonville he was the curator and director of the Krannert Art Museum from 1994 to 1999 at the University of Illinois in Urbana, where he was also Professor in the School of Art and Design. He is a graduate of the Getty Center's Museum Leadership Institute. Maarten is not only a dynamic museum director but an art scholar, co-author of several books, and a nationally renowned arts educator. In 1998, by appointment of Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, Maarten was made a Corresponding Member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences. He will accompany us our Journey to Auldbrass and embellish our experience with his insights into the art and architecture around us.    (This will be on the test: it is pronounced "van de Hook-tuh.")

Jon Sharp (Beaufort Tour Guide)
A former Hollywood actor, Jon came ashore in a Coast Guard rescue helicopter in February 1992 and soon fell under the spell of Beaufort's natural beauty, her people, and her history. He has been leading tours through the National Historic District of Beaufort ever since, presenting his spellbinding yarns about some of the finest antebellum homes in America and the 500 year story of the beautiful little town of Beaufort. He is widely acclaimed as one of South Carolina's most entertaining tour guides.






Rowland Washington (Gullah Chef)
This man's gonna serve you up some REAL food, I'm tellin ya! Rowland Washington is the founder of “We Island” Gumbo N' Tings, a Lowcountry catering company inspired by Sea Island culture and its unique Gullah traditions. Growing up in Beaufort, Rowland's great-grandmother, two great aunts, grandfather and grandmother, mother and father and five cousins all lived on the same block. The descendants of former slaves brought from Sierra Leone have carried on nearly two centuries of  traditions, fishing from the Atlantic and its marshes and farming in the Lowcountry's sandy soil. Rowland says, "It's the food that brings us together… Blue crabs, shrimp, oysters, fish, tomatoes, bell peppers, okra, corn, cucumbers. It's where we caught 'em and how we made 'em grow. It's fish and grits, oyster roasts and boilin' crabs. Those of us born and raised in this place can feel the rhythm of the tide, harvest the bounty, and cook the catch. We feel our ancestors here." Rowland will cook us an authentic Lowcountry meal with home-made gumbo and rice, as well as fish and shrimp for our Sunday lunch in Beaufort.

Robert Markwalter (Savannah Tour Guide)
Bob moved to Savannah from Indiana in 2000, but his father was born Savannah and his family is from Augusta. His great-aunts lived in an ante-bellum home on one of Augusta’s broad avenues. The house was raised on brick pillars, and he can remember the long staircase leading to the porch and, inside, the pocket doors, doily-draped sofas and chairs, and two aging ladies who had their cook make toast on a rack in the oven. Bob has a degree in history and years of experience as a tour guide. He has written self-guided walking tours and newspaper and magazine articles about historic subjects. He enjoys sharing Savannah’s beauty, charms, and many quirks with visitors. He even likes grits (must be a genetic thing).

Gail C. Johnson (Savannah Tour Guide)
Gail was born, raised, and educated in the Historic District of Savannah. With the exception of a short time in Boston, MA, Gail has been around to see the many changes that have taken place in Savannah. Gail is an animated and knowledgeable guide, and her tours reveal her love of this beautiful city. One of her specialties is "THE BOOK" (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil).






Mary Waitzman (Savannah Tour Guide)
Mary first came to the Savannah area to go to school at Georgia Southern University. She did a stint with VISTA and then returned to the area she had fallen in love with. After trying her hand at various social work programs, she gave up saving the world for saving the South. Her tourism career started as a carriage driver – she loves those horses – and anybody who hasn’t heard her "dead bus" story just hasn’t toured Savannah properly. Ten years ago she and several other ladies started a receptive tour operation, which led to the creation of "Adventures in Savannah." One of Savannah's best tour guides, Mary makes history come alive for the city's visitors, with an emphasis on fun and entertainment.

Joan Altmeyer (Savannah Tour Guide)
Joan’s family first settled in Savannah in the late 1790’s. During her tours one will often hear anecdotes from her mother, who, like Joan, grew up in the Historic District. While in high school, Joan worked part time as a runner for shipping companies, enabling her to explore the hidden "nooks and crannies" of our older buildings on Factor’s Walk.  When asked about why she enjoys being a tour guide, Joan often gives the same reply: "When we are growing up, we are taught barely one iota of our nation’s story. One shouldn’t have to wait until college to learn the exciting, scandalous, often gory or sexy stuff that comprises history. I intend to leave guests with a new appreciation of the past and open their eyes to misconceptions about the South." Joan gives an informative and charming History Tour, and you are certain to have a great time!

Charles Jenkins (Motorcoach Pilot)
We first met Charles Jenkins on our 2005 trip to Pasaquan. His beautiful bus (nicknamed "The Magic Bus') and his steady driving have assured him a permanent spot as the driver for our art and architecture trips. You shoulda seen him maneuver that bus through the gate at Pasquan with 2 inches to spare!  With over 20 years driving experience, Charles is proud that he has never left anyone behind. Yet.