USF CU Helps Bring Historic Florida Story to Life on Stage

This fall, a remarkable Florida story rooted in the legacy of the Maitland Art Center will come to life through Rainbow to Your Door, a theatrical production by popular playwright Kenneth Brown - and USF Credit Union is helping make it happen!

As Presenting Sponsor of the production, USF CU is launching a $5,000 Challenge Match Grant to help fund the show and expand community access to the arts.

Why Rainbow to Your Door Matters

Set in 1938, Rainbow to Your Door brings to life the friendship between Jules André Smith - the artist and architect behind the historic Maitland Art Center - and acclaimed author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston.

“It’s a story of two artists,” Brown said. “It’s about vision and provision. It’s about planting the seeds and reaping the harvest. It’s about two artists who planted a dream and those blessings are now feeding creativity, courage and opportunity for artists today.”

Nearly a century later, those ideas still shape Central Florida’s cultural identity.

“Now It Feels Real”

Like many independent arts productions, Rainbow to Your Door faced a critical challenge early in development after initial funding fell through.

“In the original introduction of the idea, we had funding that we lost,” he said. “So we had to reach out to people we knew supported the arts. USF Credit Union was one of those.”

What followed became a defining moment for the project.

“USF Credit Union said ‘yes,’” Brown recalled. “They said, ‘We want to reach out and be part of the community even more than what we are now.’ They came in and said, ‘We will help support.’”

Now, that support is growing even further.

As part of the partnership, USF CU is providing a $5,000 Challenge Match Grant designed to encourage community support and help fully fund the production.

Donations contributed during the campaign period will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000, helping expand educational outreach and community engagement connected to the show.

For Brown, USF CU’s support has changed everything.

“You can see it on the page - you can see it in your head and feel it in your heart,” he said. “But until you know you have the support of USF Credit Union and other organizations, it doesn’t really feel real. Now, it feels real.”

Preserving a Legacy That Still Creates Opportunity Today

According to Danielle Thomas, Executive Director - Art and History Museums Maitland, the story behind the Maitland Art Center has always been rooted in community collaboration.

“This site was built by a community,” Thomas said. “Community is at the heart of our story, and today it’s community that keeps this place alive.”

Founded in 1937, the historic campus was envisioned by Jules André Smith as a place where artists could create freely - without interruption or criticism - while exploring new ideas and new forms of expression.

Ninety years later, that mission continues.

The museum is now undergoing its first major expansion since Smith’s lifetime, restoring artist studio spaces and expanding educational opportunities for future generations of creatives.

“I think credit unions allow people to follow through on their dreams in a way they maybe don’t have options to otherwise,” she said. “So, it feels very fitting that USF Credit Union is backing this project.”

Banking on Creativity, Culture and Community

At USF CU, supporting the arts means supporting the people, ideas and stories that shape our communities.

Whether it’s financial wellness, education, entrepreneurship or cultural investment, the credit union’s mission remains centered on creating access and opportunity for all.

For Brown, that support echoes the very purpose Jules André Smith envisioned decades ago.

“The backing from USF nourishes that original vision,” he said. “That original seed that was planted by André to create a space for artists to create without interruption, without criticism and allow their own integrity to come forth.”

Experience Rainbow to Your Door

Rainbow to Your Door will be presented October 10–11 at the Maitland Art Center.

It’s more than a performance. It’s a celebration of art, history, imagination and the enduring power of community to bring meaningful stories to life.

For more information about the production and the Art & History Museums – Maitland, visit their website.