Volusia County Courthouse - Fred Messersmith

​Old Yacht Club, 2001 Watercolor

South Daytona across the Halifax, 2001 Watercolor

Fred Messersmith
DeLand, Fla.
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Fred Messersmith lived in DeLand from 1959 until his death in 2009. His career as an artist and educator spanned more 50 years. He received his bachelor of fine arts and master’s degrees at Ohio Wesleyan University and taught at West Virginia Wesleyan College from 1949 to 1959. Dr. Messersmith was chairman of Stetson’s Art Department for 30 years. He was an artist-in-residence at Stetson and at a gallery on Martha’s Vineyard from June though September. 

“Old Yacht Club is a watercolor painted in the late 1980s and is a good example of my interest in capturing the beauty of the Halifax River as it courses through Ormond Beach and South Daytona. I was taken by the history of the old Yacht Club in Ormond Beach in contrast with the new bridge that replaced the drawbridge dating back to John D. Rockefeller’s time and his Casements home.” – Fred Messersmith