Art & Culture Features
LaFond’s Heart, Hands, and Soul
An internationally recognized sculptor whose works are in private collections around the globe, LaFond earned her undergraduate BFA degree in studio arts, with double minors in theology and philosophy from Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York (formerly Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart). She studied sculpture with Clara Fasano and Jean DeMarco and took postgraduate studies in painting and sculpture with Eric Isenberg and Adolph Block at the National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts, later studying marble carving in Pietrasanta, Italy, where Michelangelo saw “David” in the marble and carved until he “set him free.”
read moreFinding New Freedom in the Mountains
Liberty is defined as the quality or state of being free. The Special Liberty Project understands that, for veteran families, this word has specific impact. Many veterans and Gold Star families are not free from the struggles and grief of losing loved ones during or after active-duty military service. There is a place designed for them that hopes to foster a special liberty—a state of mentally being free brought about through therapeutic experiences in nature.
read moreSound Salve
It looks like a UFO and its sound is described as otherworldly. It has built-in harmonics, making every note sound great with the next. Thanks to John Guinta, it’s bringing tranquility to people of all ages, in contexts ranging from yoga studios to hospitals to houses of faith. It’s the handpan, a unique instrument that is relatively new to music and sound therapy. Guinta’s nonprofit, Streams of Sound, is the first to bring handpans to the Jacksonville area, and the ethereal sound is now streaming all over the city.
read moreEbb and Flow: A Tide of Resilience
We talk of the ripple effects from an event, a point in time that affects the flow of subsequent events in ways that are often below the surface. There is no doubt that the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt for a very long time. The quarantine time period in particular left many feeling isolated in a way that was unfamiliar. Local artist Clifford Buckley, along with Congregation Ahavath Chesed, a long-standing, San Jose-area synagogue referred to as the Temple, used this time as an opportunity to create something together.
read moreHillary Whitaker Gallery’s Fall Exhibition
Hillary Whitaker Gallery’s highly anticipated annual fall exhibition will feature the works of nationally recognized and collected painters Page Jones Davis, Erin Gregory, and Jennifer JL Jones.
read moreNavigating Our Local Arts Landscape
“For nearly three decades, CAP has worked to make sure every child has access to an arts-rich education with tremendous progress,” says The Rev. Kimberly L. Hyatt, CAP President and CEO. “Now, with the launch of the LEAD artlook® map, it will be easier than ever for our community—rich in quality arts learning resources—to come together on behalf of our children.”
read moreA Cocurators’ Collaboration
The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida (UF) collaborated with a UF College of the Arts Museum Studies assistant professor and a UF Department of English graduate student to organize and present its newest exhibition “Shadow to Substance,” on view from July 27, 2021 to February 27, 2022.
read moreImprisoned but Empowered: Cheyenne Warrior Artists at Fort Marion
A new exhibition organized by the Cummer Museum, “Imprisoned but Empowered: Cheyenne Warrior Artists at Fort Marion,” explores a chapter in our collective history. On display through December 5, the exhibition features deeply personal works that offer a window into the hearts and minds of men exiled for defending their families, cultures, and territories.
read moreTheatre Jacksonville’s Creative Visioning
Theatre Jacksonville Executive Director Sarah Boone will never forget March 2020. The organization was counting down the days until its much-anticipated anniversary jazz brunch culminating a momentous 100th season as Florida’s oldest, continually running community theater, and the final two shows of the year had already been cast.
read moreRescue and Restoration in the Cathedral District
If old buildings could talk, then the 109-year-old Elena Flats building would have pleaded for someone to save it from demolition.
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