Art & Culture
The Art of Noticing and Talking
Language and Literacy are Everywhere. By Kim Kuta Dring, Director of Learning and Engagement at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens Who doesn’t love a great story, especially those with interesting scenes that span time frames and cultures to bring far-off places and modern-day perspectives to life? Stories surround us everywhere, and we can experience them not just through the written word, but through the places we go and the things we notice and talk about. The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is one such place with a myriad of...
read moreHistoric Holiday Shopping.
A look at downtown Jacksonville’s iconic department stores. By Kate A. Hallock and Emily Cottrell. Jacksonville Historical Society Five years after the Civil War in America ended, December 25th was declared a national holiday and, by the late-19th century, the marketing of goods specifically for that holiday was in force. The holiday was celebrated with Christmas cards, stockings filled with nuts, fruit, and candies and handmade wooden toys or knitted dolls. In the early-20th century holiday gift-giving included factory-made toys and...
read moreFIFTYYears of Artists, Education, and Impact
As the University of North Florida (UNF) celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville, “FIFTY: An Alumni Exhibition,” showcases the work of 50 practicing professional artists who graduated from UNF’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design. The exhibition is the first of its kind, highlighting UNF alumni in a comprehensive way and showcasing the strength of the university’s programs. The artists chosen for this exhibition work across a breadth of media—from...
read moreThe Power of Stories
Weaving Tales to Show the Truth By Laura Bennett In 2010 Basma and her family were forced to flee their home in Iraq as the American occupation wound down. Her husband Ali’s life had been threatened for providing assistance to the United States following the invasion of Iraq. The goal of his work: to limit the overwhelming collateral damage to innocent civilians as a result of our poor understanding of Iraqi culture and Iraqi families. When they learned of their associates being killed, Ali and Basma knew they had to leave. They needed to...
read moreCelebrating Ten Seasons of Magic in the Chair
By Susan D. Brandenburg Deck the Chairs (DTC) is a unique concept born in the mind of graphic designer and long-time Beaches resident Kurtis Loftus while on an early morning run along the Jacksonville Beach shoreline back in early 2013. Concerned about the local lack of budget or interest during the winter holidays, Loftus was fondly remembering St. Augustine’s Night of Lights celebration as he ran and mused about creating possible family-friendly holiday events in Jacksonville Beach. Suddenly, his eyes were riveted on the red lifeguard...
read moreThe Age of Armor
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens’ Newest Exhibition from The Higgins Armory Collection at The Worcester Art Museum The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens’ newest exhibition, “The Age of Armor: Treasures from the Higgins Armory Collection at the Worcester Art Museum,” developed from a single question: Kulah Khud (helmet), 1600s with later modifications, Northern Indian, iron, brass, silver and gold, The John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, 2014.88. The image of the knightin shining armor is familiar...
read moreFive Years of Hope
By Laura Riggs When Hope McMath founded the Yellow House in 2017, it was with the intention to create a space for artists to connect with the community, where empathy is inspired and civic engagement is sparked. Five years later, that mission remains very much the same, but how it has manifested has been full of surprises. Although connecting wellness and the arts has been a part of Hope’s lifelong practice, this was not necessarily at the center of Yellow House’s mission. Yet, community care is very much an integral part of Yellow House’s...
read moreWhat Lifts You Up?
Art With a Heart in Healthcare’s annual patient exhibition: Thru Jan. 8, 2023 My Meredith Mathews Quinalia Williams, 12 “Never Give Up” What helps you feel happy when you are having a bad day or going through a difficult time? In other words, “What Lifts You Up?” This is the question Art with a Heart in Healthcare (AWAHIH) presented to 16 Wolfson Children’s Hospital pediatric patients. Under the guidance of AWAHIH artists-in-residence, the participating patients created artwork conveying what brings them joy. Each work of art...
read moreSculptures Near the Sand
Driving through the five-way intersection of Seminole, Plaza, and Sherry Roads in Atlantic Beach, one sees artwork at every turn. A large, concrete arc sculpture sits near the picturesque city government buildings and next to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Station 55. Created as a site-specific piece by Brad Tallery, “Elements” is described by Atlantic Beach City Manager Kevin Hogencamp as “interactive and interpretive—lay the arc down, it represents sand; stand it up, it represents wind; flip it over, it’s a wave.”
read moreParks That Endure … Parks With a Purpose
Jacksonville has a lot of parks. Four hundred and thirty-seven to be exact, but the term park is a loose definition, as those public areas range from beloved neighborhood pocket parks to ballparks and skate parks, fishing piers and boat ramps, to magnificent, large-scale spaces that include a range of amenities or provide a selfie-worthy photo op, such as in front of the “Life” sculpture in historic Memorial Park.
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