Art Perspectives
The Gilded Age: Treasures from the Lightner Museum
Opens June 7 This major reinterpretation of the museum’s permanent collection celebrates the opulent art and furnishings of America’s Gilded Age. A dynamic era that shaped modern America, the Gilded Age witnessed the sudden rise of a new millionaire class whose wealth derived from emerging industries including railroads, oil, and steel manufacturing. These titans of American industry expressed their high status by building stately mansions filled with beautiful objects and substantial art collections. The period was chronicled in the...
read moreThe 21st Annual Gingerbread Extravaganza
December 8 – 27 The Jacksonville Historical Society’s Gingerbread Extravaganza will enthrall visitors of all ages as they ooh and aah over dozens of delectable gingerbread creations built by amateurs and professionals. The event includes decorated trees, a scavenger hunt, holiday shop, and Kids Day on Sunday December 10 from noon to 5 p.m. Your holiday celebration won’t be complete without a visit. Old St. Andrew’s Church, 317 A. Philip Randolph Blvd. Tickets required. Hours vary; closed Dec. 11, 17, 18, 24, and 25. For more...
read moreExtravaganza 2024: Alchemy
February 24, 2024 For over 30 years, Douglas Anderson’s (DA) annual Extravaganza has been a testament to the seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, and combination, known as alchemy. This year, our theme will showcase the best of what our talented Douglas Anderson students have to offer, spanning a wide range of music, writing, film, dance, theatre, and visual art. This is the second year our school has focused on a theme for Extravaganza. “We wanted a way to elevate Extravaganza from a variety show to an experience that...
read moreScotie Cousin
Artist—Cousin’S Critters Photo: Laird How do you envision your critters? What is the inspiration? Let’s start with God first. Because He’s just kind of telling me what to do. He has really supercharged the creative gray matter between my ears. Sometimes it just flows out so effortlessly. I don’t do any specific species, mainly. I get a lot of people asking me to do a dolphin or a shark and I still love doing that, but what I really love is not knowing what I’m going to do next. And then what happens is I go, “Wow,...
read moreJerry Uelsmann: A Celebration of His Life and Art at the Harn Museum
Thru February 18 With imagination and wit, Jerry Uelsmann turned landscapes into conundrums, reveled in the poetry of the human body, or reimagined reality altogether. Merging multiple negatives during the darkroom production process to create one print was considered groundbreaking at the beginning of Uelsmann’s career which debuted on a national stage in 1967 at a Museum of Modern Art exhibition. Today, Uelsmann’s work is collected and exhibited in museums around the world, including the Harn Museum of Art at the University of...
read moreLillian Blades: Fragmental Reflections
Thru November 1 My artistic journey revolves around the exploration of connections—how elements relate to one another aesthetically and structurally. This tactile way of making invites introspection, evokes emotion, and offers a unique pathway to self-discovery, ultimately tethering the viewer to the timeless tapestry of human experience. I investigate the profound nature of these experiences and their impact on our perception. This body of work showcases visually compelling pieces comprised of mirrors and a labyrinth of meticulously woven...
read moreJacksonville Dance Theatre: InMotion
May 13 InMotion, a concert stage performance of repertory work by the Jacksonville Dance Theatre, will present new works on Saturday, May 13 at the Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth Street. Six pieces will be performed by Jacksonville’s longest-standing, women-run, professional, contemporary modern dance company, founded in 2012. Performances include a premiere of “As I Remember It,” an exploration of family trauma growing up in the South, choreographed by Associate Artistic Director Kristen Sholes Sullivan, with original live music by...
read moreThe Great Fire Run
Saturday, May 6 The Jacksonville Historical Society will host the 3rd Annual Great Fire Run, a 5K and 1 Mile Run to commemorate the 102nd anniversary of Jacksonville’s Great Fire of 1901. It’s time to light a fire under your feet and sign up for the Great Fire Run, to be held Saturday, May 6, 2023. Event begins and ends at Old St. Andrew’s Church, 317 A. Philip Randolph Blvd., across from VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The 5K will start at 7:30 a.m., followed by the 1 Mile Run at 8:30 a.m. ...
read moreChain of Parks Art Festival
April 15 & 16 Enjoy Tallahassee’s beautiful downtown oak-lined parks while viewing original and diverse works of art at the 23rd Chain of Parks Art Festival, Saturday, April 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come experience this annual two-day fine art festival that delights visitors with over 150 artists from all over the country, live entertainment, pop-up studios with make-and-take crafts for kids, local craft brews, and a variety of delicious food trucks. “Be the Art” by...
read moreRide On! Historic Bicycles from the
Collection of Keith Pariani Thru September 30 In the 1890s the bicycle took over the hearts and minds of Americans. By the early twentieth century, almost 300 bicycle manufacturing firms were established in the United States. Swept up in the craze for cycling, the Lightner Museum’s historic building, the Hotel Alcazar, offered its own bicycle academy, allowing its guests to tour Gilded Age St. Augustine on two wheels. Drawn from the collection of St. Augustine bicycle aficionado Keith Pariani, “Ride On!”...
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