The Harvest by Annelies Dykgraaf
Thursday, dec 10
Jacksonville Cultural Development Corporation (JCDC) has a lofty vision: “To make Jacksonville a world class city for arts and cultural diversity.” They see the key to this being cultural connectivity thoughout the city, so their mission is to help build bridges between cultural organizations and businesses, as well as foster an even distribution of arts exposure throughout the city.
Their upcoming fundraiser, Bridging The Arts, A Cultural Extravaganza, will be an opportunity to do so. Featuring art and performances by ten artists — including Annelies Dykgraaf, Pablo Rivera, and Marsha Hatcher, all active in the Arts Center Cooperative, Inc. in Downtown, and attended by an anticipated crowd of art, business and community leaders, this event has been revitalized along with the organization itself.
Formerly the Jacksonville Consortium of African-American Artists, this group of African-American artists and friends formed in 2004 to discuss the state of arts in underserved areas of the city and ways to improve their quality of life. For over a decade, this group has hosted exhibits, gallery talks, art classes for children and adults, theatrical performances, workshops, and neighborhood beautification projects.
Founding member and artist Suzanne Pickett works in community development and recently noticed a trend in other cities — the integration of arts for community building. The group adopted the phrase “Culture Builds Community,” and committed to a broader scope of services focusing on integration and connection.
Pickett says that in order to make Jacksonville a world-class city for arts and cultural diversity, the entire fabric of our community needs to be connected. Arts are the strongest thread, in her opinion, and JCDC is a bridge that will help us figure out how to sew up any holes.
5:30 –7:30 p.m. Jessie Ball DuPont Center, 40 E. Adams St.
