Business
PHX JAX: A Springfield Protopia
Phoenix Arts & Innovation District By Sherry Magill The Road to Utopia runs through Jacksonville. Not the 1945 comedy featuring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, but rather a 2024 documentary film featuring the repurposing of Springfield Warehouse District into a regenerative community. This Road to Utopia is found on Food Matters TV via Prime Video and highlights the Phoenix Arts & Innovation District (PHX JAX), south Florida developer Tony Cho’s Jacksonville dream and prototypical demonstration project. A native of a...
read moreCutting Culture
Slashing arts and humanities programs may balance budgets today, but will it bankrupt the soul of higher education tomorrow? By Sheri Webber In recent years, the study of fine arts and the humanities has faced an unprecedented and destructive tide of scrutiny and defunding, as colleges and universities across the United States respond to shifting market pressures and political rhetoric. Once considered the heart of a well-rounded education, these disciplines are more often labeled expendable—leading to shocking program eliminations,...
read moreLooking To the Past To Create Our Future
The Art of the Jessie By Caitlin Flynn Buildings echo the past, even as they await the future. One of Jacksonville’s most iconic buildings, the Haydon Burns Library, had strong historic and architectural roots in the community. But in 2005, after a new Main Library opened, it lay dormant. Until 2013. That’s when the ghosts of the past were swept away and the Jessie Ball duPont Fund Board of Trustees invested in its renovation. Partnering with Robbins Design Studio, the space was reimagined as a hub for nonprofits and a community center....
read moreBaptist Wellness Centers Provide Care Close to Home
Health coaches and classes help individuals reach their personalized goals By Catherine Graham, Senior Vice President of Clinical Service Lines and Ambulatory Business Development for Baptist Health Do you have a goal of wanting to reduce your blood sugar, running in a 5K or maybe just learning better ways of eating healthier? Baptist Health has wellness coaches who can help you plan and track whatever life goal or goals are best for you. Similar to a football coach, our highly qualified, specially credentialed coaches at Baptist Health...
read morePublishers Note
This marks the 29th year of our partnership with AIA Jacksonville to bring you the annual Art & Architecture issue. Architecture guides us through our daily lives in many ways we don’t even realize. Not just visually, but in how the built environment moves and directs us physically. City Shapers & World Builders The Florida Association of Architects was founded in Jacksonville in 1912 by a group of 42 architects who together laid the groundwork for professional regulation in the state. Three years later, with the association’s...
read moreViolins of Hope
By Lorrie DeFrank Seventy lovingly restored string instruments that symbolize resilience and unity following indescribable horror will be showcased in a series of events in Jacksonville. Violins of Hope: Building Bridges Through the Power of Music will feature instruments that were played by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust, each with its own story that will be shared to educate the community and inspire understanding. Presented by Jacksonville Symphony as a highlight of its 75th anniversary season, the project will...
read moreNortheast Florida Visual Artist Marsha Hatcher
Recognized With Ann McDonald Baker Art Ventures Award By Laura Jane Pittman On a sunny day in November, a small group gathers in the courtyard of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and are all smiles. Artist and local visionary Marsha Hatcher—the 2024 recipient of the Ann McDonald Baker Art Ventures Award—poses for photographs with the late Ann Baker’s daughters and son and staff from The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. Hatcher, who is also a long-term substitute for an advanced placement painting/drawing class at Douglas...
read moreShops of San Marco
Written by Caitlin Flynn / Photos by laird Centrally located in the sprawling city of Jacksonville, San Marco offers charm, culture, and culinary delights. Its combination of cosmopolitan and small-town southern sensibility makes you realize you have stumbled upon a gem. The close-knit community and familial ties of San Marco run deep. The majority of businesses in San Marco are either family-run or independently owned. As we approach San Marco’s centennial birthday, let’s take a moment to highlight the stories behind this Jacksonville hot...
read moreArt & Gardens As a Lifeline
The Cummer Museum’s Artful Moments Program By Kim Kuta Dring, Director of Learning and Engagement, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens Art is more than a luxury; it is a lifeline—a vital tool for improving well-being, especially for older adults facing cognitive challenges. Studies show that engaging with arts and aesthetic experiences can benefit our brain health, creating new neural pathways and improving cognitive function. For older adults and individuals living with dementia, these benefits can be profound. The Cummer Museum of Art &...
read moreThe Art & Antiques Show Reimagined: Versatile Wallcoverings Reimagined:
By Janet Reagor Wallpaper is more than beautiful patterns and designs. This versatile wallcovering can add texture and color to a room, making it feel elegant and unique. Like many art forms, its evolution tells the history of changes in taste and style that reflect current events and production innovations. It is a practical décor element that encourages and celebrates artistic expression. As early as the Qin Dynasty (221- 207 B.C.) the Chinese hung decorated rice paper on walls and so are credited with inventing wallpaper. Later, linen...
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