Business Features
Isabella Rossellini Actress, model, conservationist
Recently, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens hosted their annual Toast to Conservation, an evening to celebrate the commitment to protecting threatened animals, plants, and ecosystems around the globe with special guest, Isabella Rossellini. Established in 2017, the zoo’s wildlife conservation programs include organizations locally and globally which they have dedicated over $1.25 million to within the past five years. The event was hosted at the Glass Factory, a charming venue that set the stage for a once-in-a-lifetime performance from...
read moreSt. Augustine Art Association Celebrates Its Centenary
By Kim Brown Nestled in a protected nook on the northeast seaboard of Florida, St. Augustine is known for its rich history and vast cultural tapestry. It has long been the home and inspiration of many artists, dating back hundreds of years. It is also home to the St. Augustine Art Association (STAAA), a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating, supporting, and promoting visual arts in the community. What started as a modest collective of artists gathering for artistic companionship has blossomed into a foundational organization that is preparing to...
read moreMOCA Jax Celebrates 100 Years
of Celebrating Art, Artists, & Ideas By Amber Sesnick, Director of Communications & Marketing at MOCA Jacksonville January 2024 is the launch of a year of celebration that marks a significant point in the history for our fine city and reaches beyond local impact into the history of art and culture in our country. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024, holding the distinction of being the first visual arts organization in the city of Jacksonville, as well as the oldest art...
read more2023 Shop Local Gift Guide
Retail is back in full swing, so shopping for gifts during this holiday season will likely feel super festive. It remains crucial to our beloved independent local businesses that we give them support as they continue to rebound from the pandemic. In thinking of things to make your dearest people smile, let’s try to shop our values and make our community smile, too. Each year, Arbus Magazine presents our Shop Local Gift Guide so that you can see what locally owned businesses are offering and be inspired to enjoy gift shopping. Enjoy browsing...
read moreTHE WISDOM OF PEARLS
By Laura Riggs Legend has it that Cleopatra and Mark Antony had a bet as to who could host the most expensive dinner party. During dinner, Cleopatra crushed up a natural pearl, dropped it into a glass of wine (some say it was vinegar), and drank it. The estimated value of the pearl was equivalent to 60 million sesterces, or 1,875,000 ounces of fine silver, or $9,375,000, making her the winner. In the Hindu faith, another legend says that Krishna, the embodiment of Vishnu, the protector, plucked the first pearl out of the sea to give to...
read moreFlorida Theatre Restoration Sets Stage for Next Century
By Lorrie DeFrank Photos by Lily Snowden it’s showtime again at the Florida Theatre and competing for top billing is the building itself. Restored to its original magnificence, it’s set for a 50-year encore—at the very least. In preparation for the historic landmark’s 100th anniversary in 2027, a major—but not final—phase of the renovation was completed while it was closed from July to October this year. Patrons attending The Rocky Horror Picture Show on October 28 were the first theatergoers to see the transformation. But...
read moreThe Character-Driven World of Illustrator & Designer Stephen BaileyThe Character-Driven World of Illustrator & Designer
How to Remain an Artist Once We Grow Up By Sheri Webber Seeing Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” requires a trip to the Louvre. Works by Pablo Picasso can be viewed in Spain or at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and visiting Michelangelo’s “Moses” involves a plane ticket to Rome, Italy. Bringing home a masterpiece—Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” for example—might save on plane tickets and museum admissions but could cost up to a cool $450 million. Not too many art collectors can swing that kind of cash, but what if it was...
read moreWhere the Heart Leads: Art With A Heart In Healthcare’s Origin Story
By Sheri Leonard Webber Equal parts compassion and creativity, Art with a Heart in Healthcare (AWAHIH) has served more than 100,000 patients at hospitals and clinics across Jacksonville. Founded in 2001, its origin story is as heart-driven as the art experiences it provides. “Well, it started with my cousin,” says Lisa Landwirth Ullmann. Lisa and her coursin Lori Guadagno, inseparable throughout childhood, found themselves living 1,200 miles apart as adults. “At the time, she lived in Vermont, and I visited in July of 2001. We were...
read moreDay Dreamers
Exhibiting at MOCA Jacksonville thru January 14th, 2024 Where does your mind wander when you daydream? Everybody enjoys envisioning who they hope to become, activities they aspire to do, and places they wish to explore. In fact, daydreaming can be a useful tool for relieving stress and a welcome respite for children and teenagers confined to the hospital. This collection of artwork offers insight into the imaginations of 20 pediatric patients receiving medical care from Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Whether they picture themselves as a...
read moreDragons & Pagodas
By Janet Reagor Sixteenth century Europeans envisioned the Far East as mysterious—even mythological—a fascinating and wonderous place inhabited by strange creatures, marvelous flora, exotic people, and incredible architecture. With travel nearly nonexistent, the few who visited offered sparse bits about culture, art, and lifestyle, leaving Westerners to let their imaginations soar. As Chinese marvels trickled into Europe in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, a stir began. Then around 1603 the Dutch East India Company captured a...
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