Art & 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...
Healing Hearts Through Art
Angelic sculpture honors memory of young dancer By Kate A. Hallock An accomplished dancer with Village Dance Center in Ortega for 12 years, Allison performed in both the Community Nutcracker and the First Coast Nutcracker productions, was a cheerleader for the Bolles School, and served as an acolyte at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. She was a direct descendant of Columbus Drew, a founding father of the city of Jacksonville and founder...
Just Face It
Bu Chris Flagg It was the early days of the pandemic, back in 2020, when professionals the world over were confronted with the stark reality of working from home for the foreseeable future. In my home office, away from the defined parameters of a regulated schedule, my workdays had become long and borderless. The soft edges between day and night contrasted with my sharp, relentless focus on a computer screen from early morning well...
Sarah Crooks: A Circular Way of Being in the World
By Hope McMath Photos by Toni Smailagic Sarah Crooks is one of our region’s most enduring and endearing creatives, combining her experiences as a maker, healer, educator, and environmentalist. She is a multidisciplinary, ecofeminist artist. “An ecofeminist is someone who supports all of life,” Crooks explains. “It’s really breaking down hierarchies and looking at a circular way of being in the world. That expresses itself through my...
St. 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...
Scotie 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...
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