The Story of Simi Winery
In 1849 the world, all in a rush, discovered California. Among the fortune seekers were two brothers —Giuseppe and Pietro Simi. They didn’t find gold in the New World, but they did find the Alexander Valley where they established a winery and planted vineyards. When the Simi brothers both died unexpectedly during the flu epidemic of 1904, Giuseppe’s 18-year-old beauty queen daughter, Isabelle, took over. She proved more than capable...
The Arts Give Us the Opportunity to Grow
As you enter the signature atrium at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (DA), it’s easy to see how this high school is set apart from most. Just behind the warm, smiling front desk attendant, there is a wall covered in beautiful art work. In fact, when you look around, you will see paintings or photos placed on each wall of the lobby. The atrium itself houses a small art gallery with amazing sculptures, stunning photography and...
A Jacksonville Gem
The Florida Ballet’s Laurie Picinich-Byrd leaves her legacy in their performance of The Nutcracker While talking over the phone one night, Laurie Picinich and Michael Byrd, two accomplished ballet dancers working in New York City, lamented the fact that there were so many dance opportunities in NYC and so few elsewhere in the country. Byrd, a Jacksonville native, specifically cited the need for more dance in his hometown. By the end...
Shop Local!
We at Arbus have always championed the “Buy Local” ethos, and this year we are proud to point out just how easy that can be! Highly creative, unique, and — best of all — homegrown spots all over the city offer great gifting and celebrating choices, making for a merry season for the entire community. Our annual Shop Local Gift Guide takes you on a trip around each ‘hood, introduces you to new spots, and reintroduces...
Gardens, and Tigers, and Butterflies! Oh My!
The massive male Malayan tiger jumps lightly from rock to rock, powerful muscles rippling beneath its coat, until he finally settles in the shallows of the gurgling stream to bask in the mist from the waterfall directly behind him. “See what I mean by the connection of art and nature?” I am at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on a stifling hot summer day and Tony Vecchio, the zoo’s executive director, is remarking on the...
The Impact of Design
Design. No matter whom you talk to or where you experience it, design is generally misunderstood and rarely implemented to its greatest potential. If you are a frequent traveler or inquisitive adventurer, you know great design when you see it. It stands out from the crowd, stops you in your tracks, steals your breath and makes you feel as if time has stopped. Without so much as a how-do-you-do, it amazes and delights, confounds and...
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