Making Sure Kids Don’t Miss A Beat
The Jacksonville arts-based non-profit Don’t Miss a Beat (DMAB), started by renowned jazz musician and Jacksonville native Ulysses Owens, Jr. and family, is perfectly named. The seed for DMAB was sparked by Owens’ time as a student at The Juilliard School and as a touring musician: He noticed community centers in Manhattan and elsewhere, and told his family that Jacksonville needed one. Initially, the Owens had a specific goal to provide a space for high school students to go to when they were suspended from school, so that they wouldn’t “miss a beat” while out of their classrooms.
Gold Star Restaurants
In this, our annual issue that champions excellence in local dining, we share restaurants that are favorites of both Arbus’ staff and Arbus’ friends and readers. Specifically, locally-owned ones. We listen to the buzz of the new and go back to the tried-and-true, ending up with these spots—the places that we feel make our neighborhoods distinctive destinations and our city a fun place to explore through dining.
Shop Local Gift Guide
We’ve had the enviable task of previewing many of the season’s sweetest and most elegant gifts from local businesses and we’ve compiled them into this issue.
Roll Up For the Magical Mystery Pour
As with the popularity of celebrity chefs, culinary television shows and cookbooks of every possible orientation, the demand for innovation from world-class bartenders and engaging experiences from behind the bar is growing exponentially.
A Garden for All
In a big first, food will soon be grown on City of Jacksonville property. Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) is partnering with the city to open the Riverside Avondale Community Garden, centrally located in the neighborhoods it serves on the corner of Park Street and Azalea Terrace – across the street from Willowbranch Park. RAP is hoping to break ground this fall and have the garden open for planting soon thereafter.
By the Numbers: The Impact of the Arts
One’s eyes tend to glaze over when reading or listening to a story that involves budgets and economic impact figures, and while the facts and figures may be impressive, most of what has been read or heard has been forgotten by the time the last few sentences are finished. Many of us are just not “numbers” people. However, listening to Cultural Council Executive Director Tony Allegretti’s May 11th announcement about how much the creative sector has affected the economies of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, it’s easy to stay wide awake.