Enhancing Education with The Arts
The arts play a pivotal role in education. Involvement in the arts supports a student’s social and emotional learning and empowers them to succeed inside school and out. Not only do arts programs motivate children to come to school, but they also help reduce stress, sharpen communication, and fuel social and emotional development. Jacksonville is fortunate to have a wealth of arts education programs across all art forms that allow our...
Northeast 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....
Violins 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...
Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation
Gainesville’s Hidden Gem By Cinda Sherman / Photos by Rafael Hernandez @grip24 People often think of Gainesville as a college town surrounded by natural wonders and cold springs. Yet, it’s so much more. Gainesville has a strong and vibrant art scene that embraces the arts on almost every street corner. There’s the Harn Museum, one of the largest university art museums in the South, with permanent collections focused on Asian, African,...
For the Love of Manatees
By Eva Dasher On a bright summer day, when the temperature hasn’t yet chased everyone indoors and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is teeming with excited children recently released from school, I peer into a tank at the Manatee Critical Care Center (MCCC) and spot two manatees gently swirling around each other in the lettuce-covered water. “We have two manatees in here right now. One is Applejack, we just microchipped her...
Shops 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...