As we enter 2022, the past two years of worry and isolation have forever changed how we walk through life.  Here’s to the new year and hopefully, leaving the past two years in the rearview mirror.. 

Excellent Arts Education

Area schools invent new dimensions of excellence in the arts.

Last year was, of course, marked by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, which tasked schools with creating not only new campus-wide health and safety protocols but entirely new guidelines for performing and visual arts programs. We profiled the creative and adaptive ways in which many area schools rose to this challenge, keeping art students inspired, creating, and even safely performing and exhibiting. 

“Learning about and exposure to the arts should begin at an early age.” Preston Haskell

Many restaurants have reinvented how they interact with and accommodate their customers, creating innovative ways to enjoy good food. In addition to rearranging indoor seating to allow for better spacing, we are seeing a marked shift toward increased outdoor dining options.

Gold Star Restaurants

This year we spotlight the restaurants that stayed true to themselves, upholding superior quality and consistency, as well as those who grew into their own reinvention.

Sadly, the closing of our all-time favorite restaurant, Wine Cellar—a rare institution here in Jacksonville—leaves a 45-year legacy that won’t soon be forgotten. We will remember countless exquisite meals over decades and wish Vicki Dugan   all the best.

Cheers to the restaurant industry for all that you do.  You play a huge role in our community and are the first to donate to nonprofit and fundraising events, constantly providing nourishment and support to your neighbors.

There is art around every corner!

Cinda Sherman, Publisher