Publishers Note
I can hardly believe it’s summer already and we are halfway through 2025! As we slide into summer, even with the heat there are still plenty of fun and interesting things to do here in Jacksonville.
Igniting the City’s Creative Spirit
Excitement filled the air at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville on the night of April 10, as participating artists from the greater Jacksonville area, together with family and friends, attended the inaugural “JAX Contemporary: MOCA Jacksonville Arts Triennial” opening celebration. The excitement made many people recall the energy and engagement around the “Imagination Squared” exhibition of 2010, when nearly a thousand artworks created by a broad spectrum of the Jacksonville community were presented in the museum’s atrium, launching the famed Project Atrium series. “JAX Contemporary” is not just an exhibition—it seeks to be a catalyst, showcasing the broad vitality of the artists working in our city today (see page 14 for more).
Saving the Blue Heart
The Ichetucknee is a first magnitude spring complex and spring-fed river flowing six miles from its northern springhead to the Santa Fe River that then flows into the Suwannee on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Roughly translated as “three steams where there is a beaver pond,” the Ichetucknee has a long history of human usage. Twenty-three archeological sites have been identified in the park area, spanning the entire range of Florida’s prehistory, from Paleo-Indian (12,000 – 6500 B.C.) to the Weeden Island culture (A.D. 200 – 1000). Here also was the site of the 1608 Spanish Fig Springs Mission of San Martin de Timucua whose settlers were driven out during the Seminole Wars of the early 1800s (more on page 24).
The Jessie’s 10th Anniversary
As the Jessie Ball duPont Center—known as The Jessie—celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025, we reflect on how this beautifully restored mid-century architectural landmark has become a vibrant engine for community engagement, cultural dialogue, and nonprofit collaboration in downtown Jacksonville. Originally serving as the main public library, The Jessie now stands as a testament to the vision and legacy of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, thriving as a center for social purpose (page 38).
Enjoy putting a little culture and fun in your life.
Cinda Sherman, Publisher
