Jacksonville’s Visual Vigilante  Words By Ambar Ramirez   On the door to his studio, in red lettering, it reads, “No police beyond this point without a warrant.” Somewhat of an odd welcoming sign, but if you know anything about artist and Jacksonville native Chip Southworth, it makes perfect sense.    While often referred to as “Keith Haring’s Ghost” (more on that in a minute), Southworth’s art does not consist of empty figures like Haring’s, though, he does take inspiration from the late artist’s message and activism. Through portraits, words and paintings of buildings and structures, Southworth’s work speaks volumes of …

Words By Ambar Ramirez   I pull off to what I imagine used to be a packed parking lot, teeming with eager shoppers ready to spend away. Now, Regency Square Mall reflects what most low-tier shopping promenades look like, a ghost town. On one end of the mall, I recall getting tested for COVID at what must’ve been a Sears, on the other end Impact church stands where Belk once was. And what was once a large JCPenney has been refurbished into a car dealership.    But it’s not just Regency Square mall that has faced what seems to be …

The Truth Behind Thanksgiving and Its Odd Traditions By Ambar Ramirez   We’ve all heard the story in elementary school, probably while wearing pilgrim hats made out of construction paper. In the process of tracing our hands to make turkey decorations, the teacher would walk up to the front of the room and ask, “Do any of you know why we celebrate Thanksgiving”? To which we would all reply with a collective “nooo.” She would go on to tell the story…   It was November 1621. The Mayflower had been sailing for more than two months, under harsh conditions within …

Words and photos By Ambar Ramirez   On a Tuesday night, Lowertown was scheduled to open for Beabadoobee at Underbelly. When I arrived, the line to get in was wrapped around the building. I had never been in a line that long at Underbelly, let alone to see a band that is just making its way into fame. But as the band began to perform on the colorfully lit stage, I started to understand why the line was so long.   I think we have all dreamed about starting a band with our best friend, but one excuse or the …

Words by Ambar Ramirez   As a little girl, I dreamed a knight in shining armor would save me from my one-story apartment and whisk me away on his white horse. But, of course, that’s a fairy tale, except that knights in shining armor very much existed. They just weren’t saving princesses from tall towers (and they probably didn’t own white horses).    On Oct. 21, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens revealed its newest exhibition to the public. As part of “The Age of Armor”: Treasures from the Higgins Armory Collection at the Worcester Art Museum, visitors can …

Words By Ambar Ramirez She picks up and burns the sage before anything else, allowing the tendrils of smoke to cleanse and calm the surrounding energy of the tarot deck, as well as the body.  After shuffling and kissing the tarot cards, she hands them to me.  To everyone, the journey to spirituality may look different. For Lauriena Zarrelli it began with her mother and aunt passing. For America, it began around the 1800s. While spirituality and spiritualism are defined as different concepts, they hold many similarities. Spirituality is defined as the quality of being concerned with the spirit or …

Jaguars cheerleaders do more than get fans hyped   Words By Ambar Ramirez   Their teal and white costumes glitter against the lush green grass, their movements graceful yet powerful like a jaguar. These women are so good at what they do, in fact, you might forget they are just people doing what they love. While the Jaguars football team deserves the praise for the W’s, it’s time to grab some pom-poms and cheer on the cheerleaders who make up The Roar, the Jaguars cheer squad.    The Roar cheer squad is full of empowering women, but they are more …

Words By Ambar Ramirez   Imagine not knowing the next time you will eat, and living with consistent food shortages and hunger or food insecurity becomes the norm. Such a life is already a reality for millions of low-income households and for those living in developing nations. And if changes are not made now that life will become a reality for millions more.   In developing nations, the main reason for the hunger crisis stems from a lack of food production and scarcity of supplies. In America, though, the main reason we will face food hunger is due to inflation, …

  Being so close to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, as well as one of the most haunted, it would be foolish to think that the hauntings come to halt once one arrives in Jacksonville. With haunted restaurants, bars and hotels, the list of ghost sightings and paranormal activity is extensive in Northeast Florida. But just as extensive is the list of abandoned buildings and houses. Considering the spooky season among us, I began to wonder, were these places left to deteriorate due to their lack of usefulness or for more spine-chilling reasons? It’s fair to …

Societal beauty standards, racism, gun violence, and stereotypes are just a few of the topics commented on in Deborah Roberts’s “I’m” exhibit. After hard work and determination to tell the stories of those not listened to, Robert’s work has been displayed and exhibited across the U.S. and Europe. And now until Dec. 4, “I’m” exhibit can be found at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. The large collages, mostly of Black boys and girls, on white backgrounds hung on white walls of the private space make it hard to feel like you are alone while viewing Roberts’ work. While …