Creative Spaces

Best Local Crusader: Hope McMath A crusader is someone who campaigns vigorously for social, political or religious change. And when Jacksonville was asked to name its “Best Local Crusader,” they resoundingly voted for Hope McMath. A graduate of Jacksonville University, McMath is the founder and director of Yellow House, an art gallery more accurately described as “a place where art + action creates change” and oversees the student gallery at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Prior to opening the doors to Yellow House, she worked at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens for more than 20 years, including …

Words by Molly Britt A look into the annual Deck the Chairs exhibit in Jacksonville Beach As a Floridian, I can tell you, I know how it feels to hope for the dreamy white Christmas. Snow falling, lights up around the house, and hot chocolate without sweating while we drink it because our families needed the heat on in 69 degree weather. Well, we may not have the ideal winter weather, but we definitely have lots of fun lights and hot chocolate – we just ignore the heat. Some of Northeast Florida’s greatest Christmas lights exhibits happen here, and thankfully, …

Creative Spaces There’s a magic about dance that exists in the moment that it’s seen. It can be recorded or performed again, but it’s not the same as seeing it for the first time. Rebecca Levy is drawn, as other dancers have been before her, to this kinetic magic within the grandeur of the theatre. Nine years ago, Levy was a transplant looking for her place in the dance scene. As a dance professor at FSCJ, she noticed an abundance of talented dancers and solid dance programs, but no way to advance into the professional sphere without moving to a …

“Here’s to good women. May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.” The mantra that hung in Jenna Alexander’s bathroom throughout her childhood has never left her. It was her inspiration for her newest series, Stripes and Buns. She wanted to know what made a good woman. Flipping through her 260-page book, you find out. “Their words tell more of a story than their pictures,” she says. Alexander, a St. Augustine based artist, photographed over 200 women in striped shirts and buns. They are authentic photographs, symbolizing a hardworking woman. Out of the 200 photographs, she …

The turning of the New Year inspires rebirth, renewal and rediscovery through a cleansing of the spirit and affecting positive change. To get the year started off fresh, explore personal agency and the healing power of water with ecofeminist artist who will be hosting a creative engagement workshop Jan. 12 at the . Participants will create a personal narrative drawing in mixed media illustrating their own story using recycled materials. Crooks based the concept for the workshop on her own tapestry drawing entitled “Decent; Dissent; Descend: Into the Springs of RED Pearl River,” the fourth and final tapestry drawing of …

It’s not everyday that someone new arrives to the Bold New City of the South to move and shake the local arts. Last year, Patrick Fisher entered the scene with a fresh perspective and a heap of motivation. After completing a cross-country road trip with his dog in 2016, Fisher was hired as the Office Manager at the (CCGJ), the arts agency for the . He immediately noticed room for growth in the organization when he started work. “When I go into a new job,” he says, “it’s always with the objective of creating more value than I consume.” Over …

Chelsea DuDeVoire is a working woman’s strongest ally. The founder and CEO of Babes Who Hustle, a website devoted to connecting working women around the globe, never knew that her desire to watch other women succeed would lead to her own success. DuDeVoire started the website after graduating from Florida State University and beginning her professional life in Jacksonville. “I think I hit rock bottom creatively, and wanted to start something,” says DuDeVoire. “I started it for fun—created the blog for myself and my friends, and it quickly grew out of my circles and into something much bigger.” Her mission …

Chris Straw never exactly intended to open a restaurant. “I didn’t follow my dreams,” he says of his entrepreneurial ventures. “I followed opportunity.” In 2009, an opportunity came along for Straw to open his first restaurant. The joint Simply Tasty Thai rapidly grew in popularity, becoming a staple among residents of the . Fast forward to May 2016, when the chance arose for Straw to open a second restaurant in the same shopping plaza as Simply Tasty. That’s how Hangar Bay Café was born. At Hangar Bay, Straw quickly earned a reputation for serving two unique foods—authentic Japanese ramen and …