Tag Archives: Cultural Council

Barroom conversations and threads among Jacksonville’s urban cultural creatives over the past years have abounded with pessimistic rants, open wishes, and pleading prayers for a more conscious, vibrant, and progressive city. Over the years, that energy has been randomly dispersed in grassroots campaigns and DIY-style events. A growing army of younger energy has single-handedly made it their mission to be the change they want our city to be. These individuals, typically operating on shoestring budgets, rely heavily on their networks, fans, and a hope and a prayer, to spark a notion in others that, “if we can dream it, we …

 opens its fourteenth season with , a cross-discipline exhibition exploring the relationship between modular, geometric forms and negative space. The exhibition features the art of  and , two artists whose work reimagines simple forms, with a close attention to the details and processes used to create them. New York-based artist Andrew Zimmerman’s bold, three-dimensional paintings appear almost planar when juxtaposed with Dolf James’s large-scale metal sculptures filling the west gallery, however both echo a shared minimalist sensibility and emphasis on seriality. The impact of the combined imagery evokes the contrast of each artist’s creative energy. Since completing his B.F.A. at …

A new leader has taken over the reins of , circled round his staff, and forged a collaborative path for its future.  has a vision, and he wants you to come along and be part of it.  Born in , with stops in Venice, Gulf Breeze, Florida, along the way, Allegretti has long been moving in the spheres of marketing, advocacy and art. Starting out in criminology at FSU, he began to sell ATMs in the Panhandle.Allegretti found himself at home selling and packaging ideas. He dabbled in the trade shows and set up ATM displays out of Fort Walton. …

Recognized for years as someone who cares about our river, its tributaries, estuaries, and canals, nationally known artist and Jacksonville resident  developed a fantastic magical mystery tour to bring about awareness of our most precious resource, the . She was awarded a major grant by  and the  for the community-based, complex, and fun event. A creative force and long-time pre- artist, her’s was the first at the corner of Rosselle and King streets with a beautiful, multi-story art studio in the decades old building that once was a 7-UP manufacturing plant. She shares this old concrete building, now a beautiful …

In the immortal words of former Jacksonville Mayor , “As your Downtown goes, so goes your city.” So then, how are things Downtown going today? The number of Downtown residents is the highest it’s been in decades, and residential properties are more than 90% occupied. Downtown office vacancy rates continue to drop each year. Crime in Downtown accounts for only 2% of serious crime in the entire City of Jacksonville. And, Downtown has more parking than , not including . Downtown champions are hard at work. The  has created a Spark Grant program for Downtown revitalization through the arts. , …