Tag Archives: University of North Florida (UNF)

Change is a vital currency that helps a city like Jacksonville maintain a vibrant cultural presence. Much ado has been made about the continued evolution of the city’s downtown area. Among the stewards of the area is Downtown Vision, Inc., who offered an update on a few of the high-profile developments and the impact the plans will have on the city. VP of Marketing for DVI, , has a bird’s-eye view of the work as it happens in real time. It’s an exciting time in , and Hardwick can see the evolution of the city’s skyline from her office window. …

THIS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND Jazz fans will have a new view to elevate their experience at this year’s Jacksonville Jazz Festival. Held May 24-27 in downtown Jacksonville, the event provides a stage where new, emerging artists can come together with legendary names in jazz. Performers including headliners Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, who will close out the four-day festival Sunday, will perform on the festival’s main stage which has relocated for the first time to the Duval County Courthouse lawn. As Special Events Manager of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Brent Fine says this new venue offers lush accommodations with views …

I go looking for ’s studio space during an evening soiree at the . The smiling girl at the front check-in points me to the elevator in the back, so I dart around waitstaff offering trays of appetizers, devoured daintly by freshly-shaved gentlemen in sport coats, and ladies in reflective jewelry and pointy shoes. Away from the crowd, on the 5th floor, I find Mary, a tiny woman in jeans and a t-shirt with a vaguely Indian-inspired print. She’s crocheting a navy yarn chain, sitting comfortably in a papasan piled with pillows. I’ve come to talk with her about her …

10 Questions courtesy of our friends at the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville: According to the League of American Orchestras, fewer than two percent (2%) of professional classical musicians in the United States are African-American.  The 2010 Census, which is the most recent Census survey, showed that individuals who identify as African-American represent roughly thirteen percent (13%) of the US population. The disheartening statistic related to the number of African-Americans professionally involved in classical music is one of the motivators that led to the founding of the Ritz Chamber Players. Founded in 2002 by , the stopped charging admission to their concerts …