LOCAL L GA G GALLERIES LLE GAINESVILLE MODERN BERLIN GRAFFITI 352 WALLS MARGARET TOLBERT
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 | VOL. 15 ISSUE 05
HIGH SPRINGS & ALACHUA EDITION
ART & DESIGN From canvas to concrete and all the possibilities to create — discover some of the people and places that make our world more beautiful!
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CONTENTS 
S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
G R E AT E R A L A C H U A C O U N T Y
| V O L . 1 5 | N O. 0 5
IN THIS ISSUE >> We explore both the creative and technical elements of art & design. Within these pages you can read about the artistic endeavors of locals in your community, as well as the architectural aspects that go into designing and preserving iconic structures near and far. C O V E R I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y N E I L M C K I N N E Y.
FEATURE STORIES 20
LOCAL ART GALLERIES From oil paintings to jewelry, these three local galleries feature eclectic collections and other colorful creations that any art lover is sure to enjoy.
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DRUM ROLL, PLEASE Trevor Ellis is only 9 years old, but his talents as a drummer have already earned him a contestant slot for a new talent-searching competition.
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HAUNTED AMERICA BOO! Woven into the fabric of our country’s history are tales of ghosts, hauntings, and other unexplainable events. Are these real occurrences or just the product of imaginative storytelling? You decide!
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COON HOLLO A family farm, going back four generations, offers fun fall activities and a popular corn maze!
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CONTENTS
S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
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GAINESVILLE MODERN A nonprofit organization that preserves Gainesville’s architectural past and promotes future design as well.
BERLIN’S GRAFFITI In this photo essay, UF students document Berlin’s colorful graffiti art during their latest study-abroad class.
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MEET MARGARET TOLBERT This artist and advocate for the springs has been creating works of art for more than 30 years. Get the scoop on her impressive new projects.
352 CREATES From sidewalk chalk art to storytelling, this community initiative continues to inspire artistic activities around the area code.
COLUMNS 36
NAKED SALSA by Crystal Henry
60 DIFFERENT NOTE
PRESCRIPTIVE SPACES A look at the work of Charity White, a social practice artist and recent UF graduate.
54 CRAFTY TRASH An Alachua County project that seeks to encourage children and young adults to transform recycled or discarded materials into pieces of artwork.
BEAUTY FROM DARKNESS Meet the artist who overcame his life struggles through art, and finds ways to give back to the community.
76 A WALK OF ART The origins of Artwalk Gainesville – a free monthly self-guided tour that combines exciting visual art, live performances and events downtown. 10 |
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by Kendra Siler-Marsiglio
by Donna Bonnell
352 WALLS Now in its third year, 352Walls has more plans to spread urban artwork across town.
REVIEWS
130
80 READING CORNER
SCULPTURE CULTURE From the “French Fries” on University of Florida’s campus to The Solar Walk on 8th avenue, Gainesville certainly has no shortage of imaginative sculptures to admire.
138 64
82 HEALTHY EDGE
120 EMBRACING LIFE 122
44
by Albert Isaac
BECOMING A WOMAN The Harn’s latest exhibition explores the role of women in 18th-century France.
by Terri Schlichenmeyer
118 GATE CRASHING by Brian “Krash” Kruger
INFORMATION 100 Taste of the Town 108 Charity Winners 110 Community Calendar
142 CREATING HOPE The Made New Arts initiative consists of art classes and gallery showings to empower young people and help them reach their full potential.
The articles printed in Our Town do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Tower Publications, Inc. or their editorial staff. Our Town Magazine endeavors to accept reliable advertising; however, we can not be held responsible by the public for advertising claims. Our Town Magazine reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. All rights reserved. © 2017 Tower Publications, Inc.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 OUR TOWN MAGAZINE | 11 DUEE TO DU TO ENGI ENGI NGINEE GINEE NEERIN RING RIN G CONS ONSTRA TRAINT TRA AIN IN NTTSS, IN IN-LAW SU SUITE I AD ADDIT DITION DIT IONSS ARE ION ARE ONL ONLY Y AVAI AVAI VAILAB AILAB LABLE LE WIT WITH H NEW NEW HOM HOMES ES AND CA CANNO NNOTT BE NNO BE A AD DDE DDED DDE D ON ON TO TO P PR REVIOU REVIOU REV IOUSLY SLLLY Y PU PURCH RCH HASE ASED HOME HOME OMESS.
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PUBLISHER Charlie Delatorre ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Hank McAfee
Anthony B. Agrios, MD Joseph S. Iobst, MD Jean C. Cook, MD Nicole Scogin, MD Shelley Russell, ARNP, CNM Julie Rischar, ARNP, CNM Kristen Cook, ARNP, CNM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Albert Isaac editor@towerpublications.com MANAGING EDITOR Ericka Winterrowd ericka@towerpublications.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kaitlin Applegate, Gabrielle Calise, Cameron Cobb, John Freeman, Monica Humphries, Savanna Kearney, Michelle Cerulli McAdams, Stephanie Richards, Ashley Russell, Hayli Zuccola CREATIVE DIRECTION + DESIGN Hank McAfee, Neil McKinney ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jenni Bennett jenni@towerpublications.com Helen Mincey helen@towerpublications.com Nancy Short nancy@towerpublications.com INTERNS Cameron Cobb, Ashley Russell
Take care
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CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS If you would like us to publicize an event in the greater Gainesville area, send information by the 1st day of the month prior to the next issue. For example, submissions for the March/April issue are due by February 1. All submissions will be reviewed and every effort will be made to run qualified submissions if page space is available. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We want to hear from you. Send your letters to the attention of the editor at 4400 NW 36th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32606 or editor@towerpublications.com. Letters must be signed and include a phone number in the event we need to contact you. (Your phone number will not be published.) OUR TOWN MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BY TOWER PUBLICATIONS, INC. REPRODUCTION BY ANY MEANS OF THE WHOLE OR PART OF OUR TOWN WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PUBLISHER IS PROHIBITED. VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE EDITORIAL PAGES DO NOT IMPLY OUR ENDORSEMENT. WE WELCOME YOUR PRODUCT NEWS. INCLUDE PRICES, PHOTOS AND DIGITAL FILES WITH YOUR PRESS RELEASE. PLEASE FORWARD PRODUCT SAMPLES AND MEDIA KITS TO REVIEWS EDITOR, OUR TOWN MAGAZINE, 4400 NW 36TH AVENUE, GAINESVILLE, FL 32606. WE CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR UNSOLICITED PRODUCT SAMPLES.
A Publication of Tower Publications, Inc. 4400 NW 36th Ave., Gainesville, Florida 32606 phone: 352-372-5468 fax: 352-373-9178
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EDITOR ’ S LET TER
“
S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
”
Endings and New Beginnings
-Ken Eats Gainesville
It was nearly a decade ago that I penned that very headline soon after becoming the editor for Tower Publications back in 2007. It is fitting that I should be writing it again today for my final editor’s note. To say it’s been a great run would be a grand understatement. I have very much enjoyed bringing you the stories of all the interesting people and important events that make our communities so wonderful. I’ve also enjoyed hearing from you, dear readers, through our phone conversations, email messages, and when I’ve been fortunate enough
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to encounter you out in the real world. The time, however, has come for me to move on and pursue other writing adventures. But fear not, I will be leaving you in good hands. For the past several years Ericka Winterrowd has been working with me — first as my intern and freelance writer, and then as my managing editor — to create award-winning publications that we are all proud to be a part of. I am confident that Ericka will continue with our long tradition of creating beautiful magazines containing world-class content. Thank you, my friends, for your kind words, your helpful hints and, yes, even your criticism when we don’t meet your expectations. It only serves to make our publications better, and I trust you will continue to do so. Take care — and keep reading!
Featuring
CHEF VALERO
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PU B LI S H E R ’ S NOTE It’s been 10 years since Albert Isaac took over the Editorial Department at Tower Publications. To give that some perspective, in those 10 years Albert has written, edited, chased down stories and worked with countless writers to produce over 1.4 million words of locally written content for our various magazines. He’s had some help these last three years with the addition of Ericka Winterrowd, our Managing Editor, and has been mentoring her since her hire. He’s also been a committed employee, an advocate for our communities and an even better friend. Thanks Albert for all you’ve done!
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Charlie Delatorre Publisher, Owner at Tower Publications, Inc.
We helped Tavis get back in the game. — Tavis, age 7, Gainesville
When Tavis’ allergies throw him a curve, our UF Health board-certified pediatricians know how to get him back in the game. With our expert caregivers always swinging for the fences, your kids, like Tavis, can hit a homerun. And with several convenient pediatric locations throughout North Central Florida, you’ll be rounding for home in no time.
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4th Annual Folk in the Springs The 4th Annual “Folk in the Springs” will take place Sunday, September 17th from 12 pm to 8 pm. The event will host acoustic artists from all over North Central Florida; their performances are a part of a walking tour throughout the High Springs historic downtown area. The event will bring seven different artists to six different locations throughout the historic downtown High Springs. Folk in the Springs is produced by the High Springs Music in the Park Series, with support from the North Florida Folk Network (Jacksonville) and the North Central Florida Blues Society (Gainesville). A “welcome station” will be hosted by the High Springs Chamber of Commerce. The High Springs Farmers Market will also be on site. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair for some of the locations such as James Paul Park and the High Springs Fire Department. Other venues have seating. The event is free and open to the general public thanks to its sponsors.
Performers/ schedule of performances:
Sunday, September 17th • 12 pm – 8 pm • Various Venues
24910 West Newberry Rd., Newberry, FL
QUARTERMOON: 12 pm – 1 pm at James Paul Park
PAUL & KAY GARFINKEL: 4 pm – 5 pm at High Springs Women’s Center
CRUCIAL EDDY COTTON: 1 pm – 2 pm at Old School/ Community Center
MARY Z COX: 5 pm – 6 pm at Great Outdoors Restaurant
CLIFF DORSEY: 2 pm – 3 pm at High Springs Fire Department
ELLEN BUKSTEL: 6 pm – 8 pm at Great Outdoors Restaurant
AUSTIN MILLER: 3 pm – 4 pm at High Springs Library
For more information, contact Michael Loveday at 352-275-4190.
352-472-7100 RedBarnHomeCenter.com 16 |
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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CONTRIBUTOR S
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JOHN FREEMAN is an associate professor in the UF College of Journalism and Communications. When he’s not teaching photojournalism, he enjoys writing reviews for Trip Advisor and contributing iPhone photos to Instagram. jfreeman@jou.ufl.edu
KAITLIN APPLEGATE is a recent Rock School graduate. In her spare time she enjoys creative writing and finding inspiration in unexpected places (in truth, mostly from Netflix). kaitlinapplegatewrites@gmail.com
GABRIELLE CALISE is a senior journalism major at the University of Florida and freelance writer. In her spare time she enjoys collecting vinyl records, taking photographs and watching movies. gcalise@ufl.edu
CAMERON COBB is a senior journalism major at the University of Florida as well as an Air Force veteran. She loves traveling, writing, ballet and all animals (her favorite being her rescue dog, Maggie). cameronacobb5@gmail.com
MONICA HUMPHRIES is a senior journalism student at the University of Florida. Beyond writing, she loves going to local concerts, traveling the world and exploring all Gainesville has to offer. monicamh@centurylink.net
SAVANNA KEARNEY is a junior journalism major at the University of Florida and freelance writer. Her hobbies include reading, writing, taking photographs and petting dogs. savannak@ufl.edu
MICHELLE CERULLI MCADAMS is a freelance writer and editor in Gainesville. She is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Media and Journalism and Harvard University. She has written for AARP, The Boston Globe, Austin American-StatesmanËand other news outlets. michelle.cerulli@gmail.com
STEPHANIE RICHARDS is a freelance writer and a native of suburban Chicago. She was the Story Editor for The Sturbridge Times Magazine before recently moving to Newberry from New England. She loves to exercise, volunteer and spend time with her family. sarichards7@gmail.com
HAYLI ZUCCOLA is a New England native who enjoys listening to music and traveling. After graduating high school with her AA degree she got her Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Florida. HayzDesigns@yahoo.com
ASHLEY RUSSELL is a graduate student at the University of Florida majoring in Mass Communication. In her spare time the Panama City native listens to lots of country music, goes looking for antique treasures and takes trips back home to the beach. achilds@ufl.edu
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ART >> LOCAL ART GALLERIES
HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS
Local Art Galleries Enjoy Some of the Many Visual Treasures Right Here at Home S TORY A N D PHOTOG R A PHY BY C A MERON COBB
W
ith places like Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies, Rum 138, and the Newberry Fire House Art Gallery & Studio, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy eclectic collections of colorful creations. Here’s a brief venture into these three local galleries.
Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies 23645 W US Hwy 27, High Springs Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies houses a variety of works, including oil paintings, jewelry, colored pencil and watercolor pieces and more, featuring the local landscape, springs and wildlife. Artist and owner Tina Corbett named the studio to honor her Italian heritage and father, Louis Lanza. Prior to moving to the central Florida area, Corbett worked for almost 20 years as an illustrator for the postal service in Miami, she said. She is also currently the graphic illustrator for the Gainesville Fine Arts Association. 20 |
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For about the past 10 years she has been a fulltime artist of mostly landscape subjects, using the style of “plein air” – a term for artwork created at the scene as opposed to within studio walls. A devoted lover of fine art, her gallery features her work along with that of about 20 other local artists. Along with the gallery, there’s a wide-range art supply store equipped for both amateurs and professionals, and it’s stocked accordingly based on what’s used and wanted by local artists, Corbett said. Corbett even offers art classes for both children and adults, such as the “Paint Sip Create” series. For children, each class provides attendees
Inside the Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies, shelves of colorful pottery are placed throughout the gallery, while vibrant artwork decorates seemingly every inch of wall space. Various pieces of multi-medium displays of artwork fill the gallery — from pottery to jewelry to paintings and more. Tina Corbett (left) stands next to some of her artwork, which includes subjects of local landscape scenes.
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ART >> LOCAL ART GALLERIES
a chance to create and take home a finished canvas based on the step-by-step instructional painting process with different images depending on the option for that day. The grown-up classes follow the same idea, only in place of a snack, those of age can enjoy their favorite adult beverages during the tutorial (which might help provide a boost of confidence!). She also offers private classes for a unique way to celebrate a special occasion or group outing, along with other events.
Rum 138 2070 SW CR 138, Fort White Rum 138 is a prime destination for exploring the beauty of Florida’s wondrous waters, with both first-hand experience and aesthetic appreciation. Rum 138 holds true to what it’s all about: the springs. The organization offers kayak and canoe rental and an art gallery with works from roughly 35 artists (including pieces by the owners, Doug and Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson). Artwork covers the gallery’s walls in brilliant blue and turquoise hues, all centered around Florida’s springs as their “muse,” Doug said. Along with the multi-artist rooms, Rum 138 also houses a rotating gallery that changes every other month. The current exhibit is “Meditations on the Tenuous Beauty of North Florida Rivers and Springs: Photography by Lynne Buchanan,” which last until the beginning of October. Buchanan’s inspiration for the exhibit stems from her protective nature of the area’s rivers and springs, according to the Rum 138 Facebook page. Buchanan’s photos not only capture the wonders and raw beauty of nature, but depict the importance of environmental appreciation as well. The exhibit that follows, planned to showcase works of the Colored Pencil Society of America, begins Oct. 6 and lasts to Nov. 1, according to Rum 138’s website. Visitors can gaze upon dazzling depictions of springs done in – you guessed it – colored pencil. While maintaining a focus on springs within the area is a stipulation to be featured, artists are not restricted to any specific style, Doug said. The gallery includes a variety of works of all sorts of mediums, including sculptures, photography, woodwork, pottery and jewelry. As well as acrylic, oil and watercolor paintings. Doug and Merrillee are co-owners, but Doug said he credits his wife as being the “brains behind the gallery.”
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Merilee Malwitz-Jipson and husband Doug Jipson (right), artists and owners of Rum 138. Bright blues and deep greens checker the wall in various forms and styles of artwork, all inspired by the local springs. Lynne Buchanan stands with her photography exhibit “Meditations on the Tenuous Beauty of North Florida Rivers and Springs,” which will be featured in the rotating gallery section until the beginning of October. Aquatic-themed suitcase artwork (bottom) is just one of the many mediums of artwork displayed in the gallery.
“The best thing we can do for kids is to show them the relevance of appreciating all different cultures.” “Throughout the past, we’d drive by the building, and [Merrillee] would say ‘I’m going to get that one day, and I’m going to open up a hair salon and an art gallery’,” Doug said. “I heard this for years.” Doug is from the Clearwater region and Merrillee from Sarasota, but the two have lived in the High Springs area for 14 years, he said. With the motivation behind the move to be closer to the springs (like many other artists), it’s no surprise they would want to foster an environment centered on these natural wonders and share that appreciation with others. “Eventually the place came up for sale, and I said [to Merrillee], ‘if we buy that and open an art gallery, then I’m going to open a canoe and kayak rental,’” Doug said. “So we did.”
And nearly five years later, it’s grown and only continues to do so. Along with being a hub for colorful collections of regional art by local artists, Doug said the gallery is multi-functional, being a prime location for special events, musical performances, and of course, Rum 138’s canoe and kayak rental service for those looking to explore the Santa Fe River beyond the gallery’s plethora of pictures and portrayals. Whether you’re looking to marvel at the masterpieces or embark on your own aquatic adventure, Rum 138 reminds the community of what a wonderful abundance of beauty waits in your own backyard. Who knows – you may find yourself artistically inspired enough to recreate your journey. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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Co-curators Peggy Loy and Linda Lehrman (L-R) are both artists and have their art on display and for sale. To the right of the gift shop, some of the artwork is on display, greeting visitors upon arrival. Artwork from volunteers lines the hallway. Volunteers can use the hours worked in exchange for wall space.
The Newberry Fire House Art Gallery & Studio 25435 W Newberry Rd, Newberry The Newberry Fire House Art Gallery & Studio is run by the nonprofit Newberry Main Street Organization, said Linda Lehrman, co-curator for the gallery. The Newberry Main Street Organization’s mission is “enhancing our downtown through sound economic development that promotes our future while preserving our past,” according to its Facebook page. The gallery upholds the principles of that mission, along with providing a place for the nonprofit’s meetings, receptions, special events and more. The gallery features a gift shop, a hallway for volunteers to display their art, and two main exhibit rooms, Lehrman said. One of the exhibits focuses on artwork of Florida springs, while another changes every three months, with the current exhibit called “Flowers, Fruits & Vegetables” (lasting through November). Maintained solely by the efforts of roughly a dozen volunteer artists dedicating their time and service, Lehrman said that in exchange they’re provided with a location within the gallery to display and sell their artwork. Additionally, a call to artists is conducted four times a year, Lehrman said, but the gallery isn’t looking to make huge profits. 24 |
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Instead, the gallery provides artists an opportunity to proudly present their talents and gain exposure. In return, the gallery takes 30 percent of sales to cover necessary expenses. “Anyone can come and feature their work, and it doesn’t cost anything upfront to exhibit,” Lehrman said. “Not many places provide that.” Lehrman, an artist herself, has been creating pieces since 2012, with acrylic paintings of horses and pastel renditions of the surrounding landscape being her primary subjects, she said. Lehrman and Peggy Loy both volunteer as curators for the gallery. With art programs dwindling from school systems, Lehrman said now is especially important for fostering a culture that promotes the appreciation and creation of art. There are even collections where volunteers round up supplies and/or money to donate to local school art clubs to help keep art alive within the community. Ultimately, the gallery and its volunteers aim to highlight the importance of valuing art and to be a place where that enjoyment is shared and expanded. “We’re here for the public. We’re here if anyone has suggestions for anything. We’re here to help out,” Lehrman said. “Because I think every community needs an art gallery, don’t you?”
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CELEBR ATION OF MUSIC MUSIC >> DRUMMER TREVOR ELLIS
Trevor Ellis performs at One Love Café.
MARCHING TO THE BEAT OF HIS OWN DRUM
Drum Roll, Please W R ITTEN BY CA MERON COBB
Ah, the terrible twos — an inevitable era reached faster than parents are able to prepare for. Thankfully, the good outshines (most) all the bad, and the fun of childhood milestones has only begun. By this age, toddlers typically start communicating more efficiently, forming two- to four-word sentences. They’re improving mobility, beginning to run and tackle the act of climbing stairs. They’re sorting shapes and colors. They’re building block towers. They’re banging out drum solos. Or at least that was the case for 24-month-old Trevor Ellis. With newly developed motor skills and budding curiosity, Trevor wasted no time in getting behind a set of drums, sporting sticks in both hands and discovering a passion that would 26 |
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eventually land him the chance at a televised performance — a pretty accomplished way of waltzing into the fourth grade. The now 9-year-old’s talents earned him a contestant slot for the Celebration of Music, a new talent-searching competition hosted by Ethan Bortnick — world-renowned 16-year-old singing, acting and piano-playing prodigy. After learning about the upcoming Gainesville contest location through a local radio advertisement, Trevor and his parents submitted a YouTube video of his performance from his school’s (High Springs Community School) 2016 talent show. The jam session featured Trevor rocking out on drums and his dad, Brad, strumming the electric guitar, said Trevor’s mom, Carol, in a recent phone interview. With both parents being musically inclined (Brad playing guitar and drums and Carol on piano), it isn’t hard to see where Trevor gets his skill and love for creating music. “It’s a loud household,” Carol said with a laugh.
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MUSIC >> DRUMMER TREVOR ELLIS
Trevor Ellis (right) playing during his two-day audition event at Santa Fe Fine Arts Hall in June. Ellis and Ethan Bortnick (below) meet on stage later during the audition event.
“I want to change the world with music.”
Trevor passing along a memory book (bottom) during a concert in 2016 for the members of his favorite band, the Zac Brown Band.
And thanks to the inspiration of his melodic parents along with his favorite music group, the Zac Brown Band, Trevor said he one day hopes to play in a band of his own. “Music is my life, so I try to keep up with that,” Trevor said. Well on his way to following and achieving that dream, Trevor was selected based on the video submission. On June 28 and 29 he auditioned at the Santa Fe Fine Arts Hall in Gainesville. During these tryouts, dozens of promising violinists, guitarists, singers and everything in-between showcased their musical talents for Bortnick. Trevor’s impressive presentation earned him one of the best seats in the house — a seat on stage. The competition acts as an all-call for young, ambitious musicians who want to share their talents and inspire others, like Bortnick has been able to do, Carol said. Trevor and other local contestants who were chosen to go forward will be included in Bortnick’s Celebration of Music concert at the Santa Fe Fine Arts Hall at 3 p.m. on Sept. 10, which will be televised on WUFT’s channel. Bortnick is recognized by the Guinness World Records as 28 |
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“The World’s Youngest Solo Musician to Headline His Own Concert Tour,” according to his website (ethanbortnick.com). But sharing his musical talent with the world isn’t his only gift — he’s raised over $40 million for charities across the globe.
The now 9-year-old’s talents earned Trevor Ellis a contestant slot for the Celebration of Music. The Hollywood, Florida, native first sat behind the keys at just three years old, quickly discovering he’d been blessed with the ability to play back a song flawlessly after hearing it once, according to the website. Both his talent and name have internationally erupted ever since, performing to crowds in the tens of thousands and even starring on stages alongside other legends, such as Elton John, Celine Dion, Beyoncé and others. Celebration of Music’s aim is to bring aspiring musicians between the ages of 4 to 22 into the spotlight, according to
the website. The site notes that while it’s currently limited to only several locations within the country, it hopes to expand the market for the coming years. Whether singing solo, showing off instrumental skills, dancing or even competing as a choir, all music-related submissions are welcome, as long as applicants are willing to keep their participation family-friendly, fun and (unlike many talent-searching shows) free of drama. Applicants are encouraged to be as unique, imaginative and original as they please, according to the website, and after auditions in the set locations, chosen participants will move forward to the final concert performance portion. For the grand prize, top winners from each location will perform one or two solo acts on stage with Bortnick at the concert in their area, according to the website. Winners also get to record a single with Bortnick that will be available through various music-sharing sites and apps, such as iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc., and may even be presented with a professional entertainment contract with Sun and Sky Entertainment. A location’s top winner is picked based on audience members’ voting through both television and internet platforms, then that selection will be announced live during the concert. Top winner or not, all contestants appearing on the show for that concert’s area will get a spot in the limelight during an on-stage finale performance with Bortnick, according to the website. Carol said she thinks the opportunity is overall absolutely phenomenal. At the very least, it will provide participants the chance to gain some “really great exposure,” she said, and it’s just an amazing experience for not only Trevor, but also for all children involved. With support from friends, family and the community, there’s little doubt that Trevor’s growing fan base will be proudly cheering him on. Regardless of the outcome, Trevor said he knows that his love for drumming is going to take him very far — and who knows, maybe in the future he’ll have a chance of his own at helping maestro minors like himself. “I want to change the world with music,” Trevor said.
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ARCHITECTURE >> MIDCENTURY MODERN TREASURES
ARCHITECTUR AL DESIGN
Opening Doors to a Past Era W RIT TE N BY MONIC A H UMPH RIE S
C
olista Swartz remembers biking past a house with a bright orange front door every day in college at the University of Florida. Thirty years later, she stepped inside the house because of Gainesville Modern. “I finally got to see all the little secrets that you could only imagine from the road,” Swartz, 50, said. Gainesville Modern is a nonprofit organization that preserves Gainesville’s architectural past and promotes future architecture. It looks specifically at the postwar period of 1945 to 1975. Throughout the year the organization hosts programs and events, but its most popular event is Gainesville Modern Weekend. For a weekend in March, five or six midcentury modern homes are opened to the public to tour.
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Over 450 people step inside each house. “Midcentury modern architecture is characterized by floor-to-ceiling windows and open-design concepts,” said Marty Hylton, the president of Gainesville Modern and an assistant professor at UF’s College of Design, Construction and Planning. For the past two years, Irene Salley opened her home for Gainesville Modern Weekend. Her home sits at the top of a winding driveway, where floor-to-ceiling windows and a flat roof create an open space. She’s lived in the house since 1987, and she’s worked to preserve its original architecture and design. Mike Hastings, the treasurer of Gainesville Modern, knew Salley and her iconic home. He asked if her home would be featured as one of the six homes. Salley said she was initially intimidated to have 450 people walk through her home, but as PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF GAINESVILLE MODERN
Moderns that Matter is a new campaign where the community is encouraged to nominate iconic buildings in Gainesville. The University Lutheran Church may not meet the requirements to be a landmark, so Moderns that Matter is a way to encourage preservation.
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ARCHITECTURE >> MIDCENTURY MODERN TREASURES
The university’s school of architecture had a large impact on the current architecture found in Gainesville. Marty Hylton, the president of Gainesville Modern, calls it “town and gown modern” since the architecture has been influenced by the students who graduated from UF.
the day went on, she said she fell in love with the experience. “Everyone just wants to see a different style of housing,” she said. “I’m lucky to show them something new.” Gainesville Modern tries to show a new set of houses every year but some are popular enough to show twice, Hylton said. So far, 23 houses have been shown but there’s a plethora of midcentury moderns to choose from. “We haven’t even scratched the surface,” he said. Hylton said he’s astounded by the amount of midcentury modern architecture in Gainesville.
Hylton focused on the postwar period and moved to Sarasota, Florida, which is an epicenter for modernism in the postwar period. But eventually Hylton learned about the wealth of architecture in Gainesville. That wealth was thanks to the University of Florida’s School of Architecture, Hylton said. “You have these people who were training and then coming and adapting these modern principles and ideas to the climate and culture of Gainesville,” he said. And that realization is what started Gainesville Modern.
“We brought this group of people together, where some have expertise and background in architecture and some are just enthusiasts.” He realized in college that the midcentury modern architecture was not only innovative and creative, but it would be evaluated for landmarks by his midcareer. As the buildings reach 50 years old, they can now be evaluated as landmarks. 32 |
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Hastings suggested doing home tours to highlight midcentury modern architecture. They felt the “story of the remarkable architecture from that period in Gainesville wasn’t really getting shared with the public,” Hylton said. PHOTOGRAPHY: MONICA HUMPHRIES
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Hylton, Hastings and David Forest, the executive director, formed Gainesville Modern. “We brought this group of people together, where some have expertise and background in architecture and some are just enthusiasts,” Hylton said. The Gainesville Modern Weekend has been going on for the past five years and grows every year. The first tour in 2013 had about 250 people attend. This year brought over 450, Hylton said. Each year it grows a little more and people come from farther and farther. Hylton said people have come from all across Florida, Georgia and Texas, and he’s felt a renewed interest in the aesthetics of the period. “Hopefully people walk away learning something and having a greater appreciation,” Hylton said. Swartz said her appreciation has only increased since attending the tours. Every year, her friends come from Jacksonville to visit the houses. They end the tour with lunch at a classic Gainesville restaurant. This past year they went to Satchel’s and talked for hours about their favorite details of each home. Hylton said Gainesville Modern really has two missions: one is to raise awareness and preserve the midcentury modern buildings in Gainesville after WWII and the second is to promote the tradition of innovative, modern design. It is a membership organization, but tickets are sold to everyone for the home tours. The money raised from the event goes towards a number of things. Gainesville Modern partners with Habitat for Humanity to build houses in the community, and money also goes towards other events, such as public lectures and film series, throughout the year. However, a lot of money goes towards preserving the architecture in Gainesville, Hylton said. Currently, the nonprofit has two nominations for the National Register of Historic Places and has started a digital archive with the George A. Smathers Libraries. Gainesville Modern and the city’s historic preservation officer are also taking on the lofty goal of surveying everything built
between 1930 and 1975. The city recently received a grant for the work, and Gainesville Modern will help gather volunteers and contribute funding, Hylton said. “You really can’t preserve what you don’t know is there,” Hylton said. This task is even more important as Gainesville continues to develop. This past year, Gainesville was listed as endangered by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. With the university nearby and the growing population, a lot of changes are happening and some threaten existing historic districts. “We’re just now to the point where midcentury architecture is being recognized as important,” Hylton said. “If we don’t do the inventory and don’t raise awareness, people may not give it a second thought on demolishing what may be a significant building from that period.” Swartz and Salley both recognize the importance of preserving this architecture. “The physical buildings are so important, but the stories behind them matter just as much,” Swartz said. She remembers walking through her grandmother’s house and seeing many of the similar designs and structures she saw throughout the Gainesville Modern home tours. “It was a wave of nostalgia,” she said. Gainesville Modern has also started a campaign called Moderns that Matter, a compilation of buildings that make Gainesville iconic. The idea is that anyone in the community can nominate a building they like, whether it meets the criteria to be a landmark or not. “It’s really just a way of trying to understand the pulse of the community,” Hylton said. Beyond understanding the community, the goal is to also preserve and maintain those important buildings. Buildings like the SAE fraternity house, Lakeshore Towers and Grace Presbyterian Church have already made it on the #ModernsThatMatter list. Hylton said the architecture that fills the neighborhoods throughout Gainesville truly defines the city. “I personally think that every city has the period or era that defines them,” he said. “For Gainesville, it really is the postwar.” SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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ur travel budget was small, but our sense of adventure was grand. And our early traveling days took me on beach camping trips to the Keys, moonlight canoe trips down the Suwannee, and camping trips to the Smoky Mountains on the back of a motorcycle. They weren’t always glamorous vacations, but they were what we could afford, and they were certainly memorable. Traveling was what we lived for. As we aged and our travel budget expanded, so did our family. We had our two beautiful daughters, and the vacations became more about visiting family and less about recreation and adventure. It was hard to fit a baby on the back of a motorcycle, so we put our wanderlust on hold until the girls got a bit older. When our first-born was a toddler, my in-laws gifted us a camper that they didn’t want anymore. It had all the bells and whistles we could imagine — three beds, a kitchenette, a bathroom and even a television. It was a drastic change from the hard ground underneath our mosquito-infested tent of the past, so we readily accepted. The camper served our family well. We found a way to adventure again with our toddler in tow, and at one point we even lived in it when we moved for my husband’s new job. But as the girls got older and more involved with school and sports, our camping trips started to disappear. One day we realized we’d been paying to store the camper for an entire year, and hadn’t taken it out once. My solution was to just make time to camp more. But my hippie husband decided it was time to reduce our carbon footprint and downsize to a more minimalist lifestyle. I assumed he meant that we’d just camp out in the backyard. His idea was to build our own tiny teardrop camper. Most of the home improvement projects we’ve worked on together have come dangerously close to ending in homicide or divorce. So I wasn’t sure how this camper build would go. Especially considering I was still a little salty about selling our FREE fully stocked camper the week prior. But I figured I’d give it my all so that when this little camper failed it wouldn’t be because of anything I did. It would be
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because cramming a family of four into a space no bigger than an economy rental car isn’t the brightest idea to come from mankind. So I toiled away for two months — cutting, planning, painting and building. And I’ll admit that as it started to come together I was really proud to be a part of building something like that with my bare hands. When the day came to test her out I was actually pretty proud of our work. Dare I say, I was a bit excited for her maiden voyage. But the joy was squashed about 20 minutes into our six-hour road trip when one of the kayak straps came loose and whipped around the camper’s electrical box ripping off our only hope of air conditioning on our weekend beach trip. We somehow managed to repair the box enough to get back on the road, but we should have taken it as a sign. Between the rainstorm, leaky doors and mosquito infestation inside the camper you’d think we’d have packed it up and gone home. But we stuck it out through the broken campground bathrooms, angry gator encounter, and the moment in the night when my daughter fell off the overhead bunk on top of my face. The next morning I was beyond over it. I just wanted to call it quits, and go home. My husband was unstrapping the kayaks from the top of my car, and I was trying to stealthily change out of my wet bathing suit behind a towel, when a gust of wind came and blew not only my towel away from covering my naked hind quarters, but it nudged the kayak right down the front of my new car. It left a dent the length of my arm on the hood, and I was in shock. My husband and I sat there staring at the kayak on its side, when he turned to me and said “Well, that’s one way to get that kayak down.” And I burst out laughing. It was that moment I knew that anything else that happened was just fodder for my next column. And when more bad luck followed I started an Instagram account to document it. The wood we used had to be cursed because anything that could go wrong on this trip did go wrong. Tired, sunburned and covered in bug bites we packed up our camp and headed home. And on the way home we christened him — Murphy the Mini Camper.
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ARTIST PROFILE >> MARGARET ROSS TOLBERT
ART, NATUR ALLY
ARTIST’S WORK BRINGS SPRINGS TO FOREFRONT
Meet Margaret Tolbert W R ITTEN BY STEPH A NIE R ICH A R DS
It is early morning as Margaret Ross Tolbert works on a large canvas in her back yard, a scenic setting that includes bamboo, pine and citrus trees. She is immersed in capturing the beauty and volatility of Cannon Springs with each stroke of color from her paintbrush. As one watches the process unfold, you feel as though you are immersed as well, mesmerized by her artistic impression of the natural water source. For more than 30 years, Tolbert has been creating paintings, drawings and lithographs from studios in the U.S., France and Turkey. Her commissions include projects for series of paintings with residencies in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Oman, and her work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibits locally, regionally and internationally. In addition, she continues to pursue creative outlets on the springs of North 38 |
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Florida, and conducts research for her series, Doors, and the study of language and dance from the regions of the ancient trade routes. Tolbert’s passion for capturing the outdoors started when she was growing up in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains with its rivers, streams and majestic trees. A third grade Virginia lab class would feed her artistic development and leave an imprint on how she interpreted art. “If you finished your work early, you could go to the back of the room and paint. Art was integrated in what we were learning and thinking about real life,” said Tolbert, who never took an art class until college. “That [school] was a model used as a lens to PHOTOGRAPHY: STEPHANIE RICHARDS
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Margaret Ross Tolbert prepares paint to start a new large canvas project. As part of her method, Tolbert uses a towel to spread the pigment mixture to acheive her desired effect.
bring it all together. Every subject can make an impact on art as you use an idea or bring in metaphors from history or something you have studied that is fascinating. Art is very much a way to refract your experience.” When she moved to Gainesville as a teenager, it took time to warm up to the vastly different landscape, much of which is hidden. “Here you turn the idea of landscape on its head with the beauty of tunnels and waters underneath,” said Tolbert, who has been a speaker/panelist at conferences, including the Spring Restoration Summit last year. “I had been to the Springs before, but one day a high school friend invited me to explore Ginnie Springs and we rented masks. Going
in and looking out to the world you left was like being in another planetary atmosphere … it was like being in a reflection. I love all the unseen magical parts of Florida.” Tolbert’s formal education was at the University of Florida, where she earned a bachelor of fine arts and master of fine arts (minored in linguistics) in painting. She studied under art professor and painter Hiram Williams, who authored “Notes for a Young Painter,” a collection of his thoughts for beginning artists. “I like to say Gainesville is a good petri dish to grow identity and artistic output,” said Tolbert, who received a Lifetime Art Achievement award from the GainesvilleAlachua Cultural Affairs Board.
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ARTIST PROFILE >> MARGARET ROSS TOLBERT
Margaret Ross Tolbert continues work on “Cannon Springs Rediviva,” a painting she is currently working on for her “Lost Springs” exhibit, which opens in September at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville.
“Most people don’t know the history, that two-thirds of the first-magnitude springs are located right here. I started thinking of the springs as a force. For most, water is seen as a commodity more than an experience.” An essential tool in her creative process is a small handheld sketchbook, an item she never leaves home without. “There is the simplicity of a small sketchbook. When I paint it is part acceptance and recollection of it. I think everyone should have a sketchbook,” she said. “It is also inspiring for me to talk to people in different disciplines and find out their creative process and how they get ideas.” Tolbert is also intrigued with the perception of things, which impacts the artistic outcome. “I am always interested in anything that has to do with perception,” she said. “For example, if you are painting a still life of a bottle, you can look at it and then break down its paint or color, forgetting what it is. You then paint what you see in that moment.” A massive, blank canvas might be intimidating to some artists, but Tolbert feels right at home with it. Her work has included paintings 12 feet tall to a triptych measuring 33 feet long. A triptych is typically a panel painting that is divided into three sections. “I love large-scale paintings as they are easier for me; I’d 40 |
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rather be in something than looking at it. In immersion, you are not trying to control it and you surrender a lot of stuff … it opens up more ideas,” she said. “I like to confront the subject, especially if it is astonishing like Ginnie Springs.” In 2006, she released GEZI, a book with her narrative and sketches of travels in Eastern Turkey. “I toured the country and thought it was about what I saw,” she said. “I realized it was really about the stories told to me by the people — the tea maker, the taxi driver, etc. The intangibles inspire the work.” Four years later she completed another book with 13 contributors, “AQUIFERious,” which focuses on art and writing about 12 Florida Springs. It includes scientific analysis, such as maps and data on nitrates in the water, highlighting the urgent need to preserve the springs and the Floridian Aquifer. Tolbert said she became an unwilling advocate for the springs after recognizing bright, green algae in what was crystal clear water one day while painting. “Most people don’t know the history, that two-thirds of the first-magnitude springs are located right here,” she said. “I PHOTOGRAPHY: STEPHANIE RICHARDS
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started thinking of the springs as a force. For most, water is seen as a commodity more than an experience.” AQUIFERious won a gold medal for Florida non-fiction and a silver medal in fine arts from the Florida Book Awards. The book has been transformed into an exhibit of the same name. “My frequent visits have brought me close to the essence of the veins of water that supply Florida’s lifeblood,” writes Tolbert in the book. “Increasingly, I have become concerned with the negative effects of pollution and overuse of this irreplaceable resource.” Margaret Ross Tolbert’s books, “Passages: Doors and Springs” and “AQUIFERious.”
Tolbert has been involved in several public art projects, including collaborating with Jarrod Ryhal on Orlando Springs, an extensive installation of painting, lenticular photography, etched glass, and graphics for Orlando International Airport. The project was completed in 2012 and includes over 500 pieces. “People don’t think about the fact that there is water beneath the city. The project includes imagery of the Springs as you go up the escalator and stairs. There is also a floor-toceiling map by the elevator showing springsheds,” she said. “I like the idea of affecting people subliminally as they go through … encountering things as they move. As they look at different angles or distances, what they see is different. Art needs to be an experience, more than a brief contact, as visitors travel through and are surrounded by the work.” Currently, Tolbert is working on a book on springs in Turkey. She is continuing work on an ACQUIFERious film, which she is producing. She also will be featured in a documentary, titled “Hidden Secrets of Florida Springs.” Her latest exhibit, “Lost Springs,” runs from September 23 to December 31 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Jacksonville. It focuses on Tolbert’s journey into 20 abandoned Florida Springs and will include new, large-scale paintings and a documentary on the experience. In the film by Matt Keene, which premieres with the exhibit opening on September 24, Tolbert and others look for the “Lost Springs” inundated by the Kirkpatrick Dam. Tolbert has a pearl of wisdom to offer young artists. “Keep making art. Choose to be an artist, and make studio production your priority, one year at a time,” she said. “It’s so easy for your passion and training to be funneled off into other fields, which all demand creativity. If you are an artist, you must safeguard your time for that.” 42 |
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In 2012, Tolbert and Jarrod Ryhal collaborated on Orlando Springs, a major project that included paintings, photography, glass and graphics for the Orlando International Airport. The permanent public art display includes more than 500 pieces on Orlando Springs.
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF RANDALL SMITH, STEPHANIE RICHARDS, LYNNE POLKE
Matters
Importance of the Preschool and Kindergarten Years The
By Christina Miller President, Millhopper Montessori School
From birth to age six, children undergo five unique sensitive periods for learning. During these periods, they have absorbent minds where knowledge effortlessly enters like water into a sponge. During these sensitive periods, information enters the child’s subconscious mind and later spontaneously emerges in his/ her conscious mind by discovery. After age six, learning becomes different and requires a different strategy and level of conscious effort.
sensitive periods from birth to age 6, nurturing them as they arise naturally. In recent years, preparing children for kindergarten has been garnering more support from the standpoint of “readiness” or top down.
The five sensitive periods are: 1. Social relationships and skills 2. Sensitive period for order 3. Senses refining 4. Language 5. Movement
The pre-school and kindergarten years are the most formative and learning is specialized through the sensitive periods. A developmentally appropriate program honors and appreciates how children at this age learn. Children are busy with the task of creating their conscious minds. Through the sensitive periods, they absorb information like a sponge. Only when an individual is ready can the point of consciousness occur. It can’t be forced, predicted, or hurried. Expectations of teachers and curriculum restraints should never over or underestimate the ability of children during these sensitive periods.
The standard approach to preschool and kindergarten education these days is top down. A top down approach asks what students need to learn in kindergarten to be prepared for first grade, which is far different from a ground up developmental approach that understands the
In a ground up approach, a preschool or kindergarten program would be a natural extension of what children are ready to learn when they enter that level.
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PUBLIC EXPRESSION >> CHARITY WHITE
CONVERSATION PIECE
Prescriptive
S PA C E S The Social Practice Art of Charity White W RIT TEN BY ERICK A WINTER ROW D
A
life-sized figure of an elderly woman lays on a bench in downtown Gainesville. Those who pass by might begin to think their eyes are playing tricks on them. “That’s a real person, right?” A closer look reveals that the figure is in fact made of clay. The dead giveaway is that this sculpture, along with two others like it, is bi-sectioned or cut in half in order to show the truth behind the artist’s work. This was the thesis of artist and educator Charity White, a recent graduate of the MFA ceramics program at UF. White describes herself as a social practice artist because a lot of her work that is shown in galleries isn’t actually the ceramic object itself. “It’s videos of people interacting with a ceramic object,” she said in a recent telephone interview. “So they kind of function as a site-specific piece, and then later it’s more of showing documentation.” 44 |
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Raised in Oak Park, Illinois, White started doing ceramics when she was in elementary school. “I think I fell in love with making functional vessels and I did that all throughout high school,” she said. White would continue on to receive her BFA in ceramics from the University of Illinois, and then stayed on to earn her master’s in arts education too. Afterwards she moved back to Chicago and taught in public schools for a few years before applying to graduate school at UF. “[UF] was always kind of my number one school in the back of my mind for many years,” White said. “And then, when I finally decided that it was time to apply, I was lucky enough to have gotten in there.” She said that it wasn’t until getting to the University of Florida and having the opportunity to work with such distinguished professors that she was pushed to question the scale of her pieces. “I had never done realistic
White’s life-sized pieces for her thesis project were built through a combination of ways. She said they were primarily coilbuilt, like you would pottery. However, some areas such as the heads and hands have a lot of detail and are first built solid before being cut in half, hollowed out, and then reattached to the entire piece. White said she was able to make all three pieces in about five months.
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PUBLIC EXPRESSION >> CHARITY WHITE
White said that in working with a realistic figure, she’s found that it’s a way to make people comfortable approaching her piece. It’s easily recognizable and something you can have an interaction with because of the scale. “And I think it becomes a lot less intimidating to people who aren’t involved in the arts,” she said.
figures or life-sized figures until coming to UF,” White said. One would think she had been making these large pieces her whole life after seeing documentation of her thesis work titled, “Prescriptive Spaces.” A title that highlights how public spaces are structured in order to prescribe to people what they should be doing, or who they should be. White first had the idea for this project when she came down to Florida and began thinking about the ways in which cities respond to abandoned locations. She then came to a realization. “We were talking about a much greater issue than just abandoned buildings; we’re talking about how we treat the discarded parts of our society,” she said. She explained that her time at UF happened to coincide 46 |
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with the redevelopment of Bo Diddley Plaza, as well as talks of a potential law making it illegal to sleep in public. A law that she said was eventually tabled for a later discussion after public outrage. “I think homelessness is a really complex issue, but the really subtle ways in which we create our public spaces to say who is welcome and who is not welcome, it’s really interesting to me,” White said, “to kind of get into the more subtle nuances of this really complex topic.” White created three life-sized figures in response to the black powder coated benches that are placed around Gainesville, which all have a handrail down the center. According to White, this is a form of hostile architecture.
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PUBLIC EXPRESSION >> CHARITY WHITE
“I think homelessness is an incredibly complex issue.” “It disguises itself as being a handrail there for your convenience, but in reality its there so that people can’t sleep on them.” White explained that these handrails dictate how people can exist within a space, and is not exclusive to Gainesville by any means. “It’s something that is widely implemented in cities,” she said. In creating this project, White made sure to attend numerous public lectures put on by homeless shelter Grace Marketplace, as well as many Gainesville Redevelopment Agency meetings. She also spoke with local politicians about the issue, trying to get an all-encompassing understanding of the situation. She said she made many attempts to try to get her project approved by city officials, but it
was never officially approved. However, once displayed they did nothing to take it down. Before installing any of the pieces, White first spoke with all of the businesses that the sculptures were placed in front of and got approval from them. “I didn’t want to do anything that would affect their livelihood…” White said. “And although they did not have official approval for me to place them there, I had their blessing.” She set up cameras at each one of the locations of the three pieces. The film documented people’s reactions to the life-sized figures and their interaction with them. White said it was interesting to see people’s thought processes. Some of them would come up and be startled at first and then notice the figure, notice
the handrail and see it was divided in half. They would also read the text painted on the divided sections of the figures, which further helped them piece the whole story and message together. White said some people would come up to her afterwards, once they found out she was the artist. They’d say that they had never realized why the handrails were there, or that they had never thought about it in that way. She also found it very interesting how many people wanted to take pictures and “selfies” within the figures’ space. As it got later into the night and people started clearing out of downtown bars, White said there became a lot of harassment of the sculptures. “Where is that coming from? Is that really just the desire to mess with the
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PUBLIC EXPRESSION >> CHARITY WHITE
For her project titled “East Bank Athletic Club,” White stressed the point that abandoned properties are both created by communities for social good and then collectively discarded when their purpose is no longer desired. These unfired clay sculptures are impossible to move without destroying them; therefore they become a part of the environment.
The materiality of clay speaks to the passing of time. Over the course of the installation, the clay dries, cracks, and changes color and temperature. The drying clay releases water into the atmosphere, acclimating slowly to its humid environment. The scars and wrinkles on each figure are markers of time just as the fallen ceiling tiles and mildewed air of the space.
sculpture? Or a person whose body you wouldn’t normally have access to,” White said. She explained that the female figure was definitely the most touched and prodded of the sculptures. “Sexually touched, I guess, is the best way to say it,” White said. And towards the end of her footage she caught someone walking up and kicking over the sculpture. “So it’s caught on camera, the destruction of the figure.” And then later, White said other people came across the destruction and seemed to almost revel in it — playing with it, picking it up, and moving it around. In a polar-opposite encounter, White recounted a group of men who walked by and began to pick up the sculpture in an attempt to put her back together. “One of them even licks his thumb in order to wipe off a smudge on her ankle, which I thought was a really touching moment,” she said. “It sort of encompasses all of these human 50 |
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emotions that I thought was really interesting.” White stated that through her research for this project, the answer to these complex issues, such as homelessness, seems to seek the removal of the appearance of a problem rather than the removal of the problem itself. White recalled seeing a homeless veteran a few blocks down from where she would put one of her figures. She said he was holding a sign, which basically said that it was illegal for him to take handouts from cars but if they wanted to throw any gifts on the ground he would pick them up. “And I just feel like his sign so clearly articulated that what is wrong with this anti-homeless legislation is that they’re not actually solving any of the problems,” White said. “They’re making people work around the problems, and they’re degrading a veteran to having to pick something up off of the ground in order to have it — removing the personal interaction and connection with that person.” PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF CHARITY WHITE, PADEN DEVITA, RYAN HODGES
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PUBLIC EXPRESSION >> CHARITY WHITE
A section of the homeless veteran’s sign was used as text on one of White’s sculptures. Throughout this, White stressed the point that she is not condemning Gainesville as a city. “I think homelessness is an incredibly complex issue,” White said. And she cites recent changes, such as the development of Grace Marketplace, as a positive component to the homeless community, as well as other long-standing shelters and outreach programs, such as the St. Francis House. Since graduating UF last year, White is exhibiting nationally and living in Chicago, Illinois, where she is an artist-in-residence at Lillstreet Art Center. She also teaches at Governor State University. Her most recent project is titled “Look Back to Move Forward,” and it’s a collaboration piece with other educators and students. She received a fellowship from the Newberry Library and spent a year researching the 1919 race riots in Chicago. According to lookbacktomoveforward.com, on July 27, 1919, a 17-year-old African American boy named Eugene Williams was swimming in Lake Michigan and inadvertently drifted into an unofficial segregated “whites only” section of the beach. For this he was stoned by white beach-goers and drowned. No one was held accountable. In the aftermath of this tragedy, the city erupted in riots. Along with artwork created by local students, White’s piece for this project is a seated male figure. This sculpture represents Eugene Williams and is modeled after one of the students she
“I had never done realistic figures or life-sized figures until coming to UF.” worked with. The plans for this exhibition are for the life-sized figure to be displayed on the same beach where the horrific event occurred 98 years ago, serving as a reminder that the past can still influence the present when you look back to move forward. Now more than ever, White understands the importance of art in the world today. “I think art shows us the parts of ourselves that we want to see,” she said. “And also the parts of ourselves that we don’t want to see.” To stay up to date on Charity White’s work, visit charitysharonwhite.com. For more information on her most recent project, visit: lookbacktomoveforward.com.
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CREATIVE RE-USE >> TRASHFORMATIONS
REPURPOSE
Crafty Trash How Alachua County is Reducing Waste by Creating Art S T O R Y B Y K A I T L I N A P P L E G AT E P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y I A N C LO N T Z F O R T H E F LO R I D A M U S E U M
T
he partnership of the Solid Waste & Resource Office in Alachua County and the Florida Museum of Natural History has brought new meaning to the saying one man’s trash is another man’s treasure through the Trashformations project. Started in 1998, Trashformations seeks to encourage children and young adults to transform recycled, repurposed, reused, or discarded materials into pieces of artwork. This annual event offers participants a chance to connect creativity with environmental mindfulness, not to mention a chance at winning a cash prize. “I just love seeing the creativity. We’ve had some really imaginative pieces come in,” said Waste Alternatives Specialist Shelley Samec. Samec, who has been spearheading Trashformations for the past two years, has seen a wide variety of projects. Nearly every material imaginable has been used to create artwork, from a candleholder made with old keys, to a cherry blossom tree crafted from used dryer sheets. “They’re all wonderful different pieces,” said Tiffany Ireland, Trashformations’ museum contact, in a recent phone interview. Although each artwork is distinct, every piece has one thing in common: all
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projects must be constructed from 70 percent or more repurposed materials to be eligible for Trashformations. “We don’t want to see store bought stuff put on there,” Samec said. “We want to see something that’s been reused.” The purpose behind the material requirement is to help people see that they can make things out of trash. As opposed to creating waste, Trashformations is encouraging an environmentally savvy mindset in its participants. This year’s deadline for art submission applications is November 10th at 5 p.m. Ireland encourages anyone intrigued by Trashformations to submit their own original art piece. An application and full event details for interested readers can be found on Alachua County’s website under the Outreach and Education section. Alachua County residents who are in middle school, high school, or college are welcome to participate. Qualifying art pieces may be the work of an individual or that of a group. Only one piece per individual or group may be submitted. Besides encouraging young people to flex their artistic muscles, Trashformations also aims to create a passion for environmental care in the hearts of participants. “We are trying to send a message that there’s a reason for this program,” Samec said. “It’s not just to make pretty art. It’s for a cause; it’s for a reason. The younger people are our future generations. These are the people that need to be thinking about this now, so that when they go to higher education, they can be thinking about it then, and hopefully making the difference.” Ireland talked about the impact waste has on our environment. “Many of our natural resources are destroyed because of waste,” Ireland said. “Acting locally, thinking globally is very much a great part of Trashformations. It is the true community program.” Teachers, families and students all work together to make Trashformations possible. In addition, Oakview and Oak Hall students typically produce a significant amount of art for Trashformations each year. “There are such great artists and freethinkers in our area,” Ireland said. Trashformations provides an opportunity for these individuals to showcase their passion for creativity. There were over 200 submissions to the Trashformations project last year alone. With so much buzz, even elementary students want in on the action, Samec said.
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In years past, Transformations has been themed. “We had a sea turtle theme one year,” Samec said. “We had the sea turtle conservancy partner with us and then they gave out a prize.” Fashion show was another year’s theme, which morphed Trashformations into a display of upcycled clothing made from everyday materials. This year, the Florida Museum of Natural History has selected steampunk as the theme to celebrate the museum’s 100th year anniversary. “Steampunk also has a great Trashformations feel too, using the old to make it new,” Ireland said. Each year, the vision of this project culminates with the awards reception held at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The reception takes place in the main part of the museum, and all other exhibits are shut down for the evening. What remains is a full display of all Trashformation submissions, some small and intricate, others large and mesmerizing. “We had a big jellyfish one year that middle schoolers made, and it lit up,” Samec said. “It was amazing.” For the duration of the event, the museum is somewhat dark so projects that are lit pop against the dim surroundings. In addition to enjoying the
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artwork on display, Solid Waste & Resource Office staff members such as Samec are committed to reducing waste during the night of the event. “Last year, we asked everyone to bring their own plates, and then if you brought your own plates and silverware, you got a free reusable bag,” Samec said. Food is provided for all participants after the awards ceremony. Before the night’s official agenda begins, judges walk around the display area and evaluate the pieces. Judges, usually artists, are selected every year and each piece is based on personal opinion. According to the judges’ decisions, a first place prize of $400, a runner-up prize of $300, and a third place prize of $200 is awarded. There is a first, second, and third place for middle school, high school, and college students. This system ensures that a participant’s artwork is measured only against students in their age division. Alachua County’s Solid Waste & Resource Office staff also selects one student to receive the Waste Watcher award, which is
based on the art exhibit that the staff thinks is most repurposed. Another accolade, called the Museum award, is picked based on “the piece that best represents the museum’s mission to get people to care about life on earth,” Ireland said. This year’s reception is on November 17th, starting at 6 p.m., and is open to the public. Even after the awards reception ends, Trashformations ensures that no waste is created. After the event, winning projects and honorable mentions are exhibited in the Florida Museum of Natural History. Projects are typically on display for a little over a week. After that, participants may take their artwork home, or donate it to Alachua County, where projects are often displayed in offices. Some projects are put on exhibit in other locations as well. One piece, which is a sculpture of a black bear pillaging through a trashcan, was put on display in Waldo’s City Hall. From trashy beginnings to artistic finishes, Trashformations is changing the way Alachua County citizens think about waste management.
CREATIVE RE-USE >> TRASHFORMATIONS
Some projects are put on exhibit in other locations as well. One piece, which is a sculpture of a black bear pillaging through a trashcan, was put on display in Waldo’s City Hall.
ESULTS DRIVEN. Gil Alba
Karen Yochim
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COLUMN
ALBERT ISAAC’S
Different Note DRAWING
ALBERT ISAAC IS AN AWARD-WINNING WRITER AND EDITOR AND THE AUTHOR OF SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS AND PERSONAL COLUMNS. HE LIVES IN HIGH SPRINGS WITH HIS FAMILY AND A BUNCH OF CRITTERS. editor@towerpublications.com
I’VE ALWAYS LIKED TO DRAW, FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. AND I WAS PRETTY GOOD WHEN I WAS A KID. BETTER THAN AVERAGE, I’D SAY.
the storyline. One in particular sticks with me to this day. Villain Purdy Fallar got frozen on the Moon. Scientists attempted to revive him. This went on for what seemed like months. And much to my surprise, although they eventually revived him, he was basically brain dead. This was crazy stuff for a comic strip. But I was hooked and even entertained the thought of drew a lot in those days. I doodled. Drew faces. drawing my own comic strips, because I didn’t think you had Atomic bombs, exploding. Animals. Anything that to be a fantastic artist. came to mind. Dad gave me a ton of old paper tablets and I created my When we were bored, my brothers and sister and I would “Cat and Dog” characters. And thus began my rapid decline as a scribble on a piece of paper and take turns creating something ‘serious’ artist (or so I tell myself ). It was quick and easy to draw out of the scribble. That was fun and creative. Cat and Dog and their families doing all kinds of silly things. Cartoons fascinated me – how could pictures move? Dad They drove cars and planes. They built things. They hung out explained how they were made, 24 individual, nearly identical, with other characters (like the Snake family), as I filled tablet painstakingly hand-drawn images for each second of cartoon after tablet of their exciting exploits. action. I wanted to draw my own cartoons up until I learned And then one afternoon, as a teen, I looked in that fun fact. That means that a typical Tom and Jerry dismay at the hastily drawn comics I had spent cartoon running at five minutes would have taken so many hours creating and threw them all in 7,200 hand-drawn and painted frames. New research the trash. I blamed them for me not becoming Ain’t nobody got time for that! out of Germany a better artist. Had I spent more time drawing But that’s OK, because I also enjoyed the suggests that “the other things instead of these childish characcomics. Comics would be easy to draw by production of visual ters, I reasoned, I would have gotten better. comparison, I thought. Oh, and comic books. art improves effective Now I kinda wish I had saved some of those I still remember the first time I saw Batman, interaction”. tablets, for better or worse. Perhaps if I could which I looked at while sitting at a barbershop (I see them again, my older self would be kinder to think? It was a long, long time ago). I wasn’t sure those early artistic endeavors. if he was a villain or a hero. He certainly looked bad. I don’t draw much these days, although I should. Art, like And then, when I got a little older, I got hooked on music, is good for the brain. In fact, new cognitive research out reading Dick Tracy in the funny papers. That was like cops of Germany suggests that “the production of visual art improves and robbers and science fiction all rolled into one. What? A effective interaction” between parts of the brain, according to two-way wrist radio? Yes, way back in 1946, Dick Tracy got his a Huff Post article. wrist radio. In fact, in the ‘60s, you could even buy a “Dick Tracy I could use some of that. two-way wrist radio.” Of course, these watches had to be wired “The study, conducted on a small population of newly retired to a walky-talky and had a range of like 20 feet. I never had one, individuals (28 people between the ages of 62 and 70), concludes but there’s a really fun commercial on YouTube if you care to that making art could delay or even negate age-related decline search for it. You can still buy one for around $300, which is of certain brain functions,” states the article. about the cost of an Apple Watch. (But I digress). Maybe my younger self, who had spent so much time drawing, In 1964, Tracy traded up to a two-way wrist TV. He also was on to something. I think it might be time to resurrect “Cat had all kinds of crazy gadgets. Like lasers and Air Cars. And he and Dog.” After all, who doesn’t want to negate age-related brain went to the Moon. By the time I was reading Dick Tracy, it was functions? a continuing series so I had to read it every day to keep up with
I
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SUNSTATE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION’S
Community Connection
SunState has been serving our community for over 60 years and since our beginning, we’ve always found ways to support some of our area’s most amazing charitable organizations. Each issue we’ll feature an area charity that’s been involved in our Charity of the Month program. Check out our Facebook page for more information and get involved!
Part of the Community There’s nothing Noah Voelker liked more than making friends and playing outside. Like most kids we know, Noah loved playing games. From baseball to soccer, from basketball to kickball, Noah woke up every morning wanting to spend time with his friends and play just about anything he could. But unlike most kids, Noah needed help. Born prematurely in July of 1989, Noah was born with Cerebral Palsy a neurological disorder that affects body movement and muscle coordination. Noah had hearing and vision loss and would eventually be unable to walk or talk. But everyday of Noah’s short life was an inspiration to the many that knew him, especially his parents Will and Shelly Voelker. “Noah could do so much more than people ever expected of him,” said Will Voelker recently. “He inspired us and the people around him through his willingness to try anything, to push beyond what most people thought was possible.” The Voelker’s worked with a local organization called the Endeavor League that organized sports programs for kids like Noah until his passing in 2009. It was then that the Voelker’s took over the program and renamed it Noah’s Endeavor. “The idea behind the initiative was to find ways to help Noah and his friends do what they loved, to 62 |
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play games, paint pictures and be active,” said Will Voelker. “Community inclusion is a huge concern for these kids. Too often they are relegated to a life of solitude with little interaction with anyone outside of the home. Noah’s Endeavor changes that by providing local sports programs that gets them involved – regardless of ability.” A nonprofit organization, Noah’s Endeavor uses 100% of its donations to fund, organize and develop local sports programs free of charge. Some of the most popular ongoing, local programs include Baseball for All, Basketball for All, Bowling for All, Soccer for All, and Paint for All. Another
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popular program and one near and dear to the Voelker’s is Aquabilities, a water safety program for children with special physical and developmental needs that teaches them to be comfortable and safe in the water. “Water safety is a huge concern of mine,” said Will. “Teaching them some basic water safety and helping to improve their swimming and motor skills, could literally save their life.”
Visit the SSFCU Facebook page for more information.
As with most charitable organizations, Noah’s Endeavor depends on 2 things: Donations and Volunteers. Will and Shelly may be the directors of Noah’s Endeavor, but they are volunteers. Neither draws a salary or compensation in any way from the organization, allowing for almost every dollar to go right back where it belongs – to support the mission. But as with any organization, donations and volunteers are always needed. As a community partner, SunState Federal Credit Union has worked closely with Noah’s Endeavor for the past few years to raise funds and awareness of this small but important organization. “Members of SunState Federal Credit Union should be extremely proud they belong to, and do business with, SunState Federal Credit Union. SunState really does so much more than Shelly and I can even begin to thank them for, in their efforts to help and make a difference in the lives of so many mentally and physically challenged individuals, both young and old.” Thanks to being designated as the primary beneficiary of SunState’s Annual Golf Tournament held at Ironwood Golf Course, Noah’s Endeavor has been able to continue and grow some of their programs. However, fundraising and adding volunteers continues to be a critical need for Will and Shelly. Looking for a way to help? Learn more about Noah’s Endeavor online at www. noahsendeavor.org or email them directly at info@naohsendeavor.org.
“He inspired us and the people around him through his willingness to try anything, to push beyond what most people thought was possible.”
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Artist Pedro Jermaine with his piece, “Transitions.”
ARTIST PROFILE >> PEDRO JERMAINE
HEALING ART
PEDRO JERMAINE PUTS TALENT TO WORK ON CANVAS AND COMMUNITY
Beauty from Darkness W R ITTEN BY STEPH A NIE R ICH A R DS
You don’t define art, said Pedro Jermaine. “It doesn’t have to conform to anything … it sets your mind free,” said the 38-year-old artist. “I work with deep, intense color, and you could describe my style as ultra modern urban art. I want it to be bold, in your face, but with a positive message.” An asset manager at Tower Hill Insurance Group in Gainesville, Jermaine works full-time while creating art that impacts community issues and causes. “I always wanted to use my art to impact the lives of others,” he said. “It is cool to paint, but you have to ask yourself what you have done to impact humanity with it. I seek deeper meaning in my artistic path. If a painting moves someone, then I’ve done my job. That exceeds any monetary value.” While watching an episode about hidden talents on “Muppet Babies,” he discovered his artistic abilities at six years old. It 64 |
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was further confirmed in the second grade, when he drew an anteater for his art assignment. “From then on, I was drawing. Sometimes, I would spend 14 hours a day drawing characters from X-men. My grandmother had to make me stop and eat,” said the Lake City resident. Even though he recognized his natural artistic skills, Jermaine originally enrolled as a pre-med major at University of Florida. “I was accepted as a biology student and pushed art to the background. My grandmother encouraged me to pursue it, but I was focused on making a lot of money. She told me I wasn’t going to be happy, and after two years I thought she had a point and switched to art,” said Jermaine, who has a bachelor of arts in Visual Art Studies. After graduating, he completed 30 commissioned pieces, including one titled “Project War Kill,” depicting a racehorse (War Kill) owned by Tower Hill Insurance owner and filmmaker Bill Shively. PHOTOGRAPHY: STEPHANIE RICHARDS
“The pieces were varied and included people, pets and cars. My first painting was a Ford Cobra,” he said. “A car is very defined while an animal is more fluid. I looked at it as an opportunity to show people what I could do.” ART IS A PROCESS Jermaine usually begins each piece by putting pencil to paper, sketching his ideas. “Coming up with the concept is tedious and the part of the process I like the least. I do a lot of reading about what is happening in the world, for inspiration, and go through photos, sometimes as many as 500. I like to have three or four elements in one painting,” he said. “The more abstract an idea, the more I need to sketch it first.”
“One of my UF teachers challenged me to only work with a coffee stir stick and a bottle of black ink.”
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He uses inexpensive brushes and Styrofoam plates to put his choice of Winton Oil Color on canvas. “The gift is in you, so you don’t have to use any specific tools,” he said. “One of my UF teachers challenged me to only work with a coffee stir stick and a bottle of black ink. I drew a fisherman with a pole. You can make it happen.” The size of the piece depends on whether it is for a big event or smaller art showcase. “I paint larger pieces for major events; they are more immersive,” he said. “On a small canvas, I will paint something engaging that has a lot of detail; it makes up for the small size. Either way, I have a completed image in my mind and know exactly what I am going for … I feel it in my soul when a piece is done. If there is a message in there, you don’t overwork it.” Last year, he created and donated a painting to the 2016 Gateway to Florida Airshow as a tribute to the USAF Thunderbirds. His piece, “To Infinity,” measured four feet by five feet and required custom framing, which was donated by Michaels. It includes planes in formation across a skyline with American flags. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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PHOTO BY STEPHANIE RICHARDS
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ART IS ABOUT IMPACT In 2012, he became involved with the inaugural Mammography Art Initiative, which challenged artists to use images from X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds to create art. The event raised money for low-income women to get mammograms in Miami-Dade County. “I painted about 2,000 hours and made 10 pieces for the first event. I wanted women to get help,” he said. “I love to see the hope that comes when people of different walks of life come together for a common cause.” He also has used his artistic talent in Pink it Up!, an annual breast cancer awareness event. He donated a piece, “The Gift,” with a message of peace and hope, to the Susan Cheek Needler Breast Center in Clearwater. As the headline artist for Florida International University’s MLK celebration for four years, he has created several paintings with distinct messages. For the 25th Anniversary event, he created a triptych oil, “Dawn of Justice,” measuring three feet by seven and one half feet, that included images of monuments with the opening words of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Most recently, he painted “The Answer,” which he describes as “a prayer and meditation piece that was in response to the turbulence in the country last year.” Jermaine has been involved in his community as well. Three years ago, he met Skyler Colley, a Lake City teen who wanted to impact the community and the two co-founded Hands of Change. The organization teaches teens about community service and provides mentoring. One of their first projects was painting an anti-bullying mural at a local middle school, and Jermaine guided the teens through the process. The group raises money for several causes, serves at a soup kitchen, and regularly visits Avalon Healthcare and Rehab Center in Lake City to engage residents through conversation, singing, playing instruments or chess games.
Pedro Jermaine (top) puts the finishing touch on his painting, “Flawless.” Also shown are a few of his commissioned paintings: “Third Dimension” (left) for the Mammography Art Initiative, “I Am Music,” (above) for a Three Rivers Legal Fundraiser, and “Dawn of Justice” (below) a triptych for Florida International University’s 25th MLK Celebration.
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This year, he became involved in the Suds and Songs Fundraiser to benefit Three Rivers Legal Services. The non-profit law firm provides free civil legal services to low-income families in 17 counties in North Florida. “I created and donated a painting, ‘I Am Music,’ for the fundraiser which was auctioned off,” Jermaine said. “It was my first major fundraising event for North Florida, which is home, so I was thrilled to do it.” ART IS THERAPEUTIC It was 2002 when the then-22-yearold’s world was shattered by the death of his father, someone he never really knew. Raised by his mom and grandparents, Jermaine only saw his dad twice — at his 16th birthday and high school graduation. “My dad was always distant and we never had a close relationship. In college, I cut ties with him and shortly after he passed away,” he said. “When I called my half-brother, he said dad never mentioned me and hung up the phone.” Jermaine contemplated suicide, but knew he had an artistic gift to share with others and so he pushed on, writing poetry as a way to process everything. Four years later, his grandfather, whom he was very close to, died. “It was extremely painful and hard for me to paint; I took a hiatus from art,” he said. “A friend convinced me to go to Italy for three weeks for fresh inspiration. I visited 10 cities and when I returned, I used one of the photos as a visual to paint again. I titled it ‘Grand Awakening.’” A year later, he would begin preparation for his own art show at The Studio@620 in St. Petersburg. He spent eight months creating 20 pieces of art for “The Evolution of Pedro Jermaine,” dropping Perry from his last name as an artist. He candidly talked in his statement about his life struggles, including disconnectedness with his father, suicidal thoughts, and being bullied. “It was hard on my family, but it is part of my mission to help people. I wanted people to know you don’t have to be a victim of the past; you can emerge victorious,” he said. “My father’s death, even though it hurt me, defined me as Pedro Jermaine. Beauty derives from the darkness.”
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE RICHARDS
ARTIST PROFILE >> PEDRO JERMAINE
That art show catapulted his name and work into 40 blogs and was a turning point for him in art circles. The success of the show would land him repeats of exhibits in Ybor City and his hometown of Lake City. Subsequently, he became and is currently a resident artist of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — Transatlantic Slave Trade (UNESCO-TST), utilizing his artistic and public speaking skills to bring awareness about community issues. His desire to impact the community has opened another door recently to serve on the board for the Real Rosewood Foundation. The non-profit awards academic scholarships to graduating seniors who are direct descendants of Rosewood families affected by the historical incidents of January 1923. “I am going to do a commemorative painting, but not sure
Pedro Jermaine (top, immediate right of painting) with the USAF Thunderbirds and the first tribute painting he donated, “To Infinity.” Jermaine also created another painted “BOOM” as a tribute to the USAF Thunderbirds. It is named after one of their signature maneuvers called the Bomb Burst. Teens in Hands of Change, a community service group, in front of the anti-bullying mural (above) they created at a Lake City middle school. Jermaine is a co-founder and mentor for the group. Pedro Jermaine determines the size of his paintings based on the audience. He is pictured here (right) with “Our Need,” and one piece of “I Am Music,” which was created for a fundraiser for Three Rivers Legal Services.
yet what that looks like,” Jermaine said. “Rosewood has such a dark past; I want to have the message of hope in there. It needs to reflect the past, as that demonstrates their strength and courage. The painting will depict such through a series of events.” SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE >> HAUNTED AMERICA
SPOOK Y TALES
Haunted America Delve into the History and Legends of Some of America’s Most Haunted Places W R I T T E N B Y H AY L I Z U C C O L A
C
ompared to other countries, America is fairly young, declaring its independence only 241 years ago. However, those 200-plus years included countless battles and wars flooding the grounds with casualties, dozens of hangings for fear of witchcraft, tales of monsters like the El Chupacabra or Bigfoot, as well as plenty of mysterious deaths across the country. So it’s no surprise that America has many tales of ghosts, hauntings, fables and other unexplainable events. Read on and take a journey through the southeastern states to discover some of America’s most haunted places.
St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA Along the shores of Salt Run, towering 165 feet above sea level and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean stands the St. Augustine Lighthouse, which has been lighting the way for ships at sea since 1874. The lighthouse had replaced the Old Spanish Watchtower, which was threatened by erosion and fell into the sea in 1880 after a storm. Today, the lighthouse has become the oldest surviving brick structure in St. Augustine, according to St.AugustineLighthouse. org. With over 140 years of history, the structure was
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bound to pick up a few ghost stories along the way. Peter Rasmussen, who was one of the lighthouse’s first keepers, enjoyed smoking cigars. Legend has it that sometimes visitors can still smell the lingering puffs of cigar smoke. Others have claimed to see or hear Joseph Andreu, another keeper who “fell to his death while painting the outside of the tower,” according to GhostsandGravestones.com. The most common ghostly sighting is of two sisters who died after the crate they were playing in, which was used to bring materials back and forth to the lighthouse, broke loose and plunged into the bay.
The television show “Ghost Hunters” has featured the St. Augustine Lighthouse on two separate occasions. Not only is the lighthouse itself haunted, but so is the former lighthouse keeper’s house. The lighthouse is open for regular tours, but the light station also offers a late-night Dark of the Moon tour, which allows guests to investigate the haunted site.
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Since the Sorrel-Weed House is open for tours, rooms need to be updated every now and then. The furniture in this room (above) is from Mark Twain’s house in Connecticut. The furniture is different than southern furniture because it features a tufted look and buttons, which isn’t common in the south. The Old Sorrel-Weed House (top & left) was completed in 1840, but it wasn’t until 2005 that visitors were offered both historic and haunted tours of the building. Ghostly encounters aren’t just for the night tours; some guests might experience the opening of cabinet doors during their tour.
The Old Sheldon Church Ruins (left) was originally known as the Church of Prince Williams Parish. Now it is called the Sheldon Church Ruins because William Tecumseh Sherman destroyed the church during the Civil War for a second time. The roof, windows and interior of the church have been destroyed, but the exterior brick columns and archways are nearly pristine.
Sorrel-Weed House SAVANNAH, GEORGIA Scattered along cobblestone streets, Spanish moss-covered live oaks shelter century-old buildings that help preserve the history of Savannah. Located on 6 W Harris St., the Sorrel-Weed House is unmistakable with its rust-colored exterior, contrasting green shutters and a column-covered front porch that welcomes visitors both corporeal and spiritual. Francis Sorrel, a wealthy plantation owner, built the house in the 1840s. When Sorrel’s first wife, Lucinda Moxley, died after five years of marriage, Sorrel married Lucinda’s younger sister, 72 |
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Matilda. According to legend, Sorrel was having an affair with his slave Molly (whether the affair was consensual or not is unconfirmed). When Matilda caught them in the act, she jumped out of the second story window and fell to her death, according to the GhostSavannah.com article “Haunted Savannah: America’s Most Spectral City.” A few weeks later, Molly was found hanging from a noose, but was it suicide or murder? According to the article, there is no record of a slave named Molly and it is believed that at the time of Matilda’s suicide the Sorrels had moved to a house nearby. With speculation and uncertainty surrounding its history, one has to wonder, who’s haunting the old Sorrel-Weed House?
Old Sheldon Church Ruins YEMASSEE, SOUTH CAROLINA Somewhere along sleepy, idle roads, tucked away in the middle-of-nowhere Yemassee, South Carolina, contortionist trees bend and twist their branches in an attempt to mask the ruins of a church built over 250 years ago. Constructed in 1745 to 1755, the Old Sheldon Ruins, originally known as the Church of Prince William’s Parish, are fairly hidden to passersby, but once discovered, like an artifact in a
by
The ruins are surrounded by a cemetery. Over the years some of the tombstones have sunk into the ground or have broken apart.
museum, these remains help exhibit a piece of history. The remaining rubble, which is mainly comprised of several brick columns and archways, comes from a somber past, which leave many to believe the site is haunted. In 1779, the British set Prince William’s Parish on fire during the Revolutionary War. In 1826 the church was rebuilt, however, it was burned down again nearly 40 years later, this time by William Tecumseh Sherman, a leader for the union army during the Civil War. The church was one of the first GreekRevival structures in the United States, but after being destroyed for the second time, it lost its gable roof, windows and the interior. As far as whose souls haunt the surrounding gravesites, visitors have reported feeling a sense of sorrow and seeing a woman wearing a brown dress standing over an infant’s grave, according EatSleepPlayBeaufort. com. Other reports include people hearing footsteps and seeing flashing lights.
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The Biltmore Estate ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA The movie “The Private Eyes,” featuring Don Knotts and Tim Conway, follows two men who are trying to discover who killed Lord Morley. They hunt for evidence in the Morley mansion and similar to the game of “Clue” they have to rule out the suspects — who all seem to get murdered and mysteriously disappear throughout the film. This, along with other inexplicable events, leads them to believe that the Morley manor is haunted. While “The Private Eyes” is purely fiction, the Morley home was filmed at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina — a real-life haunted mansion. After the owner of the Biltmore, George W. Vanderbilt, died in 1914 from appendicitis, his wife Edith sat by the fireplace and attempted to talk to his spirit. Visitors claim to hear the conversations of Edith and George and see them throughout the estate, while others have seen a stranger apparition — a headless orange cat near the Gardens and the Bass Pond, according to the HauntedPlaces.org article “The Biltmore Estate.”
The Biltmore Estate was the largest undertaking in residential architecture and took six years to complete. The house sits on 8,000 acres and has 250 rooms including an indoor pool and bowling alley.
The Edgar Allan Poe Museum RICHMOND, VIRGINIA The Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, is located inside the Old Stone House, and although Poe never lived there, it’s not surprising that the building dedicated to the eerie “Tell-Tale Heart” writer is haunted. Two black cats, Edgar and Pluto — named after Poe himself and the story “The Black Cat” — wander around the Enchanted Garden of the Poe Museum, which features artifacts from Poe’s life and pays tribute to his writings. Located a few blocks from Poe’s former residence, the morbid author would pass by the Old Stone House several times throughout his life, according to PoeMuseum.org. Three ghosts — two children and a shadowy figure — have been reported at the museum. The children are believed to belong to the original owners of the house. And the shadowy figure that has been seen around Poe’s walking stick, his wife’s mirror, and lurking in the garden is said to be Poe himself. On another spooky occasion, a shipment of Poe bobble heads arrived at the museum late one night and the following morning the novelty items were neatly lined on the shelves despite the fact that there were no overnight workers and the security alarm was never triggered, according to VirginiaHauntedHouses.com. With 50 states to explore, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of hauntings throughout the country. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, some things have no logical explanation. These five stories are just a fraction of the unforgettable claims and haunting tales in America. 74 |
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Two black cats — Edgar and Pluto — live at the museum (right). According to todayifoundout. com, black cats are considered unlucky because they were owned by women accused of black magic and witchcraft. Therefore, black cats were feared by association. During the Salem witch trials, people believed that witches could transform themselves into black cats. The Edgar Allan Poe Museum is located in the Old Stone House, which is said to be the oldest house in Richmond that is still standing. Poe never lived in the house, but people say they see his ghost occasionally throughout the museum.
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CREATIVITY ON DISPLAY >> GAINESVILLE’S ARTWALK
WALK THIS WAY
Eleanor Blair Studio pulled out some vintage prints for Artwalk. Also on display were many of Blair’s intricate oil paintings.
GAINESVILLE’S SELF-GUIDED RECURRING ART EXHIBITION
A Walk of Art STORY A N D PHOTOGR A PH Y BY ASHLEY RUSSELL
Artwalk Gainesville is like an old folktale — no one is sure exactly where it came from. The origins of Gainesville Art Walk are a little fuzzy, even for Frank Curtis, who runs the show, typically held on the last Friday of the month. “Artwalk has been around 20 years, maybe longer,” Curtis estimated. Karen Koegel, president of the Gainesville Fine Arts Association said, “I think it’s been going on for quite sometime.” “The most recent version was started by Gerard Bencen,” said Gainesville artist Eleanor Blair. “There was an even earlier attempt to organize a downtown Artwalk back in the ‘80s by gallery owner Joan Ling.” 76 |
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The general consensus is that it just happened. But, how does an event with 17 or more locations, hundreds of artists, and a multitude of sponsors “just happen?” While Artwalk may not have a clear history, it’s evident that the monthly event has become ingrained in the fabric of the city. Each month, Artwalkers venture out on a self-guided tour to get to know the area while enjoying the creativity of its residents. “I think the basis of it is to get people to come downtown and enjoy all the different opportunities,” Koegel said. “Stay, eat and drink.” Many of the locations provide refreshments for the guests who stop by the galleries. During the summer months, the snacks, drinks and air conditioning provide a welcome relief from the sweltering Florida heat. Another bonus of Artwalk is that the visitors get to meet the talented hands behind the art. The artists and gallery staff
This colorful papier-mâché dragon was crafted by Christine Brundidge.
also make sure everyone feels welcome. It’s much like being backstage at a concert, but for art lovers. One stop on the list, Sweetwater Print Cooperative, was filled with friends and acquaintances admiring various pieces of artwork from multiple artist’s collections. While the guests mingled and wandered around the gallery they could enjoy lemonade and snack on chips and vegetables. Eleanor Blair Studio is next door to Sweetwater Print Cooperative. Along the walls of the studio are dozens of oil paintings of
tropical locations, teapots, and even Blair’s beloved pooch, Archie. For this particular Artwalk, Blair dug up vintage posters from different Gainesville events that had her artwork. She greeted each of her guests as if she’s known them for years, and she probably has. Another venue is First Magnitude Brewing Company, where visitors can sip on a locally crafted beer while listening to a band and enjoying visual art. Right across from the Hippodrome, Artisans Guild Gallery typically features hundreds of handcrafted pieces from local artists. The art varies from paintings to handmade jewelry. City Church even transforms into a gallery for the night. The unexpected venue is a welcome change, which highlights the variety that is Artwalk. It goes to show that many people come together to make Artwalk happen. There are weeks of rigorous planning behind the scenes of the easygoing event. Frank Curtis took on that task nearly three years ago. He keeps in contact with each venue and artist, making sure there will be
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CREATIVITY ON DISPLAY >> GAINESVILLE’S ARTWALK
The theme for June’s show at Gainesville Fine Arts Association’s gallery was “Trashformations.” The artists were given the challenge to take trash and recycle it into works of art. The collectible art featured at the Hippodrome (top right) came from all over the world and some pieces were appraised at over twelve thousand dollars.
Visitors can sip on a locally crafted beer while listening to a band and enjoying visual art at First Magnitude Brewing during Artwalk.
Artist Rob Cooper (below) takes the time to chat with Artwalk participants about his work. His exhibit consists of linoleum and woodblock prints with a Japanese influence.
plenty to see. Curtis also makes the brochures so art aficionados can follow the path to each location; a map offers a trail to find all the art. The handouts also give a brief preview of some of the artists featured at each stop. People seem to come for the art, but stay for the experience. Music, paintings, sculptures, and photographs give participants an opportunity to experience something that inspires them. Gainesville local Bonnie Bernau attends Artwalk often. “I’m interested in local art and I know local artists,” Bernau said. Motioning toward a paintbrush designed to look like a man, Brenau said, “I’m drawn to humor sometimes in art. I’m attracted to the elegance and a pleasing aesthetic, but sometimes it’s the humor that grabs me.” Perhaps that is what is so appealing about art; it doesn’t have the same meaning for each person. In that same art piece, someone may have seen a face that looks like their grandfather. There are a few ingredients for a good folktale. Folktales are passed along from generation to generation, are frequently told 78 |
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rather than read, and they try to make sense of our existence or to help us cope with the world. Artwalk is each of those things and more. Spectators, such as Bernau, get a glimpse into another person’s reality through their art. “When I look at art, I look at the rest of the world differently,” Bernau said. “I notice colors more in our environment. I think about shapes. And it’s just, to me, a stimulation … visual communication comes to me from these works.” And this worldview change can bring prosperity to an area. Many businesses in downtown Gainesville have experienced growth thanks to their appreciation for art. Now, some are looking to expand that growth further, so that more people will visit the South Main Street area. “Well, it’s not set in stone, but one of the most recent things we are doing is we are trying to get a mural project going for along [South Main Street],” said Adam Germann, the gallery manager for the Gainesville Fine Arts Association. The new mural project would be accomplished on a volunteer
basis and would require the cooperation of local businesses, who Germann said are interested in the idea. Germann expects the process will begin by the end of the fall. In addition to the upcoming mural project, Gainesville is looking at other ways to expand its potential. “They’re putting together something called the Infinity Line to make a corridor from north and south, just off Second Avenue, that’s pedestrian and bicycle friendly,” Curtis said.
People seem to come for the art, but stay for the experience. At Artwalk, locals are invited to see the proposed ideas for both Infinity Line and Art line. Infinity Line is a plan for a safe, 11-mile biking and pedestrian trail that would connect parks around the area. Art Line aims to provide a pedestrian-friendly walkway connecting Depot Park to Downtown. These new plans highlight how important art is to the identity of the city. It all comes down to what art can bring to a community — a sense of belonging, a new experience, or even new opportunities. “There’s a sense of community around here,” Koegel said. “You don’t feel like you want to come in and rush around here and go. You kind of want to be in here. So there’s that aura and I think that’s what artists’ work tends to do for people.” Artwalk Gainesville has upcoming events on September 29th, October 27th and December 1st. For more information, visit www. artwalkgainesville.com
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BOOK REVIEW
TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER’S
Reading Corner THE SONG FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE written by A.F. Harrold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold C.2017, BLOOMSBURY CHILDREN’S BOOKS, $16.99, 219 PAGES
TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER HAS BEEN READING SINCE SHE WAS 3 YEARS OLD AND SHE NEVER GOES ANYWHERE WITHOUT A BOOK. SHE LIVES WITH HER TWO DOGS AND 11,000 BOOKS. HER BOOK REVIEWS ARE PUBLISHED IN MORE THAN 200 NEWSPAPERS AND 50 MAGAZINES THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND CANADA. bookwormsez@yahoo.com
THERE’S A KID IN YOUR CLASS WHO’S JUST PLAIN WEIRD.
H
e really sticks out because of his clothes, his hair, his words, and rumor has it that he has cooties. He’s full of brags, full of awkwardness and, in “The Song from Somewhere Else” by A.F. Harrold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold, he may be full of surprises. Frank hated to go to the park. It wasn’t the park, so much as it was that Neil Noble and his friends were always around and they loved to tease her. “Fwancethca,” they called her and even though that was her real name, it made her so angry — but since Frank’s cat was missing and the park was the obvious place to put up posters, there she was. Of course, so were Noble and his friends. They started taunting. They pushed Frank down and threw her bag into the nettles. She was not going to cry. Then, much to Frank’s surprise, Nicholas Underbridge lumbered over from the edge of the park, all long arms and flat face, a foot taller than every other kid in Frank’s class. Nobody ever wanted to play with Nicholas. Nobody even wanted to be seen with him. Nobody wanted to catch his fleas. But Nicholas stood up to the bullies, and because Noble and his friends started chasing them, there was no other choice but for Frank to run with Nicholas to his house for safety’s sake. Wait: was she really going to go to “Stinky” Underbridge’s house?
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She was glad nobody saw her. That would be awful — and then something wonderful happened. While she was waiting for Noble and his evil henchmen to leave the neighborhood, Frank heard music. It was soft and calming, silvery, and it made her smile. She wanted to hear it again so the next day, she went back to Nicholas’ house, where she found a secret door and an even bigger secret. Nicholas, it turned out, wasn’t what he seemed to be… Remember the outcast in your class? It seems like there’s always the kid who struggles to make friends and fit in, just like there’s always the kid who sees that struggle and opens her heart. “The Song from Somewhere Else” gives this such a beautiful spin. At first, you could almost call this an anti-bullying book, since author A.F. Harrold starts it with a scene that, if you were ever the target of taunting, takes your breath away with remembering. The story quickly switches to another commonality: the misfit shows the kind of compassion he never sees from peers. That leads to literary magic: accompanied by elegant black-and-white illustrations by Levi Pinfold, this tale of friendship then spins around to offer a few chills, sadness, triumph, and a bit of a kid-challenge to look again at the outsider in the back row. Readers ages 7-to-12 will love this book for its dreamy, slightly-scary story. Parents will love it for its perfectly subtle message. For sure, “The Song from Somewhere Else” is full of goodness.
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Impression:
High Springs F
or many of us, High Springs represents the quintessential example of small town America. Rich in history, natural beauty and friendly people, High Springs seems to leave an impression on just about everyone who visits. For Rob Sowers, a professional artist, and his wife, it didn’t take long for them to fall in love. “High Springs has left an incredible impression on me,” said Rob recently. “We’ve lived in a few cities throughout Florida and I quickly realized High Springs would become my home. We truly appreciate the quiet, friendly people and environment.” Originally from Ohio, Rob moved to Florida in 1997 and after owning several businesses, has recently settled in High Springs. As a professional artist, Rob paints in the Impressionist style and was heavily influenced by the movement’s masters. Well known names such as Monet, Renoir and Cezanne were inspirational to Rob as he honed his craft. Impressionism is a 19th century art movement developed in France where artists often paint landscapes and everyday life. Impressionists try to capture the momentary and transient effects of sunlight on a natural scene. With so much abundant beauty, High Springs quickly became the artist’s muse and it wasn’t long before Rob wanted to share what he’d painted. On September 23 from 5pm-9pm at the Opera House in the Great Outdoors, Rob will be hosting an open house to share many of the pieces he’s been working on. Entitled “Impression: High Springs” this event is free and open to the public and will feature many of Rob’s completed works, some available to purchase. In addition, Rob has completed and will be showcasing paintings of some of the area’s most widely known local landmarks. Paintings of St. Madeline’s Church, The Great Outdoors, The Grady House, High Springs Community Theatre, Secret Garden Bakery and the Talented Cookie will be featured at the event. At the conclusion of the event, those paintings will be donated back to the businesses to hang in their respective establishments.
“I love being a part of the community and it’s important to me to give something back to my new home.” A local, small business owner, Rob is available for commissioned work and has extensive experience painting for clients. For more information on Rob or to see some of his work, visit his website at www.sowersfineart.com or find him on Facebook.
»
IMPRESSION: HIGH SPRINGS SEPTEMBER 23RD 2017 • 5PM-9PM A Collection of work by Rob Sowers Opera House at the Great Outdoors
Free and open to the public
FOR MORE INFORMATION: SOWERSFINEART.COM OR CALL 239-285-9400 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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COLUMN
KENDRA SILER-MARSIGLIO’S
Healthy Edge HOW TO WEAN YOUR KIDS OFF WHINING
KENDRA SILER-MARSIGLIO, PH.D, HCC IS A NEUROSCIENTIST, MEDICAL WRITER, COLUMNIST AND PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITYHEALTH IT AT NASA/KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. SHE ENJOYS TRAVELING, DANCING LIKE NO ONE’S WATCHING, AND LISTENING TO PEOPLE’S STORIES. kendra.sm@gmail.com
IT’S AN UGLY TRUTH. KIDS WHINE. HERE’S HOW TO HELP THEM STOP.
K
ids’ whines may be as disturbing as the famous ear scene in “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i42Smtbmeg); but, as you know, parenting isn’t for the faint of heart. Children whine usually to communicate one of three things: 1. An indicator that their basic needs aren’t being met. 2. A response to being bored without an outlet. 3. A way to get attention or material goods. For reasons number 1 and 2, whining is an annoying, but perhaps more acceptable, form of communication. REASON 1 - Basic needs aren’t being met: Although children aren’t babies anymore, hungry or sleepy kids may still need a little help handling pressing basic needs or avoiding reaching a breaking point. It’s much easier for an adult to know when he or she is about to get “hangry.” Kids can get surprised by this feeling. In basic need cases, whining is a cry for help… help your kids get some relief.
If your child’s brain becomes hardwired at a young age to fear that a lack of attention is threatening to their well-being, you may have a bigger problem on your hands. REASON 2 - Your kid is bored: If your kids are shopping with you and you expect them to stand by idly, set their expectations. Think about letting them know what time you’ll be done and provide them a way to monitor the passing time. Of course, this will require you to stick to your word. Sticking to your word is a GREAT way to dissuade whining. If your children have LOTS to do (but they are whining that they’re bored), then the reason for their whines is probably reason 3. 82 |
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REASON 3 - Your kid is pursuing attention or wants something: Do you want your child to think that they’ll get more attention/candy/toys because he or she whines? If your kid is whining for reason 3, consider a less attentive response such as ignoring the whines or walking away. If your kid is whining to get attention and it’s not an appropriate time for it, ANY response (even a reprimand) gives your kid what he or she wants—Attention! So, how do we stop our kids from needlessly whining? Here are five tips from Positive Parenting Solutions to stop whining: 1. Nix the whining “payoff.” Stay calm and walk away. Don’t even say, “Stop whining.” Even a negative non-verbal reaction can give children the feeling that they are winning. 2. Set simple rules. Let your child know that you won’t respond when he whines, but you’ll respond when he or she uses a “normal” voice. 3. Have a conversation about whining when your child isn’t whining. You won’t have a successful level-headed conversation when your kid is having a meltdown. Invite your child to lunch and have a conversation about whining there. 4. Stick to your word. When your child is whining, don’t respond. When your child uses his or her normal voice, respond pleasantly and swiftly. Remember when you trained your baby to self-soothe to go to sleep and he or she cried (a lot) at first? Whining isn’t much different. The first few times, the whining may intensify. 5. Fill your kids’ “attention basket.” If you give kids quality attention, whining will diminish. Try spending 10 minutes twice a day with your kids (individually) doing what they like to do. What if your child’s whining seems excessive compared to other children? If your child’s brain becomes hardwired at a young age to fear that a lack of attention is threatening to their well-being, you may have a bigger problem on your hands. Helping children overcome fear-based core beliefs that lead to excessive attention-seeking behaviors can be very difficult. Consider seeking professional help from a child or adolescent therapist.
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PHOTO ESSAY >> BERLIN’S GRAFFITI
ART FROM ABROAD
Berlin’s Graffiti U F ’ S S T U DY A B R O A D P H O T O E S S AY
Visitors to Germany’s capital city are often taken aback by the large amounts of graffiti and street art that pop up on every corner. But it’s not a sign of dangerous areas or gang warfare — the art is just self-expression for a city that was divided for 28 years and now enjoys a strong sense of freedom after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
T
his photo essay is the result of the study-abroad class conducted from May 12-25, 2017. The Berlin Journalism course, now in its 13th year, provides up to 20 University of Florida students an opportunity to experience history, culture and newsgathering skills in a major international setting.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS FOLLOWING A TWO-DAY INTRODUCTION TO THE CITY THROUGH BICYCLE AND WALKING TOURS COVERING DIFFERENT AREAS, STUDENTS RESEARCH AND REPORT ON AN INTERESTING BERLINER WHO IS PROFILED THROUGH AN ONLINE AUDIO SLIDESHOW/ VIDEO. THE STUDENTS’ WORK IS ALSO SHOWCASED IN A BOOK THAT PROFESSOR JOHN FREEMAN (WHO RUNS THE STUDY ABROAD COURSE) CREATES AT THE CULMINATION OF EACH TRIP. THESE PHOTOS FOCUS ON BERLIN’S PROLIFIC GRAFFITI ART SCENE.
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PHOTO ESSAY >> BERLIN’S GRAFFITI 86 |
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PHOTO ESSAY >> BERLIN’S GRAFFITI 88 |
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COMMUNITY >> COON HOLLO CORN MAZE
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Coon Hollo Corn Maze in Micanopy Celebrates 75 Years of Family Farming – and More! S T O R Y A N D P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y S AVA N N A K E A R N E Y
A
typical full-functioning farm doesn’t usually get a lot of visitors taking pictures, running across rows of hay bales and petting goats, but Coon Hollo isn’t a typical farm. The 25-acre festival, located in Micanopy, offers a wide variety of fall-related activities for a $10 admission fee. If you can find it, that is. The farm is easy to miss, and a GPS can’t always get you there, which is foretelling of the old-fashioned ways of Coon Hollo. Located off Highway 441, one must drive down a winding dirt road surrounded by shady trees. Suddenly, sunlight bursts forth, 90 |
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and the Coon Hollo Corn Maze emerges. An empty field lies ahead, where a multitude of cars are parked. Beyond that, farm animals, hay bales, food stalls, antique farm equipment, games and more are waiting. And even further, up on a hill, there is a picturesque red farmhouse straight out of a movie scene. After paying the admission fee and receiving a wristband, it’s time to explore. The entire right side of the farm is dedicated to food and activities. There’s a huge slide where children are squealing and laughing, using a burlap sack to whoosh 50 feet to the bottom. You and your children might discover a wild side while trying your hand at archery. The first session is free for those
David Perryman (above), co-owner of Coon Hollo with wife, Amy Perryman, takes visitors for a ride on the “farm train,” a series of wagons pulled by a tractor. Petunia, Patches and Porky (bottom, from left) compete in a pig race. Petunia was the champion of this race.
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COMMUNITY >> COON HOLLO CORN MAZE
Karen DeConna scoops ice cream for a customer from a Jersey’s Creamery ice cream stand at the Coon Hollo Corn Maze. Jersey’s is a business also based in Micanopy.
who want to try to hit a plastic deer target. There’s a classic putt-putt golf course in the middle of the pasture as well. Further along, there’s a pen full of goats and trees — and goats in trees. Known as the Goat Tree House, visitors can watch big and small goats hop and play in their tree houses. The farm animals aren’t limited to goats, though. Coon Hollo also offers pig races, which is just as exciting
wagons behind it around the farm. A highlight of the Coon Hollo experience is a hayride up the hill behind the farmhouse to feed cows. Visitors are provided with a few buckets of “cow cookies,” and once into the pasture, the cows crowd around, waiting to be fed. It’s a slightly slobbery, but delightful experience for all ages. But the fall festivities wouldn’t be complete
The farm that Coon Hollo sits on, which spans 400 acres of land, goes back four generations, all the way to Great-Grandaddy Jackson, who purchased the farm in 1941. as it sounds. Not to mention all the antique farm equipment, giant tire swing, hay bales and pumpkins that make for impressive photo opportunities. Further back in the farm, there is an old 50-footwide horse walker that has been converted into a carousel, next to an area where children can go for pony rides. Children (and parents) can also take a ride on the Farm Train, a tractor that pulls five 92 |
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without a corn maze. The 3.5-acre crop maze is the pride of Coon Hollo. It is known as Coon Hollo Corn Maze, after all. Besides its fall corn maze, the farm is also open to field trips in the fall. When the corn maze isn’t open during the winter, spring and summer, it doubles as a venue for parties or weddings. The farm that Coon Hollo sits on, which spans
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COMMUNITY >> COON HOLLO CORN MAZE 94 |
400 acres of land, goes back four generations, all the way to Great- Grandaddy Jackson, who purchased the farm in 1941. He passed it down to his daughter and sonin-law, Leone and Robert Williams, who passed it down to their son and daughterin-law, Jack and Ginny Williams. Jack and Ginny still own the farm, but their daughter, Amy Perryman, runs the festival along with her husband, David, her children and her two sisters. Amy Perryman and her sisters, Laura Berry and Pam Williams, all grew up on the family-run farm. Although they say you can’t go home again, Perryman and her husband and children did just that, opening Coon Hollo in 2009 as a creative means to make a little extra income. Now, the whole family works to make Coon Hollo a success every year. Perryman’s three daughters are homeschooled and take some time off in the fall to help set up the festival and corn maze. The girls work with school groups that come to learn more about farming on field trips. Perryman’s two sisters help around Coon Hollo as well. Her dad, Jack Williams, does a lot of the behind-the-scenes work on the farm — baling hay, spraying crops, etc. Perryman’s mom, Ginny Williams, is Nana both to her grandchildren and everyone who walks in to Coon Hollo’s “Nana’s Store.” Williams bakes all the treats and goods in the store, including rich jams and jellies. The store also features local honey collected from the farm itself. Friends, family and neighbors provide all the other food, drinks and treats. Although the Coon Hollo Corn Maze is only 9 years old, the farm itself is turning 75 this year. It may seem like a long time coming, but little has changed since GreatGranddaddy Jackson opened the farm all those years ago. Coon Hollo is as old-fashioned as they come, trapped in a little bubble from the past, still enduring. And Jackson’s legacy lives on, four generations later, continuing with Amy Perryman’s daughters. “I always knew that that’s what I wanted to do,” Perryman said. “Come back to the farm.” The Coon Hollo Corn Maze is open for visitors during weekends from mid-October to early-November. To find out this year’s hours, check out coonhollocornmaze.com. OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
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A father helps his children prepare to go down a slide on burlap sacks (top), while surrounding family cheers the kids on. Hudson Williams, 5 (middle), feeds one of many cows that live on the farm at Coon Hollo Corn Maze. Visitors are given hayrides to the cows at the top of a hill to feed them “cow cookies.” Jackson Abram, 4 (below), runs along a row of hay bales while his parents watch and take photos. Coon Hollo is popular not just for its attractions, but also for its picturesque appearance.
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COMMUNITY INITIATIVE >> 352CREATES
CREATE
352CREATES INSPIRES ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AROUND TOWN
Arts Across Alachua County W R ITTEN BY GA BR IELLE CA LISE | PHOTOGR A PH Y COU RTESY OF CHR IS HILM A N
It doesn’t matter if it’s creating a masterpiece with sidewalk chalk, doing a silly dance, or crafting a hat out of everyday recycled objects. It could be glassblowing, storytelling, designing a logo, or striking a yoga pose. Anything goes when it comes to getting the creativity flowing during 352Creates. Now going on its third year, 352Creates is a community initiative that has inspired artistic activities around the area code. It was first founded by UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine, an organization that pairs artists-in-residence with patients to humanize the hospital experience, said Charlotte Kesl, coordinator for 352Creates at UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine. The artists-in-residence often interact with people in the hospital, from collaborating on writing projects to serenading patients with instruments. 352Creates was founded to continue 96 |
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the organization’s mission of spreading creativity throughout the community. The initiative started as a single day of interactive artistic activities in February 2016. In March 2017, the initiative expanded into a two-day celebration of art and creativity. On Friday, March 24, participants were encouraged to “create in place” by completing activities at school, home or the workplace. On Saturday, March 25 — a day themed “create in community” — 352Creates hosted over 45 activities in Depot Park, from making terrariums to comic book workshops. Jasmine Tran, librarian supervisor of adult services at the Alachua County Library District, hosted an adult coloring activity
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352Creates hosted a yoga class in Depot Park to promote a healthy lifestyle.
to promote relaxation during the first day of 352Creates this year. “There are some studies that have shown that when you are creative for at least 15 minutes a day it helps you relax and de-stress,” Tran said. “It keeps you in the moment.” Tran doesn’t consider herself to be a creative person and initially doubted the soothing properties of drawing or coloring. But when she started to doodle during moments of tension, she found herself feeling more relaxed and in the moment. She figured that an adult coloring event would be a low-pressure way of getting people that don’t usually draw into a creative mood. To prepare for 352Creates, Tran found literary-themed coloring pages in the digital archives of the New York Public Library. For a few hours, participants came to the library to color scenes from books like 1984. Joshua Broadhead, owner of Allied Capoeira League Gainesville, hosted a more physical activity on the second day of 352Creates in Depot Park. Broadhead, who goes by Mestrando Mico, led an interactive demonstration of Capoeira, a type of Brazilian martial arts that fuses dance, music and acrobatics. Participants cycled between three stations. They learned rhythmic dance moves, then decorated water bottles to create “warrior sticks.” Finally, children could get warrior face paint.
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“Warrior was loose because some of them wanted butterflies, and that was a lot of fun, or Batman or that type of thing,” Broadhead said. ACL has taught weekly Capoeira classes for adults and children in Depot Park since October. “Our mission statement as an organization is to engage the lives of people in Gainesville healthily, artistically, and culturally, so we try to participate in anything similar to this,” Broadhead said.
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After two decades of teaching Capoeira to people of all ages, Broadhead has seen the benefits of creativity and physical activity. From learning creative problem solving to extending life expectancy to making better decisions, fitness and art benefit participants of all ages, he said. “Doing something like Capoeira where it’s this very creative and artistic way to move your body, it keeps both kids and adults really engaged,” he said. “Also, with public schools continuing to decrease funding for anything artistic or physical there’s a huge, huge gap there that we try to fill.” Both Tran and Broadhead plan to host future activities for 352Creates. Dates are not yet confirmed for the third 352Creates event in 2018, but it should be sometime in the spring, Kesl said. “We were getting the message across that creativity is good for your health, and it brings people together,” Kesl said. For more information on 352Creates, visit www.352creates.com
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Beef ‘O’ Brady’s 1999 NW 43rd St., Gainesville Monday - Saturday 11am - 11pm Sunday 11:00am -10:00pm
352-379-7800 www.beefobradys.com Family Friendly — Beef O Brady’s is a neighborhood pub where friends and families can gather to enjoy hot, fresh and great food. Grab a cold beer or a signature drink and watch your favorite sports on multiple TV’s in a fun, comfortable atmosphere. The menu starts with plenty of sharable starters to choose from. Beef’s is known for their “award winning” wings and famous wing sauce. Hand crafted sandwiches and the “build your own” Angus burgers are always sure to please. Be sure to visit their website for daily specials such as,Taco Tuesday and seafood combo Fridays. If it’s the lighter side you are looking for, they do have salads and soups. Plenty of choices for the kids to please even the smallest of appetites. See you at Beef’s!
Bangkok Square 6500 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:00am-3:00pm • Saturday-Sunday 12:00pm-3:00pm Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5:00pm-9:30pm • Friday-Saturday 5:00pm-10:00pm
352-375-4488 www.bangkoksquarefl.com Authentic Thai Cuisine — Thai cuisine, blending the best elements of the freshest foods. Thai herbs; garlic, basil, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal root, chili and more, prepared with the finest blending of fish sauce, shrimp paste, and coconut milk. All of our meals are made to order and prepared on site. We specialize in vegetarian, vegan and gluten free orders. All of our foods can be prepared to your satisfaction with mild, medium, hot, or Thai hot, balanced to the four tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and slightly bitter. Meals can be prepared for take out and we cater to any event. We also have gift cards available. Save 10% off your next dining experience when a gift card is purchased.
Adam’s Rib Co. 2109 NW 13th Street, Gainesville, Florida 32609 1515 SW 13th Street Gainesville, Florida 32608 Monday-Saturday 7:00am – 9:00pm Closed Sunday
352-373-8882 NW 352-727-4005 SW AdamsRibCo.com BBQ — Celebrating our 10 year Anniversary. Looking for the best BBQ in Gainesville? Then look no further than Adam’s Rib Co. Adam’s is North Florida’s Premier Barbecue restaurant, serving North Florida’s finest bbq spare ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, slow smoked chicken and turkey. Choose from over 20 sauces – from honey sweet to habanero hot – and everything in between. Don’t forget dessert, like our scrumptious banana pudding and famous peach cobbler. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Adam’s can cater any event locally. Give Adam a call for your next tailgate party 352-514-8692!
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Gator’s Dockside 3842 W Newberry Rd #1A, Gainesville, FL 32607 Mon - Sun 11am - Midnight
352-338-4445 gatorsdockside.com family-friendly — Gator’s Dockside is a family-friendly, sports-themed restaurant that offers a fun atmosphere for everyone! We’re known for our big screen TVs, great food, and friendly service. Our signature wings are flavored with our tasty wing sauces that have made us famous, especially our award-winning Scooter sauce. We only use the freshest, highest quality ingredients in all our menu selections, including burgers, hearty sandwiches, made-from-scratch ribs, entree salads, and desserts. We also have some of the best meal deals in town, like all-you-can-eat wings on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 2-for-1 on select drafts, house wine, and liquors all day, everyday. We can’t wait to see you at Gator’s!
Bar 352 3726 SW 40th Blvd - Located in the DoubleTree by Hilton Gainesville Open Monday - Sunday 11:00am - 11:00pm
352-375-2400 Comfort — Located inside the DoubleTree by Hilton Gainesville. Bar 352 is an elegant but casual restaurant that offers a unique indoor/outdoor bar and a 12-foot TV wall. Serving both lunch and dinner, we have a variety of choices. From our Fried Green Tomatoes, Chicken and Waffles, to our Burgers, Sandwiches, Salads or Soups. And entrees such as Shrimp and Grits or Florida Cut Sirloin, all are sure to satisfy. But save room for our delicious dessert selection and DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies. Enjoy our daily Happy Hour menu with Specialty drinks, Beer, and Wine. Don’t forget our amazing Sunday brunch with a Bloody Mary Bar and Endless Mimosas, and all day Happy Hour that is sure to end your weekend off just right.
Brown’s Country Buffet 14423 NW US Hwy 441, Alachua, FL 32616 Monday-Friday 7:00am - 8:00pm Saturday 7:00am - 2:00pm Sunday 8:00am - 3:00pm
386-462-3000 brownscountrybuffet.net Casual — Country-style cooking at its finest, just like Grandma’s house! A buffet style restaurant, Brown’s Country Buffet is open seven days a week! Foods like fried chicken, grilled pork chops, real mashed potatoes, steamed cabbage, banana pudding and coconut pie, just to name a few, are served in a laid-back, relaxing environment. We offer AYCE fried shrimp on Friday nights from 4-8 along with whole catfish & ribs. In addition to their buffet, Brown’s also offers a full menu to choose from. Serving lunch and dinner daily and a breakfast buffet Friday-Sunday until 10:30am, you’re sure to leave satisfied, no matter when you go. So, when you’re in the mood for some good home cooking, Grandma’s style, visit Brown’s Country Buffet.
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Frontyard Pizza 14209 W. Newberry Rd., Jonesville Monday - Thursday 11:00am - 9:00pm • Friday 11:00am - 10:00pm Sunday - Sunday 11:00am - 9:00pm
352-505-6979 Pizza , Subs and Salads — Now Open in the Jonesville area next to Backyard BBQ, we are proud to introduce, Frontyard Pizza! We offer Carry-out and drive-thru. Choose from a great variety of specialty pizza’s such as our most popular, Chicken-bacon-Ranch or 3 Cheese Spinache. You can also create your own with many meat and veggie toppings and a variety of sizes. We also offer calzones, hot and cold subs, and a great selection of salads. We recommend trying our Garlic Cinnamon Pig Tails for starters or cheese sticks. Whatever your taste buds are calling for Frontyard Pizza is sure to please! Catering is available. Call for group and large party discounts.
Backyard BBQ - Jonesville 14209 W. Newberry Rd. ( next to Frontyard Pizza) Jonesville, Fl. Monday -Thursday 11:00am - 9:00pm • Friday 11:00am -10:00pm Saturday - Sunday 11:00am - 9pm
352-505-3733 newberrybbq.com NOW OPEN IN JONESVILLE — We have opened a second location to better serve our Bar-B-Q fans! Just like all your favorites in Newberry, our pork, chicken, beef, ribs and turkey are smoked to perfection daily. We have a great menu selection including Boneless Wings and Quesadillas. If it’s “between the buns” you are looking for, try the Three little pig sliders, Veggie burger or Smoked sausage just to name a few. Sides? You can choose from Fried Okra, Baked beans, Mac & cheese, Broccoli and so much more. Did I mention we have a salad bar? Kids menu is available. Beer and wine available. Dine- in, Carry out or Drive-thru window. We offer catering and discounts to large groups.
Newberry’s Backyard BBQ 25405 West Newberry Road, Newberry Monday-Wednesday 11:00am – 9:00pm Thursday 11:00am – 9:00pm Friday and Saturday 11:00am – 11:00pm Sunday 10:30am – 3:00pm
352-472-7260 newberrybbq.com BBQ & BUFFET — The one and only Newberry’s Backyard BBQ is located in our historic building in beautiful downtown Newberry. Our pork, chicken, beef, and turkey is smoked to perfection daily. Our salads and sides are always fresh. If you are thirsty we have the best sweet tea in the South and a full bar as well. We now have an ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET Monday - Sunday 11am - 3pm and a Seafood Buffet on Fridays 5:30pm - 9:00pm
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Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza (Archer Road) 5757 SW 75th St. — 352-371-8646 • (Millhopper Road) 5200 NW 43rd St. — 352-371-7437 (University) 1250 W University Ave. — 352-375-2337 • (Grand Oaks Plaza) 2575 SW 42nd St. Ocala — 352-351-6000
Mon-Thurs: 11am-10pm Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm Sun: 11am-10pm
www.piesanostogo.com Pizza, Pints & Pies — Piesanos is a locally owed and operated restaurant that is proud to use only the finest ingredients available, including Grande brand premium mozzarella. We are a full service dine in restaurant with an attached take out center and also offer catering. Our dough is made fresh daily and all of our pizzas are baked directly on the stone in our unique Granite Stone Fired Pizza Oven. We offer a great variety of Specialty pizzas, such as our Pizza Antico-(ultra thin crust- Fresh Mozzarella, mini cup & char pepperoni & fresh basil) Specialty Pastas, Calzones, Fresh soups and salads, classic italian entrees, and a great selection of craft beer. We also offer a gluten free menu. For full menu please visit PIESANOSTOGO.COM.
Pomodoro Café 9200 NW 39th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32606 Monday - Saturday 11am - 10pm Sunday 11am - 9pm
352-380-9886 pomodorocafe.com Italian — Step away from the hustle and bustle of Gainesville and enjoy a quiet, relaxing evening in the Italian countryside at Pomodoro Café. Just off I-75 via exit 390, Pomodoro’s is the perfect spot for a romantic evening or a simple night out with family. We’ll pour you a glass of wine and prepare for you a delicious, authentic Italian meal, such as Chicken Parmigiana, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, and Gnocchi Madiera. Our pasta is imported from Italy and has been voted some of the best in Gainesville. As the sounds, aromas, and tastes of wholesome, authentic Italian swirl around you, you’ll believe you’re actually in Italy!
I Love NY Pizza 2645 SW 91st St, Haile Plantation (Market square) Gainesville Monday-Saturday 10:00am – 10:00pm Closed on Sundays
352-333-6185 www.ilnyp.com Pizzeria — We are a family owned, family friendly restaurant that serves authentic New York style pizza and delicious Italian entrees. We offer dine, take out, delivery and catering. We make everything fresh and with high quality ingredients from our dough, to our sauce, to each of our dishes — including classics such as Baked Ziti, Chicken or Veal Parmigiana, Chicken Marsala or Alfredo, and many more. If you are in the mood for pizza, you can “take and bake” at home or let us prepare you one of our specialty Brick oven pizzas. So many choices of specialty pizzas, try them all! Pizza by the slice is available for lunch or dinner! Let’s not forget about the Stromboli, Calzones, Salads, Desserts and yes, we have a kids menu too! What ever you choose, we guarantee to bring you all the unique flavors of New York City. Visit our website for a full menu and coupons. 102 |
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Bev’s Burger Café 315 NE Santa Fe Blvd. • High Springs Monday - Saturday 7am-9pm
386-454-9434 Casual — If you’re looking for fresh, homemade food in High Springs, look no further than Bev’s Burger Cafe. Known for the best burgers in town and fast, friendly service you’re sure to leave satisfied. You may also want to try one of their BBQ dinner favorites such as sliced pork, smoked turkey, BBQ chicken, baby back ribs, and more. Stop on by with the kids on Monday nights for some magic & balloon animals with Magic Mike. Every Tuesday pork sandwiches are $3.00 all day. Also, on Wednesday nights starting at 5pm sodas and their famous tea are only $1.00, and bottled beer only $1.50. Don’t forget Bev’s is open for breakfast, also, served from 7am to 10:45am. Come check out our newly renovated kitchen & dining room, and our new menu items including fried chicken!
Mi Apá Latin Café Gainesville – 114 SW 34th Street (352-376-7020) Alachua – 15634 US Highway 441 (386-418-0838) Both locations open every day 7:00am - 10:00pm
MiApaLatinCafe.com Cuban — Everyone knows Mi Apá has an amazing lunch and dinner menu, but we also have Gainesville’s best cup of coffee and a delicious, authentic selection of Cuban breakfast items. Enjoy a Cuban egg sandwich, Arroz a la Cubana, a stuffed arepa, and much more at either of our two locations in Gainesville and Alachua. Mi Apá Latin Café serves traditional Cuban breakfast prepared using only the freshest, most authentic ingredients. Have a seat in our casual dining area and enjoy the morning newspaper or order carryout on your way to work. Our Gainesville location even has a convenient drive-thru window. The best Cuban food north of Miami is always just minutes away!
Napolatanos 606 NW 75th Street Gainesville, FL Tuesday - Thursday & Sunday 4:00pm-10:00pm Friday 4:00pm-1:00am • Saturday 4:00pm-11:00pm
352-332-6671 www.napolatanos.com ITALIAN — Napolatanos is the longest original owner operated restaurant in Gainesville. Nappys, the name the locals have given Napolatanos has the most extensive menu. Whether you choose pizza, calzones, salad, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, seafood, steak dinners or the best chicken wings in town, Nappy’s uses only the freshest ingredients. Visit on Tuesday for half price appetizers. Burgers & Brew Night on Wednesday and live music inside. Thursday is Pub night with Better than England’s Fish & Chips $7. Outside dining with live music, on the patio, on Sunday evenings. GRAB & GO family dinners feeds 4-6 adults, starting at $25.95. Choose from Ziti, Lasagna, Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Marsala and more!
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Saboré 13005 SW 1st Road, Tioga, FL 32669 (Tioga Town Center) Tuesday - Friday: 5pm - 10pm • Saturday: 10am - 3pm (brunch), 5pm - 10pm (dinner) Sunday: 10am - 3pm (brunch), 5pm - 10pm (dinner) • Open Mondays for special events only
352-332-2727 www.saborerestaurant.com Fusion — Saboré [sa-bohr-ay] is a modern world-fusion restaurant featuring a variety of dishes inspired by dynamic cuisine from places like Europe, Asia, and South America. Their recipe is simple: authentic global flavors, quality ingredients, expert craftsmanship, and exceptional service. Saboré offers customers a unique dining experience, shareable plates, delicious dishes, signature cocktails, desserts and now brunch that will keep you coming back for more. So let us surprise your palate with our global flair and exotic ingredients. Experiencing world cuisine this fresh usually requires a passport.
Pepperoni’s 19975 NW 244 Street, High Springs Mon -Thurs 11:00am — 9:00pm • Fri & Sat 11:00am — 10:00pm Sunday 12:00pm — 9:00pm
386-454-3858 Pizzeria — Since its establishment in 2000, Pepperoni’s Pizzeria has been serving up some of the best pizzas, calzones, entrees, wings, boneless wings and salads in town using Grande brand premium mozzarella and other top ingredients. We also have great lunch specials starting at only $4.99. All of our specialty pizzas are loaded with toppings. Pepperoni’s is locally owned and operated and is proud to serve the High Springs Community and surrounding areas. We are located on U.S. Highway 441.
Tony & Al’s Restaurant & Bar 14960 Main Street, Alachua, Florida 32616 OPEN 7 DAYS Monday-Thursday 11:00am – 9:00pm Friday-Saturday 11:00am – 10:00pm Sunday 11:00am – 8:00pm
386-518-5552 Italian — Locally owned and operated, Tony & Al’s Deli provides the finest quality Italian entrees in a family friendly atmosphere. Whether it’s their delicious appetizers, pasta classics, specialty pizzas, salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers or prime rib, Tony & Al use only their freshest ingredients. Their sauces, dressings and specialty desserts including cannolis and tiramisu are all handcrafted. They serve daily lunch and dinner specials. Tony and Al offer a full bar with happy hour from 5pm-7pm including $1.00 off all drafts, wine and well drinks.
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The Great Outdoors 65 North Main Street, High Springs, Florida 32643 Open at 11:00am Tuesday through Sunday
386-454-1288 www.greatoutdoorsdining.com WE WON THE GOLDEN SPOON AWARD AGAIN! — For the seventh year in a row the Great Outdoors Restaurant has earned the prestigious culinary award from Florida Trend Magazine, the coveted Golden Spoon Award. The Great Outdoors uses only the freshest ingredients and offers a menu that you won’t soon forget. Enjoy our award-winning Boston clam chowder served in a crusty bread bowl or try our famous Fried Green Tomatoes. Entrées range from hand selected aged steaks grilled over an open flame, fresh seafood prepared with your favorite spices, to fabulous burgers. Sit by the fireplace while enjoying live music as you dine under the stars on our outdoor patio. Weekly specials Tuesday – Thursday and the best live music on the patio Wednesday – Sunday.
Copper Monkey West 14209 W Newberry Road, Jonesville, FL 32669 Across from the Steeplechase Publix Sunday-Thursday 11:00am - 11:00pm Friday-Saturday 11:00am - 12:00am
352-363-6338 mycoppermonkey.com Restaurant & Pub — Now serving Breakfast on Saturdays & Sundays 8:30am - 10:45am. We are located in the heart of Jonesville, this All-American dining is convenient to all neighborhoods in Gainesville, Alachua, Newberry, High Springs and beyond. Our family-friendly dining features great food at a great price. Whether you come in for the “best burger in town” or try any one of our freshly made salads, pastas or sandwiches, you will not leave disappointed. Our USDA choice steaks, served with 2 sides, offer a great alternative for the perfect celebratory meal. We also feature a full-service bar with signature drinks and many options for your viewing pleasure. Great food, great price, we’ll see you soon.
Dave’s New York Deli Tioga Town Center 12921 SW 1st Road, Newberry, FL Park Lane Plaza – 5750 SW 75th Court, Gainesville, FL Two Locations - Open 7 Days
352-333-0291 Tioga 352-225-5562 Pk Ln DavesNYDeli.com Authentic NY deli — Dave’s NewYork Deli Tioga Town Center and our newest location, Dave’s NY Deli Express Park Lane Plaza, continues to be the place to go for authentic NY Deli food. Owner Dave Anders says “Nothing beats quality ingredients combined with a friendly staff. We bring in all of our Pastrami and Corned Beef from New York’s world famous Carnegie Deli. In addition we offer Nathan’s Hot Dogs, NY Kettle Boiled Bagels, Nova Salmon, Paninis, Wraps, Cubans, Hot & Cold Subs, Kids Menu and more.”Come out and enjoy Breakfast or Lunch at either of our two locations.
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Vegan 2Go 7625 W Newberry Rd Gainesville, FL. Mon thru Thursday 11am – 8 pm Fri and Sat. 11am-9pm • Sunday 12 pm – 7 pm
352-505-8894 Vegan2GoGainesville.com COOKING WITH LOVE — This vegetarian & vegan restaurant is based on the concept that people and animals can live in harmony through sustainable plant based solutions. You can be sure that their ingredients are carefully selected from non-GMO, non-MSG, sea salt and organic products. The final result: something that’s delicious, tasty, healthy, and vegan! Their healthy barbeque skewers made from soy or the infamous vegan ginger onion chick’n, are sure to have you craving for more. If you want some bang for your buck, try one of the combos: your choice of noodles or rice with spring rolls, summer rolls, and either BBQ or vegan chicken. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous with your appetite, try making your own combo! Don’t forget the delicious, fragrant Thai Iced Tea!
Pizza in the Hood 14212 NW 154th Avenue, Alachua, FL 32615 Tuesday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Friday & Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
386-518-5656 Italian — Pizza in the Hood is a new and unique restaurant and pub in the City of Alachua. We use the highest quality ingredients imported from around the country, and fresh produce sourced locally when in season. All meals are made fresh with original Italian recipes. In addition to 16 New York style specialty pizzas, there are a variety of appetizers, salads, hot subs, burgers, pasta dishes, vegetarian entrees, and dessert. Customers have praised the chicken wings, with over 20 varieties, as the best in town. Our pub has icy cold imported and domestic beers and beer on tap. There are daily happy hour specials from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. We deliver all around northern Alachua County.
Flying Biscuit Café 4150 NW 16th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32605 Located in the Fresh Market Center Monday-Friday 7:00am – 3:00pm • Saturday-Sunday 7:00am – 4:00pm
352-373-9500 www.flyingbiscuit.com Breakfast — The Flying Biscuit is out to reinvent breakfast in Gainesville! Maybe you’ve tried their soon-to-be-famous creamy, dreamy grits or their “moon dusted” breakfast potatoes, but did you know you can have them at anytime? With a unique open menu, all the items that appear are available throughout the day. With a variety of healthy and hearty dishes, The Flying Biscuit caters to a variety of tastes. With options ranging from the Smoked Salmon Scramble, the Bacon Cheddar Chicken Sandwich or the Tofu and Tater Salad, there’s something for everyone. Call us up to an hour before your expected arrival time to add your name to our call ahead seating list.
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Smoke Fried 23352 W US Hwy 27, Suite 50, High Springs, FL 32643 Monday -Thursday 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM • Friday - Saturday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM Sunday 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
386-454-7031 www.smokefried.com Casual — Offering traditional smokehouse flavors through a variety of BBQ favorites and dishes with a new spin, served in a casual setting with a large portion of friendly service. Getting home late, running from appointments to practice, just too exhausted to cook? We have the whole family covered with home style favorites or BBQ packs for dine in or carry out. In a hurry? Order online and zip by on your way from here to there. Half priced kid’s meals on Monday nights with the purchase of an adult meal. Grab some friends and family and come try “The Lid,” our BBQ feast served on a garbage can lid for sharing.
World of Beer 140 SW 128th Street Tioga Town Center, Jonesville 32669 Open at 11am Everyday
352-727-4714 worldofbeer.com TAVERN FARE — At World of Beer, we have 40 craft beers on tap, over 500 in the cooler and now we have added a tasty tavern fare that’s crafted to go perfectly with any beer. Our menu offers a wide variety of choices including a giant pretzel with beer cheese dip, artisan sausage boards, flat breads, innovative sandwiches and burgers, soups, salads and so much more! Visit our web site for a full menu and event schedule. Whether you’re a beer master or just beer curious, our insanely knowledgeable staff is here to guide you through every last pint, pour, and pairing. So c’mon. Let’s go. Because there’s no better place to go around the world, one sip at a time.
Gators Den Sports Grill 4200 NW 97th Blvd Gainesville, FL 32606 Sunday 11:00am — 11:00pm • Monday - Thursday 5:00pm — 11 :00pm Friday 5:00pm — 12 :00am • Saturday 11:00am — 12 :00am
352-331-4875 Gatorsdensportsgrill.com Bar & Grill— Offering a full bar, fantastic food and flat screen televisions to watch the big game. The Gators Den Sports Grill is the best spot to unwind, meet up and grab a bite to eat. Gators Den Sports Grill has your front row seat to every game. Besides showing all of the televised University of Florida football games, we also feature NFL Ticket, NBA League Pass and MLB Extra Innings, so you can root on your favorite team. You may come for the game, but you’ll stay for the food! Featuring a large selection of American favorites. Why not try a Southern staple, like our award-winning Mac and Cheese, Fried Pickles, Down Home Meatloaf. Enjoy game-day classics like Buffalo Wings, All-American Burgers or one of our Knockout Premium Steaks, cooked to perfection.
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We feel the best way to find and recognize local charities in our communities is by asking you! The SunState Community Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves the communities in and around North Central Florida by promoting and facilitating philanthropy. The Foundation was established to promote and provide charitable assistance that contributes towards the development, education and well-being of the communities, areas and residents of Alachua, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy Counties in Florida. The foundation’s initial goal is to administer and fully fund the award winning Facebook Charity-of-the-Month program. SunState Federal Credit Union started the program in 2013, but has turned over administration of the program to the foundation, with SunState Federal Credit Union acting only as a sponsor. This has been done in the belief that this path will ensure the program remains a strong and expanding community resource long into the future. The SunState Community Foundation, Inc., provides donors/members opportunities to participate in the furtherance of the foundation’s goals in multiple ways. First, and foremost, the donors/members are providing funds to support the foundation’s charitable initiatives. Donors/members can also nominate groups for the Charity of the Month program, and then vote for the group of their choice. Donors/members are encouraged to participate and vote in the Charity of the Month program. Ultimately, the voters choose where foundation donations go as part of the infrastructure of the program.
SunState Community Foundation, Inc.
SPONSORSHIP L EVEL S AVAIL ABL E $
1,000 CHARITY OF THE MONTH SPONSOR
$
•
Recognized on all 4 Entercom Communication stations, 30 times (120 total); KTK, SKY, WRUF and ESPN.
•
Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page, KTK’s Facebook page and Our Town’s Facebook page.
•
Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Our Town Magazine.
•
•
•
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500 RANDOM CHARITY SPONSOR Recognized on 2 of Entercom Communications stations, 30 times (60 total); WRUF and ESPN Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page, KTK’s Facebook page and Our Town’s Facebook page. Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Our Town Magazine.
$
300 NOMINATOR SPONSOR
•
Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page, KTK’s Facebook page and Our Town’s Facebook page.
•
Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Our Town Magazine.
$
100 RANDOM VOTER SPONSOR
•
Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page.
•
Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Our Town Magazine
MOST RECENT WINNING ORGANIZATIONS TO NOMINATE A CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE OR TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NOMINEES, VISIT:
www.facebook.com/SunStateFCU and click on “Charity of the Month”
JUNE 2017 WINNER - 838 VOTES
JULY 2017 WINNER - 475 VOTES
Dream Team at UF
Williston Animal Group
Dream Team at the University of Florida is a student-run,
The Williston Animal Group is a rescue for sheltering and
non-profit organization that aspires to brighten the lives of children
adopting out dogs in our community. The organization is dedicated
in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at UF Health Shands
to improving the lives of companion animals in the community
Children’s Hospital. Volunteers are committed to forming lasting
— finding permanent, loving homes for the cats and dogs in
relationships and creating positive memories with patients through
their protective care, providing a haven for animals in transition,
one-on-one quality fun, including participating in games and activi-
serving as advocates for animals, and working to end animal
ties. Though some of these children are diagnosed with complicated
overpopulation. Determined to promote positive treatment towards
cardiovascular conditions and may have to spend extended amounts
animals, the Williston Animal Group also educates the public
of time in the hospital, dedicated and passionate members of Dream
about compassion and responsibility toward all animals. For more
Team strive to make that time as enjoyable as possible for both the
information about the Williston Animal Group and how you can
children and their families. For more information and how you can
help to make a difference, visit www.willistonanimalgroup.com.
get involved, visit www.facebook.com/DreamTeamUF/.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS >> CHARITY OF THE MONTH
CH A RIT Y OF THE MONTH WINNER S
Other winners include Becky Gilreath, who will win $300 for
Vicky Garcia-Linares won $300 for nominating Dream Team.
nominating them. The random charity is Center for Independent
The random charity is Paws on Parole, and they will receive $500.
Living of NCF, and they will receive $500 and the random voter,
The random voter, Erick Esquerete, will get $100.
Amy Feutz, will get $100.
A project of the SunState Community Foundation, Inc. Presented by SunState Federal Credit Union, Our Town Family of Magazines and Entercom Communications
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COMMU NIT N I T Y C A LENDA R R
S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
Florida vs. Tennessee
Saturday, Sept. 16 The Rowdy Reptiles open their SEC schedule at 3:30pm on September 16th at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against Tennessee. For complete Gator sports schedules, tickets and more information, visit floridagators.com
TAP DANCE WITH CHAYA
ROCKEYS COMEDY BOOM
ARTWALK GAINESVILLE
Tuesdays Times Vary
Wednesdays 9:30pm - 11:00pm
Last Friday 7:00pm - 10:00pm
GAINESVILLE - North Central Florida YMCA, Studio 2, 5201 NW 34th Blvd. Designed to demonstrate that creativity can be fun for everyone and make our community stronger and healthier! Open to the public, all are welcome. 6:00pm beginner and 7:00pm intermediate. Class cards are 6/$74 or 10/$108. 352-358-5005
GAINESVILLE - Rockeys Dueling Piano Bar, 112 S. Main St. Local comedians open the show for a different nationally touring headliner each week. Doors open at 8:45pm and price is $5, with drink specials accompanying the show. 352-505-0042
GAINESVILLE - Downtown. Artwalk is a free monthly self-guided tour that combines visual art, live performance and events with many local galleries, eateries and businesses participating. www.artwalkgainesville.com
First Thursday 7:00pm – 8:00pm
BIRD WALK Wednesdays 8:30am
GAINESVILLE - Sweetwater Wetlands Park, 325 SW Williston Road, Birding field. Volunteers from Alachua Audubon Society will lead trips. Walks are free, but park admission is $5 per car. www.alachuaaudubon.org
WIND DOWN WEDNESDAY Wednesdays 7:00pm - 11:00pm
GAINESVILLE - 101 Downtown, 201 SW 2nd Ave. Enjoy live Jazz and great wine. Seasonal wines are available for half price to give patrons the ability to find their perfect wine. $20 all you can drink house wine. 352-283-8643
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GAINESVILLE - First Magnitude Brewery, 1220 SE Veitch St. Meet at the Brewery each month for a stroll to Depot Park to look for birds, and return to First Mag for a cold brew and good conversation. All birding skill levels are welcome. www.alachuaaudubon.org
GAINESVILLE HARMONY SHOW CHORUS Thursdays 7:00pm – 9:30pm
GAINESVILLE - Grace Presbyterian Church, 3146 NW 13th St. For all who are interested in learning and singing women’s Acapella barbershop harmony music. 352-318-1281
LADY GAMERS Fridays 1:00pm
HIGH SPRINGS - New Century Woman’s Club, 40 NW 1st Ave. The Lady Gamers meet for fun, friendship and food. Everyone is invited. Meet old friends and make some new ones. 386-454-9828
UNLIMITED A CREATIVE RESPONSE TO LIVING WITH ALS Thru Sept. 10 Times Vary
GAINESVILLE - Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, 3259 Hull Rd. Artists Sandra Murphy-Pak and Michel Rae Varisco each create work in response to the impact that ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) has on their lives. Presented by the
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEPHEN M. DOWELL / TNS
Harn Museum of Art and the UF Center for Arts in Medicine; supported by the UF Creative B program. Free. 352-392-9826
MUSIC IN THE PARK Third Sunday 2:00pm – 4:00pm
HIGH SPRINGS - 120 NW 2nd Ave. A free concert featuring artists from all over North Florida. Performances take place at locations in and around the James Paul Park area.
NEEDLEPOINT Wednesday, Sept. 6 9:30am - 11:30am
NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. Needlepoint is generally done on an even, open-weave fabric, usually a treated canvas, using needles and threads or fiber, by following a painted design. This will be a demonstration of this type of stitchery. Contact Sandra Cashes: 352-472-1142.
PAINT OUT Sept. 8 – 10 Times Vary
GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. Local landscape artists will create paintings at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. Witness the mysterious creative process as you stroll through the gardens from artist to artist. Regular admission price - members are admitted free of charge. 352-372-4981
LITERACY DAY TAKE TIME TO BE KIND Saturday, Sept. 9 10:00am – 2:00pm
HIGH SPRINGS - O’Leno State Park, 410 SE OLeno Park Rd. Celebrate Literacy Day at the Park with storytelling by Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, and by Sunrise Wildlife Rehabilitation, and by our local libraries. Brown Acres will perform stories in music and song. Come enjoy the outdoors, our animal friends, and the joys of reading! Food concessions on site. 386-454-1853
THE GAINESVILLE BIG BAND Saturday, Sept. 9 7:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Depot Park, 200 SE Depot Ave. The GBB plays a wide range of big band styles such as traditional swing, dance, Latin and contemporary jazz. Music starts at 7:00pm. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for a concert under the stars. Free.
Ethan Bortnick Live in Concert Sunday, Sept. 10 3:00pm GAINESVILLE - Santa Fe Fine Arts Hall, 3000 NW 83rd St.. Ethan’s THE POWER OF MUSIC concerts are filled with surprises and talent that dazzle audiences. This 14-year-old sensation has moved audiences nationally and internationally as a pianist, composer, singer and entertainer. As a driven humanitarian, Bortnick is dedicated to combining his musical pursuits with his charity work. For more information, visit www.ethanbortnick.com or call 352-395-5296.
FLORIDA BOOK AWARDS Sunday, Sept. 10 2:30pm – 4:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Millhopper Branch Library, 3145 NW 43rd St. UF faculty member, Steven Noll, Ph.D., a juror in the nonfiction category, will give an overview of the Florida Book Awards,
while Matt Gallman, PhD, a silver award winner in that competition, will discuss his experience as a participant. This Writers Alliance of Gainesville meeting, appropriate for novice to experienced writers, is free and open to all who are interested in the written word. writersalliance.org
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THE TITMOUSE SPEAKS
GOURD BIRDHOUSE
Tuesday, Sept. 12 6:45pm
Wednesday, Sept. 20 9:30am - 11:30am
MELROSE - Trinity Episcopal parish hall, 204 S.R. 26. The Santa Fe Audubon Society starts an exciting new season with Dr. Katie Sieving’s program about bird communication. Her field trip to Gold Head Park is September 23. Contact: Laura Berkelman 352-475-2023 or lberkelman@windstream.net
NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. Learn how to transform a gourd from a dusty vegetable into a functional and beautiful home for a bird. Contact Sandra Cashes: 352-472-1142.
AGED TO PERFECTION Wednesday, Sept. 13 6:00pm – 8:00pm
13th Gainesville Latino Film Festival Sept. 14 – 30 GAINESVILLE - Edith D. Cofrin Oak Hall Theater, 8009 SW 14th Ave. The Latina Women’s League proudly presents this annual event of the arts.Free film screening, short film competition, family events, Salsa concert, bilingual story time and more. All events are free and open to the public. Victoria: 352-378-9787; www. GainesvilleLatinoFilmFestival.com
ELECTRIC BLUES JAM Sunday, Sept. 10 6:30pm – 10:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Dirty Bar, 2441 NW 43rd St., Ste. 26B. North Central Florida Blues Society presents the Monthly Electric Blues Jam hosted by “Rear View Mirror.” Sign up at 6:30pm. 1/2hour slots until 10pm. No Cover. ncfblues.org
BREATHING WORKSHOP Tuesdays, Sept. 12, 19 & 26 5:30pm – 6:45pm
GAINESVILLE - ChayaVeda Integrative Healing Arts Studio, 2631 NW 41st St. Learn and practice special breathing exercises that unfold cellular intelligence and to be happy, peaceful and blissful through this workshop. $45. www.ChayaVeda. com 352-358-5005
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GAINESVILLE - Gainesville Garden Club & Garden Center, 1350 NW 75th St. The Club is hosting an Open House & Wine Social to celebrate 93 years serving the community. Unique plants, garden treasures and one-of-akind repurposed creations will be displayed as part of a Silent Auction. Wine, hors d’oeuvres and sweets will be served. Cost: No Charge. Event is open to the public. Please RSVP to ggcfl@gmail.com, or call 352 331-0426. www. ggcfl.org
ART OPENING Friday, Sept. 15 6:00pm – 9:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. Be the first to purchase a favorite painting at the reception and exhibition in the Summer House Gallery. The show, Worldwide Paint Out at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens will hang in the Summer House Gallery through the end of 2017. There is no cost associated with attending the Art Opening. The outside Gardens will not be open during this time. 352-372-4981
NCFBS BLUES Sunday, Sept. 17 7:00pm
GAINESVILLE - High Dive, 210 SW 2nd Ave. North Central Florida Blues Society presents Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind and 21 Blue. Tickets available online. ncfblues.org
APARTMENT INDUSTRY JOB FAIR Wednesday, Sept. 20 1:00pm – 2:30pm
GAINESVILLE - Best Western Gateway Grand, 4200 NW 97th Blvd. Free job fair for anyone in the community that is interested in a career in the apartment industry. Contact Robert Carroll: 352-333-0333.
GAINESVILLE ORCHESTRA Friday, Sept. 22 7:30pm
GAINESVILLE - Santa Fe Fine Arts Hall, 3000 NW 83rd St., E-127. Join the orchestra for an evening with Evans Haile and Friends. Tickets available at the Box Office 352-395-4181.
LAWTON CHILES GOLF TOURNAMENT Saturday, Sept. 23 8:00am – 2:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Ironwood, 2100 NE 39th Ave. Event includes a continental breakfast, lunch and awards and recognition ceremony. The luncheon and awards ceremony is open to all players, family members and guests, which will immediately follow the tournament. www. alachuadems.org
SOLAR ROCKS FOR THE EQUINOX Saturday, Sept. 23 9:00am – 5:00pm
FORT WHITE - Rum 138, 2070 SW CR 138. The Suwannee-St. John’s Sierra Club North Florida Working Group will present this first solar energy exposition. The event is planned to be both fun and educational with solar experts available to provide attendees with knowledge regarding solar energy uses in North Florida. Free and open to the public. Live music and local food options Contact Chris Mericle at cjmericle@gmail.com or 386-855-5096 and Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson at 352-222-8893 or Merrillee.malwitz-jipson@sierraclub.org.
A WILD FLORIDA FEAST Saturday, Sept. 23 5:00pm – 9:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Grace at Fort Clarke UMC, 9325 W. Newberry Rd. 10 CAN, Inc.’s annual banquet will feature wild game, survival edibles, and a full course meal catered by Cowboys BBQ. Entertainment will be provided by the Gainesville Big Band (dedicated in memory of Lelia Austin). Come hungry, come fearless, come ready to test your culinary boundaries.
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diet and lifestyle adapted. Parking available in front of the building. $165, includes handouts & Chaya’s Guided Relaxation/Yoga Nidra CD. www.ChayaVeda.com or 352-358-5005.
QUILT DAY & HERITAGE NURSERY PLANT SALE Saturday, Oct. 7 9:30am - 3:00pm
NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. Guest speaker from 10:00am until 10:30am. The bed turning program begins at 11:00am, featuring traditional, appliquéd, and vintage quilts representative of the Dudley era. Feel free to bring your quilts. Sandra Cashes: 352-472-1142
THE MYSTERY OF MYSTERY WRITING Sunday, Oct. 8 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Florida aB Bat at Festival Saturday, Oct. 21
10:00am - 5:00pm 10:00
GAINESVILLE - Lubee Bat Conservancy, 1309 NW 192nd Ave. Tour the conservancy grounds and enjoy the great outdoors while learning about how fruit bats benefit environments and ecosystems worldwide! The festival is a fun, relaxing and recreational experience for the whole family with free activities (including bat-themed crafts and games for kids), educational exhibits, bouncy huts provided by Space Walk and presentations by bat experts. All proceeds of the festival help support bat conservation and education programs. Admission is $5 for children 5-12, Adults $8, Children 4 and under are FREE! www.lubee.org
GAINESVILLE - Millhopper Branch Library, 3145 NW 43rd St. Award-winning author and retired UF law professor, M.W. Gordon will talk about the Mystery of Mystery Writing at the Writers Alliance of Gainesville meeting. writersalliance.org
ELECTRIC BLUES JAM Sunday, Oct. 15 6:30pm – 10:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Dirty Bar, 2441 NW 43rd St., Ste. 26B. North Central Florida Blues Society presents the Monthly Electric Blues Jam hosted by “Duffy Bishop.” Sign up at 6:30pm. 1/2-hour slots until 10pm. No Cover. ncfblues.org
BOOK SIGNING ACOUSTIC BLUES Thursday, Sept. 28 5:30pm
GAINESVILLE - Satchel’s Pizza, 1800 NE 23rd Ave. North Central Florida Blues Society presents Open Mic. night. Sign up at 5:30pm. A slice and a drink to each performer. ncfblues.org
are welcome. Meet at the Visitors Center. Bring clippers or loppers, bug spray, and water. Dress appropriately. Wear closed-toe shoes, and work gloves. Sandra Cashes: 352-472-1142.
TRANSFORMATIVE WELLNESS PROGRAM Thursdays, Oct. 5 – Nov. 16
NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY Saturday, Sept. 30 9:00am – 12:00pm
NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Rd. Help out in the removal of exotic coral ardisia and air yam from the park, work in the Visitor Center butterfly garden or historic site. Groups, families and individuals 114 |
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6:00pm – 8:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Facilities Administration Building at UF, 1281 Newell Dr. The ChayaVeda™ “An Ayurvedic Approach to Nutrition and Holistic Living” Method is an immersion into the principles of Ayurvedic education and holistic living for self healing, rejuvenation and longevity, suitable for anyone wishing to learn about Ayurveda and with practical applications and tools for
Friday, Oct. 20 5:00pm – 7:00pm
GAINESVILLE - The Perfect Gift, 5202 SW 91st Terr. Learn about the infamous Zodiac Killer that terrorized California in the 1960s and 1970s and the 340 Cipher that was never solved. Michael D. Sechrest, author “Zodiac Code: Solved!” has cracked the cipher & exposed the Zodiac Killer’s true identity. 352-375-8000
NEWBERRY GARDEN CLUB’S SOUP & SANDWICH SUPPER Saturday, Oct. 21 6:00pm – 8:00pm
NEWBERRY - First United Methodist Church, 24845 West Newberry Rd, Newberry, Florida. All proceeds support community projects and
R A L U C A T C E P S2017-2018 SEASON » THE RING Saturday, April 7, 7 7:30PM
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Wednesday, Feb. 14, Wed 7:30PM 7 A perfect Valentine’s night out for you and your loved ones! LOVE’ is at the heart of this show.
Combining forces once again with Conductor Raymond Chobaz and the UF Symphony orchestra, DANB presents ‘The Ring’, a world premier created to a symphonic version of Wagner’s ‘Ring’ cycle.. Also on the program will be UF professor Welson Tremura and his fantastic classical guitar quartet. Unusual and innovative program for all!
Ph P hot otos by Jo John hn hnst nst s on Pho hoto togr to togr grap a hyy ap
All performances at Curtis M. Phillips Cente Center er for the Performing Arts For For information: i fo in form rm mattio on: Dancealive.org Dan ance ceal ce aliv al ive. iv e.or e.or org g • dalive@bellsouth.net dali da livvve li ve@b @beel @b ells l outh ou uth.n h.n net e • 352-371-2986 352 52-3 -371 71-2 298 986 6 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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scholarship funds. Supper includes light dessert with friendly folk. Donations $10/per person.
WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S Saturday, Oct. 21 8:00am – 11:00am
GAINESVILLE - Depot Park, 200 SE Depot Ave. Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. 904-281-9077 or visit: act. alz.org/Gainesville.
FALL PLANT SALE & ORCHID SHOW Oct. 21 & 22 9:00am – 5:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. In addition to viewing the botanical gardens, approximately 50 booths will be set up selling a wide variety of plants. The American Orchid Society will have its annual judged show that will coincide with the Fall Plant Sale. Admission is free. Bring cash because most vendors do not accept credit cards. Pets are not allowed at these festivals. 352-372-4981
HOWL-A-PALOOZA! Sunday, Oct. 22 3:00pm – 6:00pm
NEWBERRY - Sun Country Sports Center, 333 SW 140th Terr. Sunny’s 29th Annual Halloween Carnival offers an afternoon full of spooky good fun, including food, festivities and activities. All proceeds benefit the March of Dimes, and the Phoebe Louise Dooley Foundation. Call 352331-8773 and ask for Jodi Hunt or Nick Cusi.
Fall Book Sale October 21 - 25
Times Vary
GAINESVILLE - Friends of the Library Bookhouse, 430-B N. Main St. Book sale to benefit Alachua County Library District and area literacy projects. Browse thousands of books, artwork, comics, manga, software, CDs, DVDs, videos, records and more. Cash or check only. Visit folacld.org or call 352-375-1676.
ACOUSTIC BLUES HORSEBACK POKER RIDE
Thursday, Oct. 26 5:30pm
GAINESVILLE - Satchel’s Pizza, 1800 NE 23rd Ave. North Central Florida Blues Society presents open Mic. Night. Sign up at 5:30pm. A slice and a drink to each performer. ncfblues.org
NEWBERRY MAIN STREET FALL FESTIVAL Saturday, Nov. 4 9:00am – 4:00pm
NEWBERRY - Downtown. This 11th annual festival will feature an assortment of ventures and activities. For more information or for vendor application information, please visit www.newberrymainstreet.com
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Saturday, Nov. 4 9:00am - 2:00pm
HIGH SPRINGS - River Rise State Park Preserve, 373 SW US Hwy. 27. Friends of O’Leno Park Fundraiser. Horse around and support your local park at the same time. Registration 9:00 a.m. Prizes awarded. Food and drinks available. Info: 352-318-4276; friendsofoleno.org
BACOPA LITERARY REVIEW 2017 Sunday, Nov. 5 2:30pm — 4:00pm
GAINESVILLE - Millhopper Branch Library, 3145 NW 43rd St. Free and open to anyone interested in readings of prize-winning work from the
Writers Alliance of Gainesville’s 8th annual international print journal, Bacopa Literary Review 2017. Refreshments and conversation afterward with journal editors and local writers and poets. www.writersalliance.org
VETERAN’S DAY SPECIAL Saturday, Nov. 11 Times Vary
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Enjoy a wonderful Sunday afternoon with the family while strolling along Historic Downtown Main Street in Alachua, lined with lovely Victorian Homes. Savor delicious food while listening to local musicians & chatting with friends, neighbors, gracious shopkeepers and unique vendors! #AMSFEST17 We look forward to seeing you there!! WAX WINGS WILL BE HEADLINING ON NORTH STAGE! Alachua Business League would like to thank our sponsors:
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BAND B BA ND REVIEW
BRIAN “KRASH” KRUGER’S
Gate Crashing ON DECK FOR REVIEW: KING ORANGE, SOUL SURVIVOR, STUNNER, ALTERNATIVE FACTS, UNIDENTIFIED BRIAN KRUGER IS A WRITER, MUSICIAN AND A GRADUATE OF THE UF COLLEGE OF LAW. HE HAS PLAYED IN SOME 17 OR SO LOCAL BANDS, PLAYING MOST EVERY GAINESVILLE VENUE FRIENDLY TO ORIGINAL MUSIC (AND SOME NOT SO FRIENDLY). bkrashpad@yahoo.com
DATE: FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017 VENUE: HARDBACK CAFÉ
included a proggy keyboard intro and breaks and minor key melancholia. If you’re keeping track, the guitarist was playing a Gibson LPJ Les Paul into a Marshall AVT half stack, and the bassist was playing a five-string into a Fender 1 x 15. reetings, live music aficionados! With five The next two sets were a bit more stylistically unified. local bands, let’s cut straight to the music. Stunner was an old school metal/hard rock quartet of the The first act up was the new band fronted by Rob standard (all-guy) rock line-up: two guitars, bass and drums. “Dark” Smith (playing a gorgeous Gibson Firebird), King Orange. Both guitarists had large pedal boards, one playing a Gibson This new band expanded the basic rock trio (guitar, bass, drums) SG into an Orange (this is a popular metal/hard rock amplifier of his prior band, the Procrastinators, adding Frank Bougher brand, not just a color, although in fact the amps are covered in (one of my fave local lead guitarists) tonight on a Les Paul goldorange vinyl for full effect) half stack, while the other played an top. You may remember Bougher from Superjudge, the band he ESP superstrat guitar with active EMG pickups into a was in with Rich Haggard (Whoreculture, Blacksnake), 5150 head (a Van Halen reference) into a Mesa the late Russ Johnson (Doldrums, Crash Pad) and speaker cabinet. Megan Oxley (Sick Dick & the Volkswagens). Colby played a The Stunner bassist was tucked way Prior to the Procrastinators, Smith in the back, playing a neck-through had been in the quartet Big Oil with Rob semi-hollow Ibanez Les Paul instrument into a Hartke head and Harris. The two had also been in Grain style bass (for whatever reason, 4 x 10 cab. The drummer, wearing a earlier still, with Grit Kisser sandwiched although “Pauls” are commonly W.A.S.P. t-shirt, behind a green Tama in between. All of these bands might found as guitars, it’s relatively kit, provided the gruff lead vocals. be said to mix a swampy Southern rock rare one sees a bass with such a Guitar leads were sometimes played sound with a good deal of punk/indie design, much less one with with a wah-wah pedal a la Metallica and sensibility and volume, and at least a hint a double-bound body numerous more recent metal bands, and of garage. A sort of amped-up alt-country, with f-holes). on at least one song it sounded like they referred to by some as “y’allternative,” albeit used “harmonizer” pedal (these can provide a without a Southern drawl. The set included new new guitar line up a fifth, or up or down an octave, tunes, an Uncle Tupelo cover, a Gritkisser song, and from what is actually played). Harris’s Big Oil song “Winn Dixie” (with lead vocals by bassist Alternative Facts was a very interesting guitar-bass-drums Wheeler). trio. The two guitarists, John Mamo on guitar and Mykel Colby Next up gears shifted quickly with Soul Survivor, a four-piece on bass, also provided vocals, although sometimes only sporadrefreshingly with females on lead vocals and drums (and guys on ically, with long instrumental passages commonplace. The style guitar and bass/keys). I tried researching the band online but is a mishmash of My Bloody Valentine-style shoegaze (minus suffice to say that this band name is a popular one, and I kept the dreamy vocals), interspersed with hardcore breaks with getting other bands. I have seen both the singer and drummer (who brutal/shouty vocals. I recognized from P*ss Test) in prior Gainesville bands though. Colby played a semi-hollow Ibanez Les Paul style bass (for Crissy, the lead singer’s voice has a classically trained/operatic whatever reason, although “Pauls” are commonly found as bent to it not heard often on the local original music scene. guitars, it’s relatively rare one sees a bass with such a design, The set stylistically refused to be pinned down, opening with much less one with a double-bound body with f-holes), while a cover of Dio’s “Rainbow In The Dark” and including covers of Mamo’s guitar was probably a Schecter, but definitely a superstrat Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” and closer Motorhead’s design of some sort. The shirtless drummer played the same “Ace of Spades.” A longish original written by the bassist Jamal,
G
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Beach getAway! green Tama kit as was onstage with Stunner. Closing the night was Unidentified, the long-running quartet fronted by guitarists Rich Groene and Bryan Blair (both of whom are also in Root Doctors). Unidentified’s skeletal Facebook page categorizes them as “Bringing Rock, Blues, Punk, and Metal Music together,” and I guess that’s a better description than I could come up with. Although I said Unidentified were a quartet, that night they weren’t. Somewhat to
the detriment of the missing member, it was noted that their bassist had been told to save the date, but apparently with little notice, had not shown up. So Groene played bass and Blair played guitar, on originals that alternated between angry and hilarious, with subject matter ranging from brain-eating amoeba, the negative effects of nicotine, and the loss of one’s cell phone. Good stuff, even when they’re down a man. Now, go see some bands.
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COLUMN
DONNA BONNELL’S
Embracing Life KEY WEST ROOTS
DONNA BONNELL BECAME THE AUTHOR OF HER COLUMN, EMBRACING LIFE, MORE THAN A DECADE AGO. SHE SHARES HER PERSONAL CHALLENGES AND VICTORIES WITH THE GOAL OF INSPIRING HER READERS TO ANALYZE WHY THINGS HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. bonneldj@gmail.com
“LIKE BRANCHES OF A TREE, WE GROW IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, YET OUR ROOTS REMAIN AS ONE. EACH OF OUR LIVES WILL ALWAYS BE A SPECIAL PART OF THE OTHER’S.”
T
hose words, from an unknown author, resonated deep in my soul while sharing a bit of my past with my daughter (Loni) and grandson (Owen). Loni had heard stories of her grandpa’s Bahamian kinfolk migrating to Key West back in the days of pirating and looting. She needed to witness the Conch Republic firsthand, to understand my 86-year-old father’s unusual character and free-spirited lifestyle. Our spontaneous adventure began with a ferryboat ride from Fort Myers Beach to Key West. We disembarked with minimal supplies for a brief overnight stay. Our goal was to absorb as much family history and heritage as possible in less than 48 hours. It did not take long for Loni to acknowledge the relaxed carefree atmosphere. A visit to Mallory Square at sunset, complete with street performers who swallow swords, play card tricks and ride unicycles while juggling flaming batons, are all a part of the southernmost city’s ambiance. Owen, age 7, loved the wild roosters. When he tried to give one a drink of water, a visitor scolded him and said he was breaking the law. A local came to his rescue and said not to worry. That tourist had not yet embraced the Margaritaville frame of mind. The laidback lady told me that the gypsy chickens are protected. She continued to explain how they were originally brought to the island for meat, eggs and cockfights (which are now illegal). When no longer needed, the chickens were turned loose. Today, they are living symbols of the colorful and independent charm that has evolved in Key West. Like the chickens, the resident Conchs simply want to live freely and be left alone. Dad fits the description perfectly. He is cynical of government rules, does not believe in insurance and takes pride in doing things his own way — sometimes slightly illegal. My parents and siblings lived on Grassy Key in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Dad, along with other business owners who relied
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on tourism, were livid when the feds implemented a border patrol roadblock at the Last Chance Saloon in Florida City. Every vehicle was searched for drugs and illegal immigrants, causing tremendous traffic jams and blocking traffic entering and leaving the only access road to the Keys. After legal attempts to stop the blockade were unsuccessful, the Islanders took matters into their own hands. On April 23, 1982, they seceded from the union, saying that if they were being treated like foreigners, they might as well act like foreigners. The island nation established the Conch Republic. Their plot worked and the roadblock was removed. Of course, the Conchs immediately reclaimed their United States citizenship. During the chaos, my father decided to open (an unofficial) Grassy Key Chamber of Commerce. He constructed an office (no permits, of course) near U.S. 1 and posted a flamboyant welcome sign. Regular meetings were held until he got caught. At that point, the chamber was disbanded and he had to tear down the building. That did not stop him and other members of ‘Royal Family of the Conch Republic’ and the ‘Conch National Guard’ from defending their deeply imbedded renegade roots. Loni was beginning to understand her unique ancestry. We decided to go to the Key West cemetery and take pictures of the ancient gravestones. She wanted to research the lives of her crazy relatives. We found many familiar family names, but not just from my paternal side. Yes, there were even more that I recognized from my mother’s family. I could hardly wait to explore that information. When we returned home, I reviewed genealogy records and confirmed our exciting discovery. The Russell (mother’s maiden name) clan migrated from Abaco Island, located in the Bahamas. They moved to Key West, in the early 1800s to pursue a lucrative salvaging business. Loni and I both learned that my family lineage includes pirates on one side and shipwreck salvagers on the other. Most relatives (from both sides) eventually moved to Miami, where I was born and where I lived about half of my life before moving to Newberry. In recent years, nearly everyone has relocated to all parts of the country. Fortunately, we keep in touch via social media. Our family tree branches have sprouted in many different directions, but our Key West roots are firmly planted.
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Dominican artist Evoca1 painted this mural, titled “Innocence,” on the downtown parking garage.
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PAINT THE TOWN OUTDOOR MURALS >> 352WALLS
352 Walls Bringing Murals and National Institute for Urban Art to Gainesville S TORY A N D PHOTOGTR A PHY BY G A BRIE LLE C A LI S E
S
urreal characters, dreamed up by a Ukrainian duo, dance across the wall of former Market Street Pub. Florida critters such as manatees and gators decorate GRU power boxes, thanks to a Portuguese painter. An Argentinian artist created blooms of colorful owers that stretch across the wall of The Top restaurant. And most recently, a slew of futuristic zoo animals appeared beside Walker Furniture, imagined by a pair of Cuban muralists. Artists from around the world have flocked to Gainesville to make their mark on public surfaces as part of the 352Walls initiative. Now in its third year, 352Walls has more plans to spread urban artwork across town. 352Walls comes as the urban art movement continues to gain credibility and popularity. GrafďŹ ti-writing started to take off in the 1960s, and image-based urban art spread in the 1980s. The movement was originally seen as vandalism, and street artists often ended up behind bars. But urban artists have started to come up in the art world, said Raquel Vallejo, project coordinator for 352walls. Recently, the popularity of street SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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This mural by 2Alas (above) was commissioned by HĂŠctor Puig, owner of HĂŠctor Framing & Gallery at 702 W. University Ave. During the night, a team of muralists projected the image onto the wall and painted hundreds of black lines. A group of UF art students, led by Rafael Moura, created this mural (top right) called Narrow Escape in the Sun Center. Interesni Kazki, a Ukrainian duo, painted this mural (bottom right) on the side of the former Market Street Pub. After 20 years of painting together, this is the last work of art on which the pair collaborated. The latest mural to be added to 352WAlls, Duo Cubano, was created by NYC-based muralist Juan Travieso and Havana-based painter Miguel Machado. Located by Walker Furniture on 113 NW 8th Ave, the mural (below) depicts a surreal zoo of the future.
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This mural (above), created by New Yorker Elbow Toe, is located at 112 SW 1st Avenue downtown.
OUTDOOR MURALS >> 352WALLS
art has exploded in places across the country, and Florida is no exception. New murals are added each year to cities including St. Petersburg (home of the annual SHINE Mural Festival) and Miami (known for its colorful Wynwood Walls project). “It’s a testimony to humanity,” Vallejo said. “It’s a global movement that’s creating museums in the streets.” Gainesville joined the wave in 2015 with the creation of 352Walls. Founded by Iryna Kanishcheva, the initiative brought a dozen urban art projects to town in November 2015. Since the success of the first season, 352Walls has been restructured to include a curatorial committee. Members include Vellejo, Thomas Center Galleries curator Anne Gilroy, No. 9 Productions Inc. founder Bill Bryson, contemporary urban art authority Craig O’Neil, UF associate art professor Julia Morrisroe, Harn curator Kerry Oliver-Smith, and manager of cultural affairs for the city of Gainesville Russell Etling. The committee selects each muralist, matching the artistic style to an appropriate wall. Those with fine details in their work may need a smooth wall, while others with a more abstract style can work on rougher textures, Vallejo said.
“It’s a testimony to humanity. It’s a global movement that’s creating museums in the streets.” The opportunity to create a mural can help painters tremendously. While the bulk of an artist’s income stems from studio work and art shows, urban art plays an important role when it comes to exposure. “What happens with murals is that mural becomes the artist’s business card,” she said. With each 352Walls piece, the muralist arrives in Gainesville without a plan. Only after surveying the available wall in person does the artist begin to design a concept. For 352Walls’ latest mural, not only did the two painters come without knowing what they would paint but the pair had never met before stepping foot into Gainesville. Vallejo wanted to try an experiment. Juan Travieso and Miguel Machado were both born in Cuba, but Travieso left at the age of 10. While Travieso jets off to cities like Paris, Miami and Los Angeles in between trips home to New York City, Miguel has stayed in Cuba his entire life. “They had no clue when they arrived what they were going to do or if they were going to get along,” Vallejo said. Travieso is a photographer, graphic designer and painter who uses photo manipulation software to craft detailed images featuring endangered animals. Machado works more traditionally, since the internet is not widely available in Cuba. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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Puerto Rican painter David Zayas created this mural on the wall at 714 W. University Ave.
Argentinian painter JAZ created this mural (above) of surreal hybrid creatures at 15 SW 1st Ave downtown. Italian artist 2501, aka Jacopo Ceccarelli, created this mural (right) on the :08 building downtown.
“We’re both realistic painters; we both have the capacity to paint using hyper realism,” Travieso said from his NYC apartment during a phone interview. “I think his style is a bit looser. He is more laid back when it comes to painting. My style is tighter — he’s not as detailed as I am. He did the big areas and I would refine the smaller areas.” The pair started their project with a trip to the toy store. After buying dozens of small plastic animals, the men sat on the floor of Vallejo’s house and spread the figurines out as they brainstormed. Travieso combined photographs of animals digitally, and the pair projected the image onto the wall before finally starting to paint. “We would get there around six, seven in the morning and work late,” Travieso said. “Til three or four in the morning.” While the pair slept at Vallejo’s house, they spent most of their time painting their “zoo of the future.” “We rented massive game lights, like you would use to light 126 |
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up a field, to work at night,” Travieso said. “Between the two of us it took 80 - 90 hours.” While they painted, members of the community stopped to chat about the project. “The city of Gainesville was very welcoming,” Travieso said. “People would pass by and be very gracious. I felt very relaxed during the whole process.” The pair enjoyed working together, and may collaborate again in the future. “They just enjoyed themselves,” Vallejo said. “They were inseparable.” The mural — like the rest of the 352Walls projects — has been well-received and respected, Vallejo said. “We worried about vandalism,” she said. “We have not had one incident.” People take photos in front of the wall and share the shots on social media with the #352Walls hashtag. Vellejo even heard
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that the murals have lowered the crime rate downtown by causing an increase in foot traffic. “They re-energize the area, they increase culture,” she said. “It has boosted community pride. Everybody likes them.” 352Walls continues to evolve. The initiative started hosting master classes and lectures during its second season. Artists such as Gaia have worked with students on a teaching wall by Leonardo’s 706 to demonstrate techniques. Additionally, a free cell phone tour (352-327-9004) of the walls was launched in the summer. Art enthusiasts don’t even have to be in front of the paintings to enjoy the tour. They can visit www.352walls.org/walls-walks to hear the history behind each painting. Urban art has also popped up indoors. This summer, the city hosted a free art exhibition in the Thomas Center Galleries called “Uncontainable: Urban Art from Vandalism to Movement Exhibition.” The exhibit featured works from the collections of Craig O’Neil, Logan Hicks and Robert Meltser. Each studio piece was created by an urban artist, from prints by Shepard Fairey (the creator of Obama’s iconic Hope poster) to a woodcut panel by Swoon and a painting by Etam Cru. “Some of the pieces here have never been seen before,” Vallejo said. This is just the beginning for street art in Gainesville. Soon, the city will become the headquarters of the National Institute for Urban Art. O’Neil, a longtime urban art collector and a member of the curatorial committee, decided to found the institute in Gainesville after seeing the success of 352Walls. The institute will teach painting techniques, fund scholarships for urban art students, and provide legal assistance for artists. It will also have gallery space in its office at the historic Star Garage building downtown. As 352Walls continues to grow, people should keep an eye out for more artwork popping up in the streets. The walls around town keep getting more colorful by the day. OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
Works from muralists and urban artists such as Swoon and Invader hang in the Mezzanine Galleries at the Thomas Center (above). “Uncontainable: Urban Art from Vandalism to Movement Exhibition” was on display at the Thomas Center Galleries from June 9 to September 9. The show featured studio work by urban artists such as Michael Reeder and early silkscreen works from Shepard Fairey.
352Walls introduced a cell phone tour this summer.
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For sponsorship information and further details, please call Margot DeConna at 352-415-2460. www.alachuahumane.org | 4205 NW 6th Street | Gainesville, Florida 32609 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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OUTDOOR ART >> GAINESVILLE SCULPTURES
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Sculpture Culture Gainesville’s Got Sculpting Down to a Fine Art S TORY A N D PHOTOG R A PHY BY C A MERON COBB
F
rench fries, planets and gators — oh my! From a place known for fostering an artistic culture and inspiring the imaginative, the brilliance of Gainesville’s many sculptural displays speak for themselves. Wherever your expedition takes you, there’s often an artistic treasure around the corner waiting to greet you. You’ll find it’s not hard to see how Gainesville is, in itself, a wondrous work of art.
“The Solar Walk” NW 8th Ave. (just east of 34th Street) In March of 2002, Gainesville introduced one out-of-this-world art project: the Solar Walk. The astounding 3.6 billion-mile extraterrestrial expedition between the Sun and Pluto has been scaled to a manageable hike of 0.9 miles, with distance between the planets appropriately coordinated, according to alachuaastronomyclub.org. Lovers of sculptures, outer space or scenic strolls can enjoy
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these celestial monuments designed by UF alum Elizabeth Indianos. The journey appropriately begins at the heart of our solar system, the Sun, with the remainder of the stellar sidewalk display starring each of the nine planets (Pluto included), along with two Comet Halley figures placed along the way. For an authentic experience, park at Albert “Ray” Massey (Westside) Playground during hours of darkness, where you can saunter through the space voyage by starlight.
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OUTDOOR ART >> GAINESVILLE SCULPTURES
“Hammering Man” Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, 3259 Hull Rd. What do Norway, Germany, South Korea and Gainesville have in common? They’re all homes for Hammering Man! Created by artist Jonathan Borofsky, Hammering Man is meant to “represent the worker in all of us,” according to harn.ufl.edu. Eight other Hammering “Men” can be found across the United States, and many others are in cities across the globe. Even being as tough as nails, Gainesville’s 24-foot Hammering Man has suffered some structural damage over the years that requires restoration, including the installation of a more lightweight arm and a new hammering mechanism. But with the help of donations from his fellow Floridians, he’ll be well on his way to a full recovery and back on the job in no time! To find out more about Hammering Man and how you can assist in repairing his nerves of steel, visit harn.ufl.edu.
“Alachua” and “Big Max” “Alachua” – UF Marston Science Library, 444 Newell Dr. “Big Max” – Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, 3259 Hull Rd. What could be better than one French-fry figurine? Two! Even if one of those pieces substitutes the golden hue for red instead (made for “big” fans of ketchup, maybe?) John Raymond Henry created the sculptures leaving plenty of opportunity for inquisitive visitors to appreciate the unique attributes of each one. Though it may not be hard to see why the original piece adopted the nickname “French Fries,” it’s actual name is simply “Alachua.” This colossal collection of buttery beams captures the attention of many and offers a warm, sunny welcome to future Gators touring the campus. The scarlet sister sculpture, “Big Max” (donated to UF by Earl and Christy Powell), resides just down the road and weighs a whopping 30,000 pounds. Talk about supersized! 132 |
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OUTDOOR ART >> GAINESVILLE SCULPTURES 134 |
“Bull Gator Statue”
“Heisman Trophy Winners”
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, 157 Gale Lemerand Dr. Though it is not uncommon to see a live alligator on campus, this one makes for a much safer photo op (and don’t worry – he doesn’t bite!). Guarding the mouth of the stadium since 2008, this reptilian replica celebrates UF’s football team’s 2006 national championship title, according to roadsideamerica.com. An iconic symbol of the university’s legendary athletics (and an essential prop in any Gator’s graduation photos), the scaly-skinned sculpture is decorated in an assortment of names as “an acknowledgement to all the donors who have donated a sizable sum to the university’s athletic program,” according to virtualtour.ufl.edu. Next time you visit the stadium, be sure to snap a picture, as it’s likely the only opportunity you’ll get without an alligator snapping back!
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, 157 Gale Lemerand Dr. Once-in-a-lifetime moments may only be able to be experienced just once, but with the help of art they can certainly be appreciated long after they’ve passed (or made a pass!). The statues of these Heisman Trophy Winners add to the hype of fans making their way into the stadium each season for excitement-inducing football experiences. These life-sized bronze statues depict past players Steve Spurrier (1966; centered), Danny Wuerffel (1996; top left) and Tim Tebow (2007; right), with each of the sculptures weighing nearly a ton! Game goers can enjoy learning about these UF legends in the form of a mini art exhibit, which was made possible by the contributions of anonymous donors, according to al.com. Though the subject for the fourth statue remains a mystery, there’s no question that a fellow future Gator will one day earn his place on a pedestal among these legends!
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OUTDOOR ART >> GAINESVILLE SCULPTURES
“Luna” usually in-between Main Street and 1st Street on the south side of SE 2nd Ave Exquisite art displays sometimes only arise once in a blue moon, but thankfully Luna holds a much more permanent presence. Though Luna made Gainesville its home in February of 2014, the moon masterpiece was marveled by attendees of the 2013 Burning Man Festival, according to gainesvilleartscene.com. The sculpture stands 13-feet tall and is appropriately solar-powered. Curious passersby are greeted by Luna’s luminous, electric eyes that pop against the bronze colored steel, complimenting the rest of its detailed facial features. The artist, Ted Crom, has also created props for “The Truman Show” and “Forrest Gump,” along with several other pieces downtown. Crom constructed the sculpture for something fun to do during retirement, according to alligator.org.
“Tomorrow” Sebastian Ferrero Atrium at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, 1600 SW Archer Rd. “Tomorrow” offers the simplicity of childhood joy in an environment where holding onto that joy has never been more important. A pop of color in otherwise darker days for some, this sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist Romero Britto was created in honor of the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, according to guidetogreatergainesville.com. The display of a child releasing a butterfly into the world above mimics the silhouette image on the foundation’s webpage, with the innocent action and sculpture’s title representing the tomorrows of patients and to inspire a feeling of hope for those individuals and their families. The foundation’s mission is to “advocate and fundraise for continued advancements in facilities, patient safety and innovative programs dedicated to delivering integrated pediatric care for all children and their families,” according to sebastianferrero.org. These creative works of art provide concrete (or metallic) examples that beauty can come in all shapes and sizes. And although it may be uncertain when the next piece will settle in, making its home in town, there’s little doubt that Gainesville houses creativity in the heART of the city. 136 |
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CHECK OUT THESE OTHER ASTOUNDING SCULPTURES Artist David Bell
Artist John Andrews
Artist Mark Armbrecht
“Love Palm” – Location: in between 1st and 2nd St. on the south side of SE 2nd Ave.
“A Dragon Trophy” – Location: entrance of the Sun Center, 101 SE 2nd Pl., #201
“Mackerel Mania” – Location: SE 2nd St., behind the Probation & Parole Office
“Star Burst” – Location: in between 1st and 2nd St. on the south side of SE 2nd Ave.
“Filet and Release” – Location: SE 2nd St., behind the Probation & Parole Office
“Star” – Location: south wall of the Union Street Station, 201 SE 2nd Ave.
Artist James Lasley
Artist Milan Hooper
“Ride, Captain, Ride” – Location: The Sun Center (101 SE 2nd Pl., #201) Courtyard
“Great Blue Heron” – Location: south wall of the Union St. Station, 201 SE 2nd Ave.
Artist Jasper North
“The Painter” – Location: SE 2nd St., behind the Probation & Parole Office
“Bird” – Location: in between the Sun Center (101 SE 2nd Pl., #201) and Union Street Station, 201 SE 2nd Ave.
Artist Ted Crom “Faces” – Location: in front of Persona Vintage Clothing, 201 SE 2nd Ave.
“Black Heart” – Location: outside of Celebrity’s Soul food, 201 SE 2nd Ave., #101 “Eve” – Location: SE 2nd St., behind the Probation & Parole Office “Lollipops” – Location: SE 2nd St., behind the Probation & Parole Office “Transition 201326” – Location: corner of the Sun Center’s (101 SE 2nd Pl., #201) front entrance, across from Persona Vintage Clothing & Costumes
“Noteworthy” – Location: behind the Hippodrome State Theatre, 25 SE 2nd Pl.
Artist Lennie Kesl
Artist Victor Delfin
“Rudi Ash’s Tower” – Location: in between Main Street and 1st St. on the south side of SE 2nd Ave.
“Rooster 1960” – Location: in front of Starbucks, 201 SE 1st St., Suite 107/108
“Unknown” – Location: The Sun Center (101 SE 2nd Pl., #201) Courtyard
“Stag” – Location: in front of Persona Vintage Clothing, 201 SE 2nd Ave.
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MUSEUM EXHIBITION >> BECOMING A WOMAN
THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
Becoming a Woman Upcoming Harn Exhibition Looks at the Role of Women in 18th-Century France W RIT TE N BY MONIC A H UMPH RIE S P H OTO G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F T H E H A R N M U S E U M O F A R T
T
he Harn Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition is an exhibition of firsts. It’s the first art show with a specific focus on women in 18th-century France. And it’s Melissa Hyde’s first time as curator. From October 3 through December 31, the exhibition “Becoming a Woman in the Age of Enlightenment: French Art from the Horvitz Collection” will be open at the Harn. The exhibition will consist of nearly 145 objects from 18th-century French artists. The goal is to look at the role of women in 18th-century France. The exhibition is primarily composed of drawings, but pastels, paintings and sculptures will also be featured.
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The artists range from prominent artists, such as Antoine Watteau, Nicolas Lancret, François Boucher, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, to lesser-known artists, like Anne Vallayer-Coster, Gabrielle Capet, FrançoisAndré Vincent, Philibert-Louis Debucourt. “The works are from some of the most important artists of the period,” said Hyde, the curator of the exhibition and a professor of art history at the University of Florida. The exhibition is organized in themes, such as how the stages of a woman’s life were measured; what cultural attitudes and conditions in France shaped the way women were defined; what significant relations women formed with men; what social and familial rituals gave order to their lives; what pleasures they pursued; and what work they accomplished, according to the Harn website.
Charles-Franรงois Hutin (Paris 1715 - 1776 Dresden) Woman in an Interior Oil on canvas The Horvitz Collection Museum curator Melissa Hyde said she hopes people will leave with a better understanding of 18th century art and the role of women during this period.
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MUSEUM EXHIBITION >> BECOMING A WOMAN
The idea is to get the whole picture of how women are represented in this period, she said. The exhibition addresses “the woman question,” which inquires about the role of women in society. It looks at how women were limited and how they were often seen as simply wives and mothers. Some images depict those traditional themes, while others argue for an alternative point of view, Hyde said. “It looks at how art and artists explored all sides of this debate,” she said. Images of the ideal women, family life, portraits, mythological scenes and despicable things all find a place on the walls of the Harn. Beyond that, the exhibition hopes to ignite conversation on the role of women in today’s society. “So many of the questions that people were wrestling with in the 18th century are still questions we’re wrestling with today,” Hyde said.
Antoine Vestier (Avallon 1740 - 1824 Paris), Allegory of the Arts, 1788
This is the first art exhibition with a specific focus on women in 18th century France, she said, “At the Harn and across the world to my knowledge.” As a professor of art history, Hyde’s background has focused on conveying ideas through writing, she said. “So conveying ideas through images alone has been a whole new process.” Hyde said she’s learned how to convey a message by placing certain images next to one another, and how to create dialogue based on the physical relationship between a statue and a hanging image. The exhibition correlates directly to Hyde’s area of research. Five years ago, the director of the Harn reached out about doing a show in collaboration with the Horvitz Collection. Hyde said she was ecstatic, and now, as the exhibition finally opens, those same feelings are creeping back up. After sifting through thousands of images and working with
Pierre Allais (c. 1700 - 1782 Paris), Seated Lady in a Blue Dress, 1751.
Louis-Léopold Boilly (La Bassée 1761 - 1845 Paris), Conversation in a Park.
The exhibition urges the viewer to consider the current roles of women and how they have or have not changed. The exhibition highlights themes like social structures and gender roles in France throughout the 18th century. This is the first exhibition to focus specifically on representations of women in this period, said Melissa Hyde, museum curator.
The art in the exhibition and the circumstances behind it are really what formed our modern social constructs. Whether it’s the Women’s March, reproductive rights or pay equity, the role of women is on everyone’s mind, Hyde said. “This is a moment where people are really thinking of these issues with urgency,” she said. “This exhibition only reinforces those thoughts.” Whether or not the viewer is passionate about women’s rights or 18th-century art, “there’s something for everyone in terms of literature, history, philosophy or gender studies,” Hyde said. Many people recognize 19th-century art, but 18th-century art may not be as familiar. Hyde hopes that not only will people walk in and appreciate the beautiful images on display, but that they take a second to think a little deeper and learn about a period of art they might not know much about. The pieces were chosen from the Horvitz Collection, which is one of the world’s best private collections of French drawings. 140 |
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Mary D. Sheriff, a professor of art history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, the exhibition is almost open. “I’m excited to see it become a reality,” she said. Hyde worked with Sheriff and Dulce Román, the chief curator and curator of modern art at the Harn. Hyde said the Harn does a great job of highlighting women. Past exhibitions have included “Intra-Action: Women Artists from the Harn Collection,” an exhibition by the Guerrilla Girls, and “Mirror, Mirror ... Portraits of Frida Kahlo.” “The Harn has built a tradition of dealing with issues of women through art,” she said. “This exhibition is only strengthening that tradition.” Hyde said she is also looking forward to other programming this fall focused on celebrating women. For example, “The Other Mozart,” a one-woman play about Mozart’s unknown sister, will be at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. “Gainesville is a community of thinking people,” she said. “I’m excited to reach beyond the university and into the community.”
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YOUTH ART >> MADE NEW ARTS INITIATIVE
HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS
THE MADE NEW ARTS INITIATIVE & PARTNERSHIP FOR STRONG FAMILIES Grace (above) proudly presents her “Cat Portrait” alongside the president and CEO of Partnership for Strong Families, Stephen Pennypacker.
Creating Hope STORY A N D PHOTOGR A PH Y BY ASHLEY RUSSELL
Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Going to art class in elementary school is a favorite pastime for many. The teacher gives lessons about the greats like Picasso, Van Gogh, and Warhol to look up to. They show you their techniques, many of which were revolutionary. Then they set your imagination wild with some markers and construction paper. It isn’t until we get older that we are able to use quality materials and really get a grasp on how important art can be. Made New Arts began because one local artist saw an opportunity for art to make a difference. Local artist Hilary White founded the Made New Arts initiative. This initiative consists of art classes and gallery showings to empower young people and help them reach their full potential. White even brings in other artists, including Jessi Hamilton, Evan Poirier and Joshua 142 |
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Hobson, as guests at the workshops. The idea is that the youngsters take classes with professional artists and can then show their work at galleries. They learn composition, symbolism, color theory and various art techniques. Made New Arts encourages creativity, not with cheap materials, but with professional-grade resources and community support. The supplies come from donations. Donors can supply everything, including sketchbooks, markers, paint and paintbrushes. So far, the initiative has worked with children in the Foster Care System and young people in the Department of Juvenile Justice facility. White plans to continue her work with Partnership for Strong Families and juvenile correction facilities, and also expand to orphanages and community centers in Central Florida.
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FOSTER YOUTH GALLERY YOUTH ART >> MADE NEW ARTS INITIATIVE
A recent Made New Arts event showcased creations by youth who have been placed in foster homes or who are in transition. The event was a collaboration between Partnership for Strong Families and the Made New Arts Initiative. The Foster Youth Gallery began as an online sale, offering interested individuals the opportunity to preview the art or to even purchase it in advance. Next came the gallery showing. Throughout the evening, supporters stopped by The Gallery Protocol, bought artwork, and visited with the young artists. The paintings and drawings hung at eye level around the room, mounted in various sized frames on a stark white wall. Shelves held small sculptures that the children had made. When a piece was purchased, a small red sticker was placed on the wall alongside the art. As the night went on, more and more stickers appeared. One artist, named Kendrick, explained one of his works entitled “Love Each Other.” The drawing featured characters, balloons, scars, hearts and hands — each of which had symbolism. Kendrick’s art had the layers of someone beyond his years. “The hearts are for love,” Kendrick explained. “The arms mean passion. The scars meant that even though I’ve been through struggles, I knew my belief in Christ would get me through it and I will heal.” While it was evident Kendrick was enjoying his artwork being on display, his voice was quiet and his demeanor was shy. That was the
Dr. Michael Bowie (above) purchased Kendrick’s drawing at the Foster Youth Gallery.
case, until Hannah, one of the Adoptions Recruitment Specialists, came to tell him the news that someone wanted to purchase his artwork. In that moment, pure joy spread across his face. Grace was another young artist that had several pieces in the show. Grace made both an acrylic painting of a cat on canvas and three clay cat faces. She also debuted a painting named “Flying Art Pugs.”
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SUPERHERO 5K Partnership for Strong Families has Superhero 5K race each year in November. The Superheroes, in this case, are those that foster or adopt children who need homes. For the race, people of all ages dress up in their best cape and tights to raise money for Partnership for Strong Families. The money raised from the race goes to finding families for the children. This year will mark the third annual race. “One of the main goals,” according to Partnership for Strong Families, “is to raise awareness in the community of the need for foster and adoptive homes (particularly for teens).”
YOUTH ART >> MADE NEW ARTS INITIATIVE
By the end of the night, all 66 pieces had sold. The proceeds from each piece went directly back to the foster child who created it. The event served a dual purpose. One was for the young people to gain a sense of empowerment through art. It also was a chance to encourage potential adoptive parents. Stephen Pennypacker, President and CEO of Partnership for Strong Families, emphasized the dire need for foster parents. “The reality is that there are currently only 99 licensed foster parents in the area,” he said. “And just last year, there were 355 removals of children from their living situation.”
Artist Hilary White (above) teamed up with Partnership for Strong Families to make the Foster Youth Gallery happen. “Jesus and Lamb” and “Tiger Mom and Baby Playing with Leaf” (seen at left, among others) are sculptures made by children in the Made New Arts Program. All of the artists were under 17.
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