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Articles by Jennifer Melville
400th anniversary of the Baronetcy of Nova Scotia
A tour through a National Trust for Scotland property often includes a guide explaining the identity and significance of previous notable residents by pointing out their portraits hanging on the walls. Among these paintings are many superb examples of Scottish portraiture, dating from as early as the 16th century and illustrating over five centuries of changing artistic and personal fashions and tastes.
Be Very Afraid: Top 10 Haunted Hangouts on the First Coast
Nestled between the famously haunted cities of Savannah and St. Augustine, Jacksonville is not well known as a spooky destination. Yet our city has plenty of its own ghost stories and urban legends. If you’re looking for a scare this October, here are the top 10 haunted hangouts on the First Coast: 128 East Forsyth Street, Suite 300, Jacksonville, 32202 Since it opened its doors in 1927, Jacksonville’s Florida Theatre has hosted thousands of performances.
An eventful honeymoon: Lord and Lady Aberdeen of Haddo House | National Trust for Scotland
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Fishing in Northeast Florida: Jacksonville is a Fisherman’s Paradise - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
All 100 East Kennedy Blvd 100 Stable Rd, Jekyll Island, GA 31527-0870, United States 103rd Street Sports Complex 11924 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32223-1840, United States 1200 Atlantic Ave, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034-3404, United States 1207 Prudential Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32207-8327, United States 121 E 8th St, Jacksonville, FL 32206-3703, United States 121 Financial Credit Union 168 S Myrtle Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204-2165, United States 1715 N Main St, Jacksonville, FL 32206-4403,...
Twisted Sisters
She’s wickedly smart, fiery and self-possessed. She stands up for the oppressed, cares passionately for animals, and puts others’ needs before her own. The world should be hers for the taking. But Elphaba was born different—and, to her peers, different means evil. This begs the question: Are people born wicked, or is wickedness thrust upon them? Do people have the power to forge their own destiny?
The Duality of Being
In every heart is a delicate dichotomy of good versus evil. This inner tension has inspired art and literature for ages. Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 gothic novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, took the metaphorical struggle and made it literal. It’s the tale of two men trapped in one body. Henry Jekyll is a passionate, romantic doctor; Edward Hyde is an unhinged, uncontrollable madman unleashed when the doctor makes himself the subject of his own experimental treatments.
A Fairy-Tale Delight: Into the Woods at The Island Theater - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
All 100 Stable Rd, Jekyll Island, GA 31527-0870, United States 103rd Street Sports Complex 11924 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32223-1840, United States 1200 Atlantic Ave, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034-3404, United States 1207 Prudential Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32207-8327, United States 121 E 8th St, Jacksonville, FL 32206-3703, United States 168 S Myrtle Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204-2165, United States 1715 N Main St, Jacksonville, FL 32206-4403, United States 1904 Music Hall 1978 1st Place...
Laughter Through Tears: Steel Magnolias at the Island Theater
All 100 Stable Rd, Jekyll Island, GA 31527-0870, United States 103rd Street Sports Complex 11924 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32223-1840, United States 1200 Atlantic Ave, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034-3404, United States 1207 Prudential Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32207-8327, United States 121 E 8th St, Jacksonville, FL 32206-3703, United States 168 S Myrtle Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204-2165, United States 1715 N Main St, Jacksonville, FL 32206-4403, United States 1904 Music Hall 1978 1st Place...
Between Abstract & Realistic
Alma Ramirez’s painting are a visual ballet of vibrant hues tangling with earthy tones in pixelated water scenes at once both realistic and abstract. The result is otherworldly. Her paintings will speak to your soul, as the waterscapes and vivid colors of Northeast Florida speak to her. French Impressionist Claude Monet once said, “Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.” Ramirez is a big fan of the Impressionists and Monet in particular and, like Monet, she has always been drawn to color.
Oh Là Là! - Folio Weekly
No need to travel this summer to see excellent fine art. French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950, at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, features more than 60 pieces of mid-19th to mid-20th century French art on loan from the Brooklyn Museum. Monet, Renoir, Cézanne and Degas are all in town and you simply must stop by to see them.
Oh, Say, Do You See?
Whether you’re new to the First Coast, you’ve been here for ages, or you’re planning your next move, Blue Star Museums are an engaging—and affordable—way to squeeze in some summer fun. This is the 10th summer Blue Star Museums open their doors to active-duty military members and their families across the nation–free of charge.
Take a Journey of the Mind This Summer with The Phantom Tollbooth at The Island Theater - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
All 100 Stable Rd, Jekyll Island, GA 31527-0870, United States 103rd Street Sports Complex 11924 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32223-1840, United States 1200 Atlantic Ave, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034-3404, United States 1207 Prudential Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32207-8327, United States 121 E 8th St, Jacksonville, FL 32206-3703, United States 168 S Myrtle Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204-2165, United States 1715 N Main St, Jacksonville, FL 32206-4403, United States 1904 Music Hall 1st Place Sports...
The Man Behind the Mission
Capt. Michael P. Connor leans against the railing of the Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville air traffic control tower, overlooking the unfolding day-to-day activities of the Southeast Region’s largest naval installation. The airfield is fairly quiet on this overcast mid-June morning, though annually it witnesses more than 80,000 takeoffs and landings. Naval aircraft have accented the skies over Jacksonville for nearly 80 years now.
Under the Sea and Out of This World – Disney’s The Little Mermaid at the Alhambra Delights Audiences of All Ages - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
Her father rules an enchanting undersea kingdom. Her beautiful singing voice is the finest around. Everything she could possibly require exists under the sea, yet Ariel knows deep in her soul that something’s missing. The teen wants what is impossible, and following her heart will upend her entire world. Fans of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, rejoice! The Alhambra Theatre & Dining brings this classic tale to life like you’ve never seen it before.
The 904 Naturalist
AyoLane Halusky has come face-to-face with a pit viper on more than one occasion—close enough to observe the details of its tongue as it tasted the air, evaluating him with its dark-banded eyes. He’s encountered more alligators than he cares to count. His neck was once nearly broken by a startled manatee. Yet there are few places he would rather be than in the great outdoors. It’s a glorious day in late May, 85 degrees and sunny, at the 94-acre Saturiwa Conservation Area.
So Much More Than Folk Music—The Florida Folk Festival Offers a True Floridian Experience Over Memorial Day Weekend - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
Hang out beneath the pine trees, majestic Live Oak, and flowering Magnolias along the banks of the meandering Suwanee River while you take in all Florida has to offer. The largest art, music, and culture festival in the state is just around the corner and you’re invited. The 67th Annual Florida Folk Festival, a three-day celebration spanning Memorial Day weekend, highlights the best of the state’s music, dance, stories, crafts, and food.
Become My Voice - Folio Weekly
Two-thirds of the city’s 2.5 million residents would be dead within 900 days. Eleonora Poberezhskaya recalls walking the streets of Leningrad (now restored to its original name of St. Petersburg) as a young child. It was a modern city, a cultural and scientific center with museums and universities, and Russian royalty’s favorite hangout. Eleonora clutched her mother’s hand tightly as they sidestepped corpses. She recognized some; others were strangers, yet they became a part of her.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Treasured Classic Comes Alive at The Island Theater - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
Prepare to be charmed and delighted as you experience a timeless coming-of-age story that will delight audiences young and not-so-young alike. Fleming Island’s The Island Theater brings Little Women- A Broadway Musical to life in a sweet and homey way. Feel like a child again as you relive this classic tale, or discover it for the first time.
The Kids Issue: 18 Under 18
folio feature Northeast Florida kids on the rise Cover art by Sena Suganuma Hannah Adams, 15, Pediatric Cancer Survivor and Activist, Fleming Island. Hannah was diagnosed with Stage III Nephroblastoma at age five. Her battle with pediatric cancer inspired her to share her story, raise awareness and spread hope to all children. Along the way sheâs raised more than $40,000 with the American Cancer Society #GoldTogether Program, and served as a Hyundai Hope On Wheels Ambassador.
The Kids Issue: A Celebration of Family
Northeast Florida is an incredible place to raise a family. Mine has been lucky enough to call Jacksonville home on several occasions, and two of my four kids were born here. While we’ve enjoyed every place we’ve been stationed as a military family, there’s something truly special about the First Coast. The people are warm and welcoming. The weather is undeniably glorious (although summers can swelter). I can’t get enough of the region’s rich history and bountiful natural resources.
One Man's Treasure
"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see,” said French Impressionist painter Edgar Degas. Art challenges us to see life anew or to notice beauty in the minute, like the graceful movement of a dancer or a smile’s seductive curve. Art enchants us. It inspires. And if it’s great, it draws a crowd. Edgar Degas is coming to St. Augustine, or at least his artwork is.
Rock Will Set You Free – ‘School of Rock: The Musical’ is Quirky, Fun, and Entertaining - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
Sami Bray. Photo by Evan Zimmerman Quirky, fun, and entertaining, School of Rock: The Musical serves up a strong dose of humor paired with a lesson in self-acceptance and the life changing power of music.
A Perfect Preservation
The night was still and silent. Experienced river pilot—and freedman—Romeo Murray knew every curve of the St. Johns River. A former slave of Zephaniah Kingsley, Murray had been piloting riverboats for the Union Army since 1862. The dark waters lapped methodically against the steamboat’s hull as it journeyed northward from Palatka to Jacksonville in the early morning hours of April 1, 1864.
You Can Know Who I Am
Around this table, are all welcome and everyone has a seat of honor. Art has not always been the most inclusive creative landscape. The halls of the great masters are markedly monochromatic, and finding success as an emerging artist may seem an impossible goal. Yellow House hopes to change this with a new exhibition that challenges public perception about art and artists. Welcome to (Re)Set the Table. Multicultural and empowering, Yellow House’s newest exhibition celebrates the underdog.
WJCT Launches New “What It’s Like” in Jacksonville Podcast—and It’s Amazing - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
To Listen Is to Understand Imagine how different a place the world might be if we took the time to listen with empathy and authenticity. Stories build understanding and reveal commonalities in an age of division. Since 2003, the independently funded organization StoryCorps has collected and archived 75,000 facilitated interviews with over 150,000 participants across the country (not including 150,000 additional interviews recorded and shared via the StoryCorps App).
Sweet as Pie – ‘Waitress’ Makes a Spunky Girls Night Out - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
Sweet and sassy with a side of spunk, Waitress is the perfect girls night out. This celebration of love, friendship, and second chances will delight and amuse you from beginning to end. Based on the 2007 movie written by Adrienne Shelley, Waitress is the story of talented baker Jenna, who mentally escapes from her abusive marriage to low-life Earl and her small town existence by baking delicious pies at Joe’s Pie Diner.
The Allure of the Automobile
"Racing is a combination of ballet, chess and a knife fight,” said Bill Warner, founder of the glamorous Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. “It’s ballet, because you’ve got to be smooth. You’ve got to have transitions from the left to the right, and there’s the weight shift of the car, so it’s like a ballet dancer. You’re really nursing the car around.” “And then it’s like chess, in that you’ve got all these competitors out there and you’re trying to put them in a place they don’t want to be.
MOSH’s New Backyard Adventures Inspires and Delights Young Scientists through May 12th
What’s in Your Backyard? When it comes to helping your child develop a passion for science, there’s no need to look farther than your own backyard. Though, perhaps it’s a bit more interesting to get started in a veritable garden of hands-on scientific experimentation and discovery at MOSH. Created by Australia’s Scitech and produced by Imagine Exhibitions, Backyard Adventures opened January 19th and welcomes young scientists to learn about the exciting world of wonders awaiting discovery outside.
Come As You Are - Folio Weekly
Aaron Mervin’s vibrant portraits come alive against an ebony backdrop. His models are young and ... not as young. They’re not beauty queens, though their beauty is enough to take one’s breath away. His work is a celebration of hair, yet to say his art show is merely about hair would be to miss the point. His photographic exhibition, Natural Nywele: A Celebration of Natural Hair, challenges public perception of beauty and confronts stereotypes.
Drama, Gossip, and the Power of Female Friendships – “The Women” Offers an Amusing Girl’s Night Out in Fleming Island - EU Jacksonville Newspaper
No need for reality TV or Desperate Housewives reruns if you’re in the mood for a good dose of gossip and drama. Fleming Island’s The Island Theater presents The Women with an all-female cast that charms and delights the audience from beginning to end. Although male characters play a vital role in the plotline– they’re the much-discussed source of the characters’ heartache, misery, and security all in one—there are no male performers whatsoever.
After Our Love Ended
My heart broke and my tears salted the earth where I stood. I looked down and there grew a rose as dark red as the feelings of rejection that coursed through my body. The emptiness surging through my veins the blood has run dry, now only pain could be felt, heart beat by heart beat. The wind picked up and swirled the dust around me as if to symbolize the empty feeling of loneliness that had invaded my soul.
Meet the Curator: Aaron Levi Garvey
Aaron Levi Garvey is a force of nature. He’s served as an independent curator at major art institutions across the country, regularly writes and lectures about contemporary art culture, and currently serves as Guest Curator for the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. Garvey chatted with EU Jacksonville Newspaper about his passion for museums, his family, the arts, and his plans for the future. Let’s start with a brief background.
Lost in Paradise at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens: Meet Artist Carlos Rolón
Drive along Downtown Jacksonville’s Riverside Avenue and it’s nearly impossible to miss the seven-foot-tall mosaic sculptures standing sentry in front of the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. Chicago-based multi-disciplinary artist Carlos Rolón’s sculpture collection Lost in Paradise hints at home yet draws inspiration from the natural landscapes, architecture, and the parallel histories of Puerto Rico and the American South.
Les Misérables Enchants Audiences at the Times Union Center Through January 27
To Love Another Person Is To See The Face of God If you’re going to see one musical this year, this is it. Intensely powerful and aesthetically astounding from Prologue to Finale, Les Misérables is easily the best Broadway production in Jacksonville in 2019. This classic tale is so masterfully performed that you’ll be moved to tears time and again. Boubil & Schonberg’s Les Misérables opened Tuesday, January 22nd and runs through January 27, 2019 at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts.
Through the Mirror of My Mind
Refraction is the scientific principle that describes how light bends or changes direction when it passes from one substance into another. Lenses, prisms, magnifying glasses and rainbows are good examples of this occurrence. Whether it’s filtering through palm trees or dancing through water, light presents an endless well of inspiration for St. Johns County visual artist Anna Miller. “It’s not only a scientific term for me, it’s almost like my perception,” she explains.
A Musical Murder Mystery with Plenty of Intrigue: The Island Theater’s “Curtains”
Jessica Crenshaw is terribly untalented. When the leading lady mysteriously dies during opening night of Robbin’ Hood of the Old West, the rest of the cast isn’t terribly upset…. Apart from the fact that a murder has occurred and they’re all suspects. It’s up to the Boston Police Department’s Lieutenant Frank Cioffi (played by Chase Lawless) to solve the crime. Believing the murderer is still in the building, he sequesters it and begins his investigation.
Open to All
In a world where ego is king, his modesty is refreshing. High-profile Jacksonville trial lawyer Hank Coxe has much of which to be proud. Coxe, director of the Bedell Firm, has served as president of The Jacksonville Bar Association and The Florida Bar. A good number of awards have been bestowed upon him and many of his cases have received national attention. Yet you won’t likely hear him brag about his accomplishments.
Magic & Wonderment
Circus is a loaded word. It makes some folks nostalgic as they reminisce about lovely ladies riding atop elephants, daring lion tamers tempting fate with the king of beasts and high-flying acrobats defying gravity. For others, the word conjures dark images of animal abuse. In 2017, general public unease and the directed action of animal advocacy groups contributed to the end of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ 146-year-run.
The Little Circus That Could: The Venardos Circus Kicks Off in St. Augustine Dec 19-Jan 27
The Venardos Circus arrives at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre this holiday season to debut a brand-new show and kick off the 2019 season. But Kevin Venardos of never dreamed of running away to join the circus; he envisioned himself performing on Broadway. A New Jersey kid who loved to sing and dance, Venardos studied musical theater at school.
A Holiday Tradition Close to Home: Behind the Scenes at ZooLights
Plus, a Sneak-Peak into the Jingle Bell Jukebox Revue “It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air,” W. T. Ellis once famously said. We may not have snow, but Christmas is absolutely in the air in Jacksonville, Florida. There’s no shortage of holiday activities to enjoy, but with 30,000 guests in 2017, ZooLights is the largest and perhaps most spectacular.
A Holiday Tradition Close to Home: Behind the Scenes at ZooLights
Plus, a Sneak-Peak into the Jingle Bell Jukebox Revue “It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air,” W. T. Ellis once famously said. We may not have snow, but Christmas is absolutely in the air in Jacksonville, Florida. There’s no shortage of holiday activities to enjoy, but with 30,000 guests in 2017, ZooLights is the largest and perhaps most spectacular.
Jitterbug & Jive
When Billy Buchanan’s music permeates the dancehall, you can’t help but get up and dance. Any style is fine: boogie-woogie, bop, stroll or the chalypso. The soulful St. Augustine-based artist finds inspiration in the classic music of legends like Little Richard, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry and Otis Redding. His performances, based on the many genres of music that came out of the ’50s and ’60s, pack the house. “I’m really comfortable in my skin right now,” Buchanan says.
Walls of Hope - Folio Weekly
Art has the power to be healing and transformative. For survivors of sexual assault, it can be a lifeline. The statistics are staggering. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives. The perpetrator is often an intimate partner or acquaintance. Of the survivors, 81 percent of women and 35 percent of men report significant short-term and long-term effects, like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Getting to Know You: “The King and I” Inspires and Delights at the Times-Union Center November 13-18
Energetic, engaging, and entertaining from the overture through the reprise, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I opened Tuesday, November 13 at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Jacksonville. Offering a riveting and visually enthralling adventure, The King and I triumphantly inspires and delights young and old alike. The show runs from November 13-18, 2018.
Piercing the Veil
Thony Aiuppy is just the sort of artist and activist every community needs: one who’s fiercely determined to elevate the voices of the unheard. Finding inspiration in news headlines, history, literature and his own insatiable curiosity, Aiuppy’s multilayered, colorful paintings tackle socioeconomic themes. His new solo exhibition, Piercing the Veil, debuts at Riverside’s Yellow House from noon to 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 17, coinciding with CoRK Arts District’s Open Studios event.
Powell Packs the House
Shaun Powell is a born leader. “My mom would say I was born directing people,” she laughs. “She would call it bossy.” Poems, stories and imaginary worlds manifested themselves from the time she was seven years old. She always knew she would be a writer. Then life happened, and her passion for the pen got put on stand-by until last year when her life changed rather spectacularly. It all started with the flu. “There was nothing on Netflix, nothing to do,” Powell recalls.
Phantoms of the First Coast: The Faces Behind Northeast Florida’s Most Haunted Tours
With several thousand years of civilization under its belt, the First Coast has experienced its share of trials and tribulation. Ghosts are big business for the curious and thrill-seekers alike, and October’s reprieve from the oppressive heat puts many in the mood for a haunted history lesson. One need not look far to find a ghost tour. As you board a trolley or prepare to walk along darkened cobblestone streets, consider for a moment the storyteller’s tale.
Lost & Found - Folio Weekly
Jacksonville printmaker and visual artist Mico Fuentes challenges his viewer’s concepts of perception and presence in his playful, imaginative creations. But he also invites audiences to see a bit of themselves in his work.
Jacksonville Rising
Often overshadowed by cultural hubs like Atlanta and Orlando, Jacksonville has not been synonymous with an exciting night on the town. Actor, director and Jacksonville native Lee Hamby is on a crusade to change that. “I don’t want to hear anyone complain there’s nothing to do in Jacksonville, because there’s too much to do,” says Hamby. “Jacksonville’s cultural scene is thriving at this point. It’s so much different than it used to be. We have so much going on. Now we’re getting some good shows.
A Plan for the Future
Edgy and inspiring, Andrew Kozlowski’s art is uniquely influenced by his fascination with storytelling, science-fiction, cultural remnants and comic books. “10,000 years is double the length of written human history.
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