It’s Springtime, but it still may feel like Autumn (not cold enough to call it
Winter, nonetheless, you will be comfortable as the guest in or outside of the
Cummer Museum this month. There is so
much going on and you and your family will have a lot to do. Get your calendar and list the activities that
interest you.
Florida Blue Free Tuesday - Each
Tuesday Evening from 4 to 9 p.m. | Free | No registration required. Every Tuesday, enjoy free admission to the
Cummer Museum and its historic gardens, thanks to the generous support of
Florida Blue. Guests can enjoy free
admission to the galleries. Each Tuesday evening, the Cummer Café is also open
for Tapas Tuesday sponsored by Vystar Credit Union.
Tapas Tuesday - Each Tues. Evening from
5 to 8 p.m. | The Cummer Café | Reservations recommended. Take in the sunset while listening to local musicians with
beer, wine, or artfully inspired tapas for sale at the Café. Reserve your table
by calling 904.899.6022.
The Harlem Renaissance: Lecture & Book Signing with Wil
Haygood - Tues., Apr 2 | 6:30 to 8 p.m. | Members $30, Non-Members $40 |
Registration required.
Schedule of evening:
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. - Lecture and Q&A
7:30 to 8 p.m. - Book Signing
Weaver First Saturday Free For All - Sat.,
Apr. 6 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Free | No registration required. The first Saturday of each month at the
Cummer Museum is FREE FOR ALL, thanks to the generous support of J. Wayne and
Delores Barr Weaver. Guests can enjoy free admission, as well as art-making
activities for all ages in the Cummer Gardens, live music, and a Docent-led
tour at 2 p.m. For further information,
please call 904.899.6038.
Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman Closing Celebration -
Sat, Apr 6 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Free | No registration required (with the
exception of lectures). Join the museum
for a free, family-friendly, closing celebration for Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman with live music, a lecture and
book signing with New York Times bestselling Author Vashti Harrison, with an
original spoken word performance directed by Yvette Angelique Hyater-Adams. Dr.
Jeffreen Hayes, the Curator of Augusta
Savage: Renaissance Woman, will be at the Museum during the closing
celebration for one last look before the exhibition leaves for its next venue. For further information, please call
904.899.6038.
Little Leaders: Bold Women In Black
History - A Lecture And Book Signing With Vashti Harrison - Sat., Apr. 6 |
11 a.m. to Noon OR 2 to 3 p.m. | Free | Registration required. Vashti Harrison will host a free lecture and
book signing for her “New York Times” bestselling children’s book “Little
Leaders: Bold Women in Black History”. Based
on her popular Instagram posts from Black History Month 2017, the book features
40 biographies of African-American women who helped shape history, including
Augusta Savage. A collection of
Harrison’s illustrations from the book are currently on display in the Bank of
America Concourse at the Museum. The
lecture will be held in the Hixon Auditorium, followed by the book signing in
the Cummer Museum Lobby. Books are
available for purchase from the Cummer Shop. For further information, please call
904.899.6038.
Bank Of America And Merrill Lynch
Museums On Us - Sun., Apr. 7 | Noon to 4 p.m. | Free to Cardholders | No
registration required. The Cummer Museum
of Art & Gardens offers free admission on the first Sunday of the first
full weekend of the month to all Bank of America or Merrill Lynch cardholders
through the Museums on Us program. Each cardholder
receives one free general admission to the Museum. For further information,
please call 904.899.6038.
Free Tuesday: Experience The Crime Of
Art - Tues., Apr. 9 | 4 to 9 p.m. | Free | No registration required. Enjoy themed items in the Café and visit the
Cummer Shop to find gifts for your favorite partner in crime.
6 p.m. - Take a family-friendly
interactive tour of Kota Ezawa: The Crime
of Art through fun activities that incorporate close observation and group
conversation. The tour will start at the
entrance of the exhibition.
7 p.m. – Our evening guided tour
will be on Kota Ezawa: The Crime of Art.
The tour will start at the entrance of the exhibition.
Family Tour - Kota Ezawa: The Crime Of Art - Tues., Apr. 9 | 6 p.m. | Free |
No registration required. Since crime
does not pay, we are hosting a Night of Crime Evening on our Free Tuesday! Enjoy themed items in the Café and visit the
Cummer Shop to find gifts for your favorite partner in crime. At 6 p.m., take a family-friendly interactive
tour of Kota Ezawa: The Crime of Art
through fun activities that incorporate close observation and group
conversation. The tour will start at the entrance of the exhibition.
Captivating Caper: A Mystery Dinner
Party - Thurs., Apr. 11 | 6 to 9 p.m. | Registration required.
Single Dinner:
VIP | $250
General | Members $150, Non-Members $175
Young Professionals (40 and under) | Members $100, Non-Members $125
Captivating Caper/Soirée Bohème Bundle:
VIP | $450
General | Members $275, Non-Members $325
Young Professionals (40 and under) | Members $185, Non-Members $235
Take a step into a world of intrigue while experiencing Kota Ezawa: The Crime of Art. Whether you come dressed as a dapper detective
or a busy burglar, this festive fête is sure to delight. There will be thrilling melodies and eats, and
a tantalizing case to solve. Hats, monocles, and (non-smoking!) pipes
encouraged. An evening filled with so
much fun it’s almost criminal! For
further information or to register, please call 904.899.6038.
Art Fundamentals: Acrylic Painting - Wed.,
Apr. 17 through May 29 (except May 1) | 1 to 4:30 p.m. | Members $180,
Non-Members $210 | Registration required.
Ages 18 and up. Instructor
Allison Watson introduces painting to beginning students and strengthens the
skills of intermediate painters. Learn composition for landscape and still
life, color theory, and techniques in acrylic. Participants may sign up for multiple
sessions. Supplies are not included. For further information, please email or
call 904.355.0630.
Talks & Tea: Permanent Collection - Wed.,
Apr. 17 | 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. | Members Free, Non-Members $10 | Registration
required. You are invited to the Museum
to enjoy an insightful talk on works of art from our permanent collection over
a cup of tea and a sweet treat. For
further information or to register, please call 904.899.6038.
Art Adventures: Printmaking - Sat.,
Apr. 20 | 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Members $10, Non-Members $15 |
Registration required. Ages 6 through 12. Join the museum on the third Saturday of each
month for studio classes. In this class
students will explore the art of printmaking and how it can be utilized to
create multiple, identical works of art. Students will view diverse examples in the
galleries and employ printmaking techniques in the studio. Class size is limited. For further information, please email or call
904.355.0630.
Family Open Studio: Spring Has Sprung - Sun.,
Apr. 21 | 1 to 3 p.m. | Free with admission | No registration required. Free art-making activity in the Art
Connections studios for all ages! Visitors
will create cards inspired by spring using a variety of different mediums. For further information, please email
or call 904.355.0630.
Art For Tots: Spring In The Garden - Sat.,
Apr. 27 | 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. | Members $10 per pair, Non-Members $15 per pair |
Registration required. Ages 2 & 3
with an adult. Join the Cummer for this
monthly program that helps develop a child’s sensory and motor skills through
art, movement, music, and storytelling. In
this class children will explore the gardens and look at the different shapes
and colors in the natural world. In the studio, children will use nature to
create unique pictures. Entry is through
Art Connections. Class size is limited. For further information, please email or
call 904.355.0630.
Cummer Museum of
Art & Gardens
829
Riverside Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32204
(904) 356-6857
Hours
of Operation & Admission
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has
received an $800,000 gift to name and endow the position of Garden Curator,
thanks to the generosity of the Lorena “Lory” Doolittle and her family. The gift allows the Museum to create The
Doolittle Family Garden Curator position, which will work with the Museum team
to create meaningful, impactful, and artful opportunities that share the
Museum’s historic Gardens with visitors in engaging and inspiring ways.
“With this gift, Lory Doolittle and her
family help assure that the treasures of landscape architecture here at the
Cummer Museum will be stewarded into the future,” states Adam Levine,
Ph.D., the Museum’s George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director & Chief
Executive Officer. “The Cummer Museum houses masterpieces in its galleries by Rubens,
Turner, and Degas, but those are equaled if not exceeded by our outdoor
masterpieces by Meehan, Olmstead, and Shipman. Ms. Doolittle has embraced this view and
through this gift helps provide the care that will make these gardens available
to the Jacksonville community for generations to come.”
Lory Doolittle has been actively involved with the Museum since moving to
Jacksonville in 2004 from Connecticut. She
has worked as a volunteer with the Museum’s Docents since 2013, providing tours
of the galleries and gardens for schools, private groups, and the general public.
She has also been actively involved with
the Cummer Beaches affinity group. Mrs.
Doolittle has been a long-time supporter of the Museum’s mission and vision,
through financial and volunteer support, including service on the Museum’s
Education Committee.
“The Cummer Gardens were created by Ninah
Cummer with care and devotion,” says Lory Doolittle. “With the help of a garden
curator, Mrs. Cummer’s garden legacy will continue to enhance the Cummer Museum
and educate the public.”
The Doolittle gift fully funds the $1.5 million endowment for the position, the
proceeds of which will be used to support the compensation and expenses related
to maintaining a garden curator. The
Garden Curator will establish a strategy to create greater permeability and
crossover between the Museum’s gardens and gallery spaces, develop
garden-related programming, and create partnerships that will promote the
visibility of the gardens in Jacksonville and beyond.
Cummer Museum of Art &
Gardens
829 Riverside
Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32204
(904) 356-6857
Hours of
Operation & Admission
When you want to talk about exquisite music, “World
of Musicals” is onboard with their ten talented singers. This European troupe of five women and 5 men from
Ireland, Scotland and England, recently gave a grand performance to the sold-out audience
at the Times Union Center (Terry Theater) in Jacksonville Florida, with tunes
from some of Broadway’s greatest hits. Direct
from their Australian and European tours, this select cast of highly talented
and accomplished West End performers have been featured in worldwide smash hits
on London’s West End. And they will be continuing
their visit to the USA until the middle
of April.
The costumes were quickly changed as the audience enjoyed one number while being
entertained for the next song. And not
only did they sing, but they also performed all types of dance. We enjoyed music from this era and some older
(but not forgotten) time periods. Some
of the familiar tunes were from: “The
Lion King,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “MaMa Mia,” “Wicked,” “Elvita,” “West Side
Story,” “Pirate King,” “Three Little Maids,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus
Christ Superstar,” “The Greatest Showman,” “South Pacific,” “Oklahoma,” “Singing
in the Rain,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “CATS,” “Jersey Boys,” “Hairspray,” “Beauty &
the Beast,” “Les Miserables,” and ending with a finale from “The Blues Brothers.” Entire songs were sung and the evening only
had one 15-minute intermission.
Due to a lot of smoke coming from the smoke machines, we were not asked to
evacuate the building, but for safety’s sake, the Jacoby Hall, on the second floor
was asked to leave the building; nevertheless, the Times Union had everything
under control and the shows continued to the end.
The only thing that was missing from "World of Musicals" may have been some music from Motown the
Musical, but that show already exists and maybe additional showtunes from Detroit may be added to their
repertoire.
Why don’t you experience how BIG that this
“BIG the musical” can be at the Alhambra Theatre &
Dining, while tickets are still available?
They say that children and animals can steal a show, well, the critics
are correct. The young people in the
ensemble and the youngsters who play Billy and Josh, in the Alhambra production,
steal the show and our hearts with their songs, dancing and memory of all their
lines.
Allow me to focus on the character of Billy
played by Jon Ashton Reid. Jon had some great harmony with Young Josh (Ari Walz) when they sang “You’re
a Big Boy Now”. Jon is the son of
Dr. Carolyn and Mr. Gerald Reid, and young Jon attends Jacksonville Country Day School
where he hones his musical talents. Ari had two songs by himself (“I Want To Go Home & Big”) that he phenomenally
sang.
The entire adult Ensemble stepped-it-up in the production, and carried great
tunes from the direction of choreographer Parker Slaybaugh* and the musical
direction of Cathy Murphy. The adults hold
their own with upbeat songs throughout the presentation especially “MacMillan Toys” and “Coffee, Black”. Well done
troupe!!!
As in years past, the Alhambra Theatre & Dining has been an excellent venue
for Birthdays, Anniversaries and for Prom celebrations. Where else can you get dinner, a great show, a
chance to get dressed up and have a great memorable evening all at one event? Well, Valdosta Open Bible Christian School once again chose
the Alhambra to have their “2019 senior prom”.
Take a look at the fun that the school had a few years ago
when that group attended another play, for their 2017 prom.
Even if you’ve never
seen the motion picture, you will appreciate the storyline that producer/director
Tod Booth* has done with the local run of “BIG,
the musical” in JAX. The meal, as
always, is fabulous. If you like Corned
Beef, then you’ll enjoy the Brown Sugar-Crusted Corned Beef dinner created by
Executive Chef DeJuan Roy. This writer
chose Aunt Mae’s Fried Chicken and was not disappointed - very crisp &
tasty. The Potato & Bacon Chowder
was the best and the Spring Salad was top notch. The Banana Cream pie was a winner for the finale
of my meal. You cannot go wrong with any
selection, and you will be full when you leave.
If you’d like to meet
‘ZOLTAR’, on and off stage (courtesy of Ian Black & Dave Dionne), then you’ll
want to come to “BIG the Musical” asap. The
Walking or Big Piano is literally on stage.
(*denoted Actors’ Equity Association)
‟BIG
The Musical”
DATES: March 27 — April 20,
2019
SHOW TIMES: Evening shows Tuesday
through Sunday start at 8 p.m. Doors
open at 5:30 p.m., and dinner is served until 7:30 p.m. Saturday Matinees
begin at 1:15 p.m. Doors open at 11 a.m.
and the brunch served until 12:50 p.m.
Sunday Matinees are at 2 p.m.
Doors open at 12 p.m. and the meal is server until 1:30 p.m.
DRESS: “Business Casual” or “Sunday
Best”.
TICKETS: Prices range from $38 – $66. Ticket prices include: a plated three-course
meal that changes for each show, and is served directly to your table; a
Broadway-style performance and complimentary parking. Tickets may be purchases on line, or by calling (904) 641-1212.
**Prices do NOT include gratuity,
professional photos, or orders from the bar**
LOCATION: Alhambra Theater & Dining
12000 Beach Blvd.
Jacksonville, Florida 32246
(904) 641-1212
