Christmas time 2021 at the Cummer Museum

Do you hear the sound of reindeer on the roof? Well, if you don’t, then you need to know that it’s almost time for the jolly old man to make his presence known. Come to the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens as you experience a little holiday cheer.

Events & Programs for December 2021:

Illuminating Nature: Dec. 3, 7, 10, 14, & 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. Free

Pressed Flower Workshop With Cassidy Ramos Dec. 11 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. | Members $45, Non-Members $60.

Look at That! Discover the joys of close looking. Dec. 8, Momentous Movement from Noon to 1 p.m. Free | Registration required.

Friday Night Drawing, with William McMahan: Dec. 10 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. | Members $50, Non-Members $75.

Make & Take Tuesday: Ages 12 to adult: Dec. 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. Members $50, Non-Members $60 | Registration required.

Artful Explorations: Activities for all ages: Dec. 12 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Free | Registration required.

Artist Demonstrations, With Allison Watson: Dec. 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. Free | Registration required.

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
   829 Riverside Avenue
   Jacksonville, Florida 32204
   (904) 356-6857
   Hours of Operation & Admission

Cummer Museum celebrates 60 Years in JAX

Despite hurricanes and a pandemic, the "Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens" kicks off its 60th anniversary celebration this Veterans Day weekend with free admission, live music, arts activities and more. Admission is free thanks to support from VyStar Credit Union and PNC Bank.

Since its founding on November 11, 1961, the Museum has served as a dynamic cultural resource bringing the community of Northeast Florida together through the arts, education and its beautiful riverfront gardens. The Cummer Museum’s 60th Anniversary Kick-Off Celebration begins on Thursday, November 11 and continues through Sunday, November 14, 2021; the Museum will also offer programming throughout the year in honor of this special occasion.

“For 60 years, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has served as a vital source of inspiration and a place of reflection for our community — a role that has taken on even greater significance during the pandemic,” said Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D., George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director and CEO of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. “We are excited to celebrate this important moment and welcome everyone to the Museum for a vibrant weekend of art, music and fun.”

Ninah Cummer, the Museum’s namesake, bequeathed her collection of works to create “a center of beauty and culture” for the benefit of all the people of Northeast Florida. Today, the Museum holds over 5,000 works of art in its collection, spanning from 2100 B.C. through the 21st century, and includes 2.5 acres of historic gardens overlooking the St. Johns River. Its robust educational programming provides multigenerational learning through classes, lectures and camps, as well as a series of impactful programs focused on accessibility and inclusivity, including Women of Vision, a unique initiative that brings visual arts to women with blindness or low vision; the Arts4All Festival, an arts festival at the Museum for students with differing abilities living in Northeast Florida; and initiatives like Cummer in the Community, which serves students, staff and families in high priority areas through strategic partnerships with schools and community-based program providers.

The Museum recently launched 60 & 60 in 60, a year-end campaign to welcome 60 new and renewing members to its core membership, and 60 new and renewing donors to the Ponce de León Society (donors who give $1,250 or more per year) by December 31, 2021. This year-end initiative invites the entire community to support ongoing efforts to ensure that the Museum is an inspiring and accessible place for art, beauty and reflection. To join, visit their website.

Over the course of the next year, the Museum will honor its 60th anniversary with a variety of programs and events designed to celebrate its legacy of community impact and signal its future growth.

60th Anniversary Kick-Off Weekend activities will include:

Thurs., Nov. 11 | Veterans Day | Museum Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | FREE. Admission sponsored by VyStar Credit Union.
Let’s Ride Brass Band: Sets every hour at 12 p.m., 1 p.m. & 2 p.m.; Permanent Collection Highlight Tours: 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; “Ninah Cummer’s Museum: On Women and Art in American Society”: A virtual lecture with Scott Brown, Ph.D., Ninah Cummer’s Museum: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
All day: Lawn games in the Gardens; Drop-in papermaking activity; 60th anniversary scavenger hunt.

Fri., Nov. 12 | Museum Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | FREE. Admission sponsored by PNC Bank
Streams of Sound: Playing on the Upper Tier Colonnade from 1 to 4 p.m.; Groov Band: Playing in the Cummer Café from 5:30 to 8 p.m.; Jeremy Prince Jazz Trio: Playing on the Upper Tier Colonnade from 5:30 to 8 p.m.; Permanent Collection Highlight Tours: 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Food & Fun: 5 to 8 p.m.; Food station with gourmet hot dogs, homemade gelato and bar in the Upper Tier; Balloon animals; Face painting in the Gardens by Debra Heuskin-Adloff.
All day: Lawn games in the Gardens; Drop-in papermaking activity; 60th anniversary scavenger hunt.

Sat., Nov. 13 | Museum Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | FREE. Let’s Ride Brass Band: Playing sets every hour at 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.; Permanent Collection Highlight Tours: 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Food & Fun: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Food station with gourmet hot dogs, homemade gelato and bar in the Upper Tier; Face painting in the Gardens with Debra Heuskin-Adloff; Balloon animals.
All day: Lawn games in the Gardens; Drop-in papermaking activity; 60th anniversary scavenger hunt.

Sun., Nov. 14 | Museum Hours: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. | FREE. The Band Be Easy: Playing sets from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., and 1:45 to 2:45 p.m.; Permanent Collection Highlight Tours: 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Food & Fun: 12 to 3 p.m.; Food station with gourmet hot dogs, homemade gelato and bar in the Upper Tier; Face painting in the Gardens with Debra Heuskin-Adloff.
All day: Lawn games in the Gardens; Drop-in papermaking activity; 60th anniversary scavenger hunt.

**All events are rain or shine and moved indoors if inclement weather arises.

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
   829 Riverside Avenue
   Jacksonville, Florida 32204
   (904) 356-6857
   Hours of Operation & Admission

Autumn has come to the Cummer this Oct 2021

Yes, it has gotten a little cooler and the Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens is the perfect place to spend the day with family, out of town guests, friends and anyone you’d like to spend some time with. Call today and make your appointment to relax in a socially distant, masked, sanitized, friendly and educational atmosphere. Come to the Cummer!

Events & Programs:
A More Sustainable Life – A virtual panel discussion on ways to live sustainably. October 19 from 7 to 8 p.m. Free | Registration required.

Creepin’ it Real Halloween Art Tour – Tuesday, October 26 | Time: drop in 6 - 8pm | Cost: FREE! — This Halloween, experience the Museum as you never have before! Your spooky art experience begins when you pick up your Halloween scavenger hunt clues from the ghost of Ninah Cummer herself! As you put your sleuthing skills to work, you’ll discover Visitor Experience staff throughout the museum dressed as pieces from our collection and ready to deliver all its spine-chilling secrets, along with free trunk-or-treat style prizes! You’d have to be undead to miss it!

The Shop's Autumn Artisan Market in the Cummer Gardens Features exceptional products by women makers and designers. October 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gallery Walk: with the Chief Curator — An inside look at The Journey October 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Members $50, Non-Members $60. Registration required.

Friday Night Picnics — October through December from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Prices and menu items vary.

Education:
Artful Explorations — Drop-in activities for all ages October 10 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Free.

Look at That! — Discover the joys of close looking. October 13 Proper Proportion; October 27, Perceiving Perspective from Noon to 1 p.m. Free | Registration required.

Exploring Color, Acrylic Painting: with Allison Watson — Oct. 13, 20, 27; Nov. 3, 10, 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. Members $270, Non-Members $360. Registration required.

Basic Drawing: with William McMahan — Oct. 14, 28; Nov. 4, 11, 18; Dec. 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. Members $270, Non-Members $360. Registration required.

Teachers' Lounge — October 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. Free | Registration required.

Pressed Flower Virtual Workshop: with Cassidy Ramos — October 24. 12:30 to 2 p.m. Members $45, Non-Members $60. Registration required.

The Art of Nature” Glamping Dinner Party – Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 from 6 to 9 p.m.: Where nature meets luxury, and the perfect spot to glamp is the Cummer Gardens! Connect with the outdoors in style during this fancy, bohemian fête amidst the Cummer Oak and historic gardens. Wander and experience a unique culinary feature at every turn, whether in one of our garden tents or charming outdoor lounges. This will be a garden party like no other – a true celebration of glamour entwined with nature! Pricing varies.

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
   829 Riverside Avenue
   Jacksonville, Florida 32204
   (904) 356-6857
   Hours of Operation & Admission

Rebecca Louise Law’s: ‘The Journey’ at the Cummer

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens has commissioned British installation artist, Rebecca Louise Law, to create and implement a site-specific installation, using flowers and natural materials, exploring the relationship between humanity and nature. The exhibition will open to the public on Friday, July 30, 2021, and run through January 9, 2022.

A proponent of sustainability, Law will incorporate 1.2 million flowers from her previous installations around the world in the creation of the Museum’s installation, which also requires more than 1,200 community volunteer hours to install.

“I want this installation to be a physical and participatory experience. After exploring the intimacy of the womb and the sensation of being consumed and cocooned in nature, I would like to explore the momentum of life,” said Law. “From the second we are formed in cells we are moving and changing, within a world that is also evolving. The motion of walking through nature and witnessing its many forms from life to death. This rhythmic cycle that we are all participants of, fascinates me. This installation will be a short journey through nature, with its many forms and scents, stimulating the senses to the extreme.”

“Law’s site-specific installation, The Journey, is a timely invitation to immerse ourselves in nature’s abundant splendor and soak in its awe-inspiring beauty,” said Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D., the Museum’s George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director and CEO. “In recent months, most have at times felt fragile, depleted and vulnerable. Law’s poetic installation, incorporating millions of delicate dried and fresh flowers that have been painstakingly linked together by hand, is an apt metaphor for our shared quest to emerge stronger and more resilient than ever. This exhibition promises to activate our senses and ignite collective joy. We are privileged to present an original installation by this internationally acclaimed artist, whose work introduces new dimensions to the Museum’s emphasis on art, gardens, and education.”

Law uses both dried and fresh flowers in her work to illuminate the time-bound and natural process of decay, which is an integral part of her practice. Inspired by the dried flowers that hung in her attic as a child, Law’s “sculptures” are suspended from above and held together with copper wire, which are assembled by volunteers.

The volunteer effort began in mid-July, with community members assisting with stringing together garlands of flowers and taking some ownership over the installation — an aspect of the project that the artist feels passionate about.

“The Cummer Museum is thrilled that so many community members jumped at the opportunity to take part in the installation of Rebecca’s exhibition,” said Holly Keris, the Museum’s J. Wayne & Delores Barr Weaver Chief Curator. “While community participation has always been an important component of her work, whether actively by wiring flowers or more passively through physically and emotionally immersing themselves in the finished product, it has taken on a new level of significance during the pandemic. I hope visitors experiencing this installation will take a moment to delight in the abundance of the Earth, marvel at the interconnectivity of people and nature and our individual roles within our community microcosm and contemplate our collective journey over the past year.”

About Rebecca Louise Law: Based in the Snowdonia National Park in Wales, Law has been commissioned to create installations at the Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens, Chandran Gallery in San Francisco, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London and in New York City’s Times Square, among other venues. Her work has been exhibited at a range of galleries and at major institutions, including the Royal Academy and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
   829 Riverside Avenue
   Jacksonville, Florida 32204
   (904) 356-6857
   Hours of Operation & Admission