The Cummer Museum and Gardens are awaiting your return

It may be hot outside but inside the Cummer Museum and outside in the cool luscious Gardens near the St. John’s River it’s cool, inviting and just lovely. Grab a friend, relative or come by yourself and enjoy what’s in store for you this month at the museum.

Events & Programs for June 2021:

Yoga in the historic gardens: Thursday, June 10 starting at 10 a.m. Enjoy a Mindful Yoga hour in the historic gardens. Members $10, Non-Members $15 | Registration required.

Queer: Exploring art and artists in the Museum's collection: Tuesday, June 15  & Saturday, June 19. Explore various works, along with themes of LGBT+ initiatives, with one of our Visitor Experience Associates. Free | Registration required.

Donte Palmer, Founder of Squat for Change: Thursday, June 17 starting at 7 p.m. (Virtual lecture) Free | Registration required. Sponsored by Northern Trust.

Zanele Muholi in Conversation: Friday, June 18 starting at 2 p.m. (Virtual program) Free | Registration required.

Friday Night Picnics: Friday Nights in June from 5 to 9 p.m. Prices vary | Registration required.

EDUCATION: Slow Art Wednesdays: Virtual Talks. Wednesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 23 starting at 12 p.m. Take a fun and mindful break. Topics vary; second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. Free | Registration required.

Family Experience: Interactive Virtual Tour: Friday, June 18 starting at 6 p.m. Imprisoned but Empowered: Cheyenne Warrior Artists Free | Registration required.

Studio on the Go: Drop-in Art Making Activity: Sunday, June 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. Imprisoned but Empowered: Cheyenne Warrior Artists Free with Museum admission.

GARDEN CONCERT:
Two options for a socially distanced experience. Attend one or both! Saturday, June 26
First concert: 4:30 p.m. Doors open. 5 to 5:30 p.m. “Let’s Ride Brass Band”. 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. “The Groove Coalition”. Prices vary | Registration required.

Second concert: 7 p.m. Doors Open 7:30 to 8 p.m. “Let’s Ride Brass Band”. 8 to 9 p.m. “The Groove Coalition”. Sponsored by Joan & Jim Van Vleck.

New Exhibition: Imprisoned but Empowered: Cheyenne Warrior Artists at Fort Marion. Now on view. In 1875, following the Red River War, the United States government ordered the arrest of 72 Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche, Caddo, and Arapaho warriors. Taken from their families, they arrived at Ft. Marion in St. Augustine, their home for the next three years. For nearly 100 years, this narrative was told and retold by historians and government agents.  However, the Cheyenne have their own story to tell: a story highlighting the journey east, as well as the life they left behind. A story told in art. Click here to learn more.

Cummer Shop: Visit the Museum store in person, or from the comfort of home through their online shop.

Recommended Reading! One of the museum’s new favorites - Art from Fort Marion: The Silberman Collection. Striking color images depict traditional lifeways and the pain of imprisonment by artists who graphically recorded their responses to incarceration in drawings that conveyed both their present reality and their nostalgic memories.

In order to prioritize the health of our guests and our staff, and to minimize touch points and onsite capacity, all visitors must reserve a timed ticket for entry. Timed tickets are available Tuesday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or 4 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m. RESERVE YOUR ADMISSION TICKET NOW Facial Masks are strongly recommended!

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

The Cummer Museum is ready to entertain you

Here are a few ideas to bring your family and friends to this month. Give them a call and make your reservation today. Make plans to have a Merry Christmas this year. 

Illuminating Nature | December 11, 15, 18 | 5 to 9 p.m. + Admission to the Museum and Gardens is FREE on Tuesday and Friday nights and includes this event. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Register Here. Play witness to the transformative power of light and color in the Cummer Gardens during this unique opportunity to view a familiar landscape in a whole new light!

After the sun goes down, come experience an installation of glowing fabric sculptures throughout the Cummer Gardens. Make an evening with them by dining in the Café (reservations are suggested), enjoying live music, and cozying up with a beverage from the garden bar.

Winter Art Camp (Virtual!) December 28, 29, 30 - During this online winter camp, young artists will explore the Museum to experience different perspectives and mediums across cultures, times, and locations and create their own unique artworks.
Ages 6 to 8 from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Ages 9 to 12 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Register Here. Members | $25 per class; Non-Members | $30 per class. + Registration fee includes art kit to complete art-making activities during each class and a complimentary family admission pass.

Shop the Season – Shop Online: Just in time for the Holidays! Gifts from the Cummer Shop support our mission, and we know you will find unique finds they will adore. Free ground shipping on orders over $50. Offer expires Dec. 17. Use your member discount code, Member10, at checkout and save 10% off all purchases.

Meal Delivery

Let Chef's Garden cook for you! The Cummer Café is adapting to be more socially responsible in finding ways to best serve you, their valued community. Chef’s Garden, the Café’s catering team, is taking even more precautions to ensure they are working to the highest levels of health and safety standards. Chef’s Garden’s Meal Delivery Program offers socially responsible dining options with ready to eat meals for your family dinners. Available for same-day delivery when purchased before 12 p.m.

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

Get ready for ‘Christmas Made in the South 2019’

To answer your question, “Christmas Made in the South” is a show presented by Carolina Show’s Inc. that featured ‘hand-crafted items.  Last year the Jacksonville, Florida event featured over 250 local artists and out-of-town vendors selling one-of-a-kind merchandise.  The 31st event will be right after Thanksgiving.

There is an abundance of food, pillows, hair bows, wrought iron sculptures, calligraphy, doll clothes, dog wear, rubber stamps, hammocks, puzzles, gadgets, books, boomerangs, birdhouses, stuffed animals, candles, artwork, sweaters, scarves & other clothing, pictures, paintings, calendars, pottery, grills, shoes, toys, educational components, plaques, jewelry, garden decor, glass art, lamps, baby items, coasters, things for the hunter and many, many, many, beautiful Christmas decorations.

After walking the outskirts of the booths and then zigzagging up and down the aisles, this writer covered the entire show in about three exciting hours.  There was so much to see and people were more than ready to explain how they made their wares.  It is a wonderful experience!

Customers weren’t just looking; they were walking out with bag and bags of goodies to give to others and keep for themselves.  This year’s event will continue to be the best shopping experience here in the Jacksonville, Florida area.

Below are some of the vendors and their websites that were here in the past.  Get ready to attend this year, and see if you can find any of these companies.  Be on the lookout for gifts to please that special someone in your life.  Take a look at some of the vendors below from prior CMITS events here in JAX, FL. and see if they return this year:

Bridget & Pauley Gourmet Soups & Dips	Incredible Eggs (Eggzkwizit Art)
Iris Korthauer Doily Boutique	Brooms and Boxes (A Shaker Tradition)
Wings of Faith (Inspiration & Keepsake Line)	Nut ‘n’ Better
U Name It Bears	Picturesque Wires
ABA Collectables	Nutty Bavarian
MIOTG (Hand Painted Crystal Nail Files)	R.B.W. Enterprise

Thanks to Russ, Bob Hunt, and Allison, of Carolina Shows Inc., who have been so hospitable to this Blogger.

“Christmas Made In The South”

DATES:
November 29 - Dec. 1, 2019
Fri. 9-6 - Sat. 10-6 - Sun. 11-5
(one admission is good for all 3 days with a hand stamp)

TICKETS: may be purchased onsite.
Adults: $8 – Children 12 & Under: FREE
$1.00 off Coupons with ‘discount coupon’ link

LOCATION:
 Prime Osborn Convention Center
 1000 Water St.
 Jacksonville, FL 32204

Cummer offers FREE admission for Kids in November

Extra, Extra!  In partnership with Visit Jacksonville, the Cummer Museum will be participating in Kids Free November. Along with other leading kid-approved attractions in Jacksonville, the Museum will offer free admission throughout the month of November 2018, to children ages 12 and under.  Bring the family, invite your neighbors and friends to make a day at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.

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 open for Tapas Tuesday sponsored by VyStar Credit Union.

Tapas Tuesday - Tap into Tapas Tuesday sponsored by VyStar Credit Union at the Cummer Café.  Reservations recommended!  Every Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. on the Cummer Café patio, 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.

Artists & World War I: The Home Front - Thu, Nov 1 | 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. | Members Free, Non-Members $10 | Registration required.  World War I was the first truly mechanized global war and it changed everything, including art.  This four-part series examines how artists captured the Great War and the post-war world, creating the path for Modern Art that would send shock waves across the cultural landscape.  Those left behind felt the impact of the Great War as well. London and Paris were draped in khaki with soldiers on leave and wounded coming home.  The war in the air left them in rubble.  The new Imperial War Museum in London helped create assignments of official war artists, while their Women’s Commission sought to document the new roles that women were taking in hopes of finally achieving women’s suffrage.  Bernard Meninsky, Anna Airy, Childe Hassam, Marsden Hartley, and Eric Kennington created art that evoked the stress and camaraderie of the Home Front. Join Museum staff to discover Artists & World War I:  The Home Front including time in the galleries.  Space is limited.  For further information, please email or call 904.355.0630.

Cummer Beaches Lecture Series: Caravaggio and the Drama of Baroque Art - Fri, Nov 2 | 5:30 to 7 p.m. | Free | No registration required.  Beaches Museum & History Park Chapel.  Although he died in 1610, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, the bad boy of Baroque art, cast a long shadow over most of the 17th century.  Numerous artists were influenced by him while others rejected his dramatic and realistic approach.  Selections from the Museum’s impressive Baroque collection, including an early work by Peter Paul Rubens, will be discussed in the context of Caravaggio’s contributions and challenges to artistic norms.  For further information, please email Brittany Nazario or call 904.899.6007.

Weaver First Saturday Free for All - Sat., Nov. 3rd.  from 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.

Garden Concert: Crescendo Amelia - Sat, Nov 3 | Doors open at 6 p.m., Concert 7 to 9 p.m. | Members $20, Non-Members $25, Reserved table and seating for 10 $400 | Registration required.  Featuring both male and female vocalists and an 8-piece horn section, this 14-piece band is guaranteed to get you out of your seat and dancing.  From traditional jazz to Motown, pop, classic rock, and current dance music, Crescendo Amelia offers a little something for everyone.  The Garden Concert series takes place in the beautiful and historic Cummer Gardens overlooking the St. Johns River. Guests are invited to bring chairs, picnics, and beverages to enjoy an evening of music under the stars. Reservations are required.  For further information or to register, please call 904.899.6023.

Bank Of America And Merrill Lynch Museums On Us - Sun., Nov. 4th. from 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.

Art Fundamentals: Acrylic Painting - Wed, Nov 7 through Dec 19 (except Nov 14) | 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: Azaleas to Zinnias - Wed, Nov 7 | 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 Azaleas to Zinnias over a cup of tea and a sweet treat.  The talk will be led by Jacksonville Artists Guild Board Member Ron Episcopo and Best in Show Award Winner Susan Astleford.  For further information or to register, please call 904.899.6023.

Holiday Shoppes at The Cultural Center At Ponte Vedra Beach - Fri, Nov 9 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Admission $5.  Sawgrass Marriott.  The Cummer Shop will be participating in the 2018 Holiday Shoppes at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach.  This fundraiser benefits the Museum and arts educational programs serving children and families at The Cultural Center.  The Shoppes will feature premier boutiques and shops from across the country.  For further information, please call 904.899.6035.

Cummer Beaches Book Club - Mon, Nov 12.  For further information, please email Tad Shuman.

History of Western Art: Baroque Art - Tue, Nov 13 | 10:30 a.m. to Noon | Members Free, Non-Members $10 | Registration required.  Explore art history through this monthly series of lectures that includes time in the galleries.  Brush up on your art history for personal enjoyment as Museum staff leads you through the history of Western Art.  Space is limited.  For further information, please email or call 904.355.0630.

Lecture & Luncheon: “Where We Want To Live” with Ryan Gravel of the Atlanta Beltline - Wed, Nov 14 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Members $30, Non-Members $40 | Registration required.  Join the Cummer Museum for a luncheon and lecture by Ryan Gravel, known for his work on the Atlanta Beltline.  The Atlanta Beltline was born in academia as an idea for a better way of life. Its author talks about how this catalyst infrastructure project came to life, what it means, why it matters, and how it fits into a much larger cultural momentum that can forever change the way we think about and build the places where we live.  For further information or to register, please call 904.899.6023.

Art For Tots: Prepare The Feast! - Thu, Nov 15 and Sat, Nov 17 | 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. | $10 per pair | Registration required.  Ages 24 through 36 months with an adult.  Art often reflects what the culture values.  This class will look at the importance of food during celebrations.  Children will view food in art, listen to a story about a family feast, and create their own artwork inspired by food. Art for Tots is funded through the generosity of the Chartrand Family Foundation.  Entry is through Art Connections.  Class size is limited.  For further information, please email or call 904.355.0630.

Art Adventures: Augusta Savage! - Sat, Nov 17 | 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 visit the special exhibition celebrating the life and work of Florida native and Harlem Renaissance artist Augusta Savage, whose sculptures of prominent African American leaders elevated images of Black culture into mainstream America. Projects will be completed within one class period.  Class size is limited.  For further information, please email or call 904.355.0630.

Classical Concert - Sun, Nov 18 | 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.| Free to Members, Non-Members $10 | Registration required.  Join the Museum for a classical concert with an ensemble performance by the Jacksonville Symphony inspired by the Baroque works in the Semmes Gallery.  For further information or to register, please call 904.899.6023.

Museum Store Sunday - Sun, Nov 25 | Noon to 4 p.m. | Free | No registration required.  The Sunday after Thanksgiving is a worldwide shopping day at museums and other cultural venues to spotlight the unique shopping experiences and meaningful gift giving provided by museum stores.  Shop at the Cummer Shop on Museum Store Sunday and find special incentives for holiday gift purchasing that “gives back.”  For further information visit HERE.

A Taste of Home - Wed, Nov 28 | 6 to 8 p.m. | Members $50, Non-Members $60 | Registration required.  Adults only | Doors open at 5:45. Join the museum for a special tasting experience inspired, not only by Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman, but also by the woman herself, who called Northeast Florida home.  This evening will feature culinary creations by local chef Kenny Gilbert and our very own Cummer Cafe.  Chef Gilbert is known for his various restaurants around Jacksonville, his involvement in the local food scene, and for being a contestant on Top Chef Season 7.  For further information or to register, please call 904.899.6023.

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

'Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens' presents ‘Champagne & Shopping’

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens presents its annual Champagne & Shopping event from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, December 7 and 8 at the Cummer Shop.  Guests will enjoy holiday music, complimentary champagne, and appetizers, as well as 20% discounts on every purchase, in addition to regular member discounts.  Champagne & Shopping offers a unique opportunity to purchase holiday gifts while also supporting the mission of the Museum.

This year the Cummer Shop is excited to host brands such as: Amelia Toffee Company, Not your Grandma's toffee; Brackish: Original feather bow ties; Italianissimo: Very Italian modern design jewelry; Los Angeles Trading Co: Lifestyle branded items; Melissa & Doug: Toys to ignite the imagination; Mierco: Fine European linens; Museum Coffee House: Brew your next masterpiece; Oberon: Adornments by Lynn Soloway; Tourance: Lush & lavish personal accessories; Wolf & Cub: Cool curiosities; and much, much more!

For further information, please contact the Cummer Shop at shop@cummermuseum.org, call (904) 899-6035 or follow #ShopTheSeason on Facebook and Instagram for previews of exciting merchandise and details!  Purchases made during the event will support the Cummer Museum’s ongoing mission to engage and inspire through the arts, gardens, and education.

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

“Forget You, Help Someone Else Too”

This is not a “look what I did” segment, but a “stop looking at your problems and think of someone else” portion.  On Thursday, a neighbor, who is also a friend we met while stationed overseas, passed from this life.  He was only forty-two, recently retired from the US Air Force, and he left a wife and three children.  The Holy Spirit prompted me to let the wife know that I was praying for her. (We don’t always have to express sympathy in words, or with cards or flowers.  All that is necessary sometimes is just to be there to listen or to hold someone when they’re ready to mourn.  The person who has left this world is, hopefully, going to a better place.  No pain, no strain, just a gain of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  But that was already discussed and will be discussed again later).  I asked her if she wanted me to contact our mutual friend in England.  The widow wanted our friend in England to know what had happened, and God used me to be a blessing to her in that capacity.  No, I didn’t consider the cost of the phone calls, the postage, or my time.  God would supply all my need, but I did make sure it was okay with my husband that I made the phone calls.  It was, and I pressed on and did what God would have me to do.

God gave me another revelation this morning while I prepared for church (the bathroom is a wonderfully quiet place to hear God speak to you).  If we praise God more and give Him the glory and the credit for the things not seen, we will reap more of His blessings.  It’s that easy.  Attribute it all to Jesus and make Him the Head-Man-In-Charge.  Have you noticed that, if we give all of the credit to Him, God will give us the desires of our heart because He won’t make Himself look bad?

“Lord, have I mentioned how much I miss shopping?”  I had received all the new fall catalogues.  All I could do right then was to claim the merchandise soon in Jesus’ name.  My blessings were coming in slowly.  I saw a pair of shoes that were marked down from $58 to $14.  That’s my kind of shopping!  The other blessing was that my daughter purchased those shoes for me from her second paycheck.  Here she was, sixteen-years-old, working part-time, and she thought of me.  What a blessing my children are!  I know God is going to bless me immensely by allowing me to be a blessing to others.

To read the rest of the story – get the book: “Bent But Not Broken” by Ms. "V" (Victoria Thomas Poller)

The Top 5 Viewer Areas to Ms. "V"s Website for April 16, 2013 – April 28, 2013 are:

•   Florida
•  Colorado
•  Georgia
•   Tennessee
•  Arizona

Ms. “V” WELCOMES All the new visitors coming to her site.

***Please Check the “Reaction” box at the bottom***