Summertime at the Cummer Museum in JAX

What a wonderful time to visit the Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens. It’s time to get out of the house and enjoy time with in a unique atmosphere. Come on down to the Cummer.

Free Friday Nights: July 2 through Sept. 3, 2021from 4 to 9 p.m., presented by PNC Bank. Bring a friend, a date, or the whole family to experience art, culture and community this Summer at the Cummer! Come take a moment in their beautiful backyard (aka the Cummer Gardens), and enjoy live music, art experiences, lawn games and more. Visitors will also be able to purchase food and beverages, including beer, wine, and cocktails. Additional programming and activities also will be available for purchase. Advance Registration encouraged, but not required. Like to plan ahead? Pre-order a picnic from the Cummer Café and have dinner and dessert ready for pick up when you arrive. Click here to select your date. Free!

“Promoting the arts and education is a core value at PNC, and given that the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is one of the great and largest cultural resources in Northeast Florida, it’s a win-win,” said Brian Bucher, PNC regional president of North Florida. “Free Fridays provides access to quality, visual art experiences, while supporting the cultural vitality of this region.”

“Our annual Summer at the Cummer gives everyone another reason to love Fridays, and we could not be more excited to welcome our community back for a welcomed and much-needed summer of fun and friendship,” said Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, PhD, the Cummer Museum’s George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs director & chief executive officer. “We are grateful to PNC Bank for once again sponsoring this annual tradition with free admission for all.”

New Exhibition: Rebecca Louise Law: The Journey: Opens July 30.
British artist Rebecca Louise Law has designed and created a site-specific installation using both dried and fresh plant materials to form an immersive visitor experience that explores the relationship between humanity and nature. Click here to learn more.

Events & Programs: Ponce de León Opening for Rebecca Louise Law: The Journey. Wednesday, July 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. Free to Ponce De León Society. Registration required. Member Opening for Rebecca Louise Law: The Journey, Thursday, July 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. Free to Members | Registration required.

Upcoming Artist Events: Meet the Artist: Susan Ober Friday, July 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free with Museum admission.

Meet the Artist: Cassidy Ramos: Friday, Aug. 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free with Museum admission.

Lecture: Ashley Woodson Bailey: Thursday, Sept. 9 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Members $35, Non-Members $45.

Education:
Art Connection Activity Saturday July 10 from11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drop in for a fun activity. Free with Museum admission.

Make & Take Tuesday: Sketching Tuesday, July 13 The Cummer Gardens set the stage for this introduction to sketching. Members $45, Non-Members $60. Registration required.

Slow Art Wednesdays: Virtual Talks: July 14, Looking for Lines July 28, Seeing Shapes from 12 to 1 p.m. Take a fun and mindful break. Free | Registration required.

Studio on the Go: Drop-in Art Making Activity: Sunday, July 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. Art in the Landscape. Free with Museum admission.

Miniature Canvas with Allison Watson: July 31 and August 1, two days from 12 to 4 p.m., each day. An introduction to painting on small canvases. Members $125, Non-Members $155. Registration required.

Cummer Shop: Visit them at the Museum, or from the comfort of home through their online shop. Cool, comfy, and exclusively Cummer! These new shirts are perfect for celebrating all that is summer. Coordinating Summer At The Cummer items include ball caps, hoodies, and more. 

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

Free Summer theater coming to the Florida Theatre

The Florida Theatre’s Theatreworks program has revealed the 2021 lineup for Free Summer Theatre sponsored by CITI. All four Free Summer Theatre events will take place at the Florida Theatre with show times of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Admission is free and reservations are required. Seats can be reserved now at TheatreworksJax.com.

The Florida Theatre’s Theatreworks program provides the best national and international professional touring children’s theatre to the school age children and summer campers of the First Coast region. Founded in 1979, Theatreworks was an independent organization until it merged with the Florida Theatre in 2019.

The 2021 Free Summer Theatre lineup is:
Wednesday, June 16 - Princess Thimbelina: Princess Thimbelina is Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story of a tiny fairy child looking for happiness. The 45-minute musical is vividly presented on stage with giant puppets and inflatable garden. A flower witch enchants the fairy child. A frog scares her. A big blue sparrow hawk befriends her. And a mumbling mole and spinning spider are helped by Thimbelina as she waits for Spring and a chance to bloom. Princess Thimbelina and her menagerie of giant garden animal puppets hope to meet you and share a smile!

Wednesday, July 14 - Doug Berky’s Gems: The World’s Wisdom Stories: Doug Berky believes that stories should be seen as well as heard. He uses improvisation, mime, masks, voice, and puppetry, to let the story to let express itself. The result is a visual feast filled with fanciful characters, drama, comedy, and many twists and turns. The stories are “Gems” of wisdom passed down to us from many peoples around the world. Tales include "The Lion and the Mouse," "The Crocodile and the Monkey," and "The Drip Nose Boy."

Thursday, July 15 - Doug Berky’s No Show: “No Show” is a comic tapestry woven from physical comedy, mime, music, mask theatre, clowning, improvisation, and circus arts. Doug draws from these vast traditions to delight audiences internationally and across the US. “No Show” begins with the premise that a performance has been scheduled, the stage is set with props and costumes, the audience has gathered and is seated and waiting, but the actors are a no show. What might happen when someone from the audience approaches the stage and discovers all that awaits. Masterful mayhem? Perhaps. Imagine one’s first attempt at riding a unicycle, the discovery of theatrical masks, juggling clubs, and a sousaphone. Can one really keep rhythm juggling shakers while playing classical music on harmonica? Experiencing “No Show” may just satisfy your curiosity.

Tuesday, July 20 - The Time Machine: H.G. Wells’s 1895 Science Fiction novel travels to the stage in this “steampunk” rock musical. A Victorian-era time traveler ventures far into the future encountering the ethereal Eloi and the dangerous subterranean Morlocks. He must return to his own time with a lesson in embracing diversity essential to saving the human species.

Theatreworks: Free Summer Theatre is Sponsored by CITI, Kirbo Charitable Trust and W.W. & the Eloise D. Gay Foundation.

All of this year’s Free Summer Theatre events will take place at the Florida Theatre with a limited seating capacity. Please visit each individual event’s page for a list of safety protocols. The Florida Theatre’s most up-to-date safety protocols and COVID-related updates can be found at https://floridatheatre.com/home/breaking-news/.

The historic, nonprofit Florida Theatre is sponsored by Community First Credit Union. For a complete list of upcoming events or to buy tickets visit the Theatre’s official website, floridatheatre.com.

SERIES:                                 Theatreworks: Free Summer Theatre Sponsored by CITI
SHOW DATE:                      Summer 2021 (event dates listed above)
SHOW TIMES:                    11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
TICKET PRICE:                    Free with Reservation
WEBSITES:                 theatreworksjax.com; floridatheatre.com

LOCATION: The Florida Theatre
      128 East Forsyth Street.
      Jacksonville, FL 32202
      (904) 355-2787

It’s time for a Cummer Museum and Gardens August visit

August is a time to stroll through the Cummer Museum and Gardens while there is still warm Summer days and cool Summer nights.  Check your calendars, take a look below, grab the family or your friends and let the good times roll.  Now here’s what’s happening at the Cummer.

Florida Blue Free Tuesday – Each Tues. 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 and Gardens.  Each Tuesday evening, the Cummer Café is open for Tapas Tuesday sponsored by VyStar Credit Union.

Tapas Tuesday – Each Tues. Evening from 5 to 7:30 p.m. | The Cummer Café.  Reservations recommended.  Tap into Tapas Tuesday sponsored by VyStar Credit Union at the Cummer Café. Every Tuesday from 5 to 7:30 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.

Weaver First Saturday Free For All – Sat., Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Free.  No registration required.  The first Sat. 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.

Bank Of America And Merrill Lynch Museums On Us – Sun., Aug. 6 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 more information on the Museum's programming and events, please call (904) 899-6038.

Talks &Tea: Ink, Silk, And Gold – Wed., Aug. 16 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.  Members and Non-Members $6.  Registration required.  In conjunction with Ink, Silk, and Gold: Islamic Treasures from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston you are invited to the Museum to enjoy an insightful talk over a cup of tea and a sweet treat, led by Dilara Hafiz, Adjunct Professor at Jacksonville University and co-author of The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook.  For further information or to register, please call (904) 899-6038.

Art For Tots: New Class! – Sat., June 17 from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.  Members $15 per pair, Non-Members $20 per pair.  Registration required.  This class is for children ages 24-36 months and an accompanying adult.  The program is designed to help develop a child’s sensory and motor skills through art, movement, music and storytelling and takes place in the galleries, garden and studios. Art for Tots is funded through the generosity of the Chartrand Family Foundation. Space is limited, so reservations are encouraged. Entry is through Art Connections. For further information, please email or call (904) 355-0630.

Art Adventures: Self-Portrait! – Sat., Aug. 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Members $10, Non-Members $15.  Registration required.  Join them on the third Saturday of each month for studio classes.  Artists have been making images of themselves since ancient times.  In this class students will view examples of self-portraiture throughout art history before working in the studios to create a work of their own likeness.  Open to children ages 6 through 12.  Class size is limited.  For further information, please email or call (904) 355-0630.

Concert: Riyaaz Qawwali – Fri., Aug. 25 from 7 to 9 p.m.  Members $30, Non-Members $40.  Registration required.  Qawwali, a musical tradition that dates back to the late 13th century, is a style of Muslim devotional music that today is particularly associated with Sufism.  The members of the Riyaaz Qawwali ensemble represent the unique diversity of South Asia.  Now settled in the United States, these musicians hail from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.  They represent multiple religious and spiritual backgrounds and have been professionally performing qawwali for the past eight years.  For further information or to register, please call (904) 899-6038.

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