Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens 2017 February happenings

Love is in the air and the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens has a great deal of Renaissance and Modern art to get you ready for Valentine’s Day.  Did you forget?  Well, it’s not too late to make plans for you and your Sweetheart to have a night out at the museum.  There’s also always something for the children to do at the Cummer.

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 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.

Rosenwald: Movie and Discussion – Wed., Feb. 1.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m., Film at 7 p.m. | Members and Non-Members $10. Registration required.  Join the Museum for a special collaboration with MOSH to present the film, Rosenwald. Hear the story of Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish philanthropist who joined forces with Booker T. Washington and African American communities to build more than 5,000 schools for African American children. This film sheds light on a silent partner of the pre-Civil Rights Movement, along with his ties to Jacksonville and artist Augusta Savage. Discussion to follow the movie. For further information or to register, please call (904) 899-6038.
Weaver First Saturday Free For All – Sat., Feb. 4, 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.

Bank Of America And Merrill Lynch Museums On Us – Sun., Feb. 5, 2017, from 12 to 4 p.m. | Free to cardholders.  No registration required.  The Cummer Museum 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.

Arts & Civil Rights: A Panel Discussion – Tues., Feb. 7 from 7 to 8 p.m. | Free.  Registration required. Enjoy a free panel discussion moderated by Nancy Broner of OneJax and featuring leaders from the Civil Rights Movement alongside current community activists, including those who incorporate the arts in their activism. For further information or to register, please call (904) 899-6038.

Art For Two: Traveling The World! – Sat., Feb. 11 from 10:30 a.m. to Noon | Members $15 per pair, Non-Members $20 per pair. Registration required.  Students will view art depicting different countries in Academic Splendor and the Permanent Collection, then will return to the studio to create an internationally-inspired piece of art. Projects will be completed within one class. Open to children ages 3 through 5 and their favorite adult. Class size is limited. For further information, please email or call (904) 355-0630.

Lift: Closing Celebration – Sun., Feb. 12 from Noon to 4 p.m. | Free. No registration required.  LIFT comes to a close on the 117th anniversary of the very first performance of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing in 1900. Enjoy live music, special performances of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., and visit with participating artists as you visit the exhibition one last time. For further information, please call (904) 899-6038.

History Of Western Art: Realism, Impressionism, And Post-Impressionism – Tues., Feb. 14 from 10:30 a.m. to Noon | Members Free, Non-Members $10 (includes admission). Registration required. Explore art history through this monthly series of lectures that includes time in the Galleries. If you want to brush up on your art history for personal enjoyment, then join Director of Education Lynn Norris as she leads you through the history of Western Art. Space is limited. For further information, please email or call (904) 355-0630.

Talks & Tea: Academic Splendor – Wed., Feb. 15 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. | Members and Non-Members $6. Registration required. You are invited to the Museum to enjoy an insightful talk over a cup of tea and a sweet treat, led by Associate Curator Nelda Damiano on Academic Splendor. For further information or to register, please call (904) 899-6038.

Cummer Amelia: Lunch, Lecture, & Tour – Thurs., Feb. 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Members $35, Non-Members $45. Registration required.  Cummer Amelia and Cummer Beaches partner for a lunch, lecture, and tour at the Cummer Museum. Dr. Katie Hanson, Assistant Curator, Art of Europe at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will be discussing the role and impact of art academies in conjunction with Academic Splendor: Nineteenth-Century Masterworks from the Dahesh Museum. For further information please call Wendy Mayle at (904) 899-6007 or email.

Distinguished Lecture: Dr. Katie Hanson – Thurs., Feb. 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Members $30, Non-Members $40. Registration required. Join the Museum for a lecture with Dr. Katie Hanson, Assistant Curator, Art of Europe at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, who will be discussing the role and impact of art academies in conjunction with Academic Splendor: Nineteenth-Century Masterworks from the Dahesh Museum. For further information or to register, please call (904) 899-6038.

Art & Architecture Tour – Sat., Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. or Noon | Members and Non-Members $250. Registration required. Celebrate the connections between great art, domestic architecture, and nature, featuring the distinctive work of Richard Skinner & Associates. This tour, with a morning or afternoon option, is an exclusive event to benefit art, gardens, and education programs at the Cummer Museum. For further information or to register, please call (904) 899-6027 or email.

Art Adventures: Masterworks! – Sat., Feb. 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Members $10, Non-Members $15. Registration required. In this class, students will visit Academic Splendor, featuring academically-trained European artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries, then return to the studio to create works inspired by the various peoples and places depicted within the exhibition. Projects will be completed within one class. Open to children ages 6 through 12. Class size is limited. For further information, please email or call (904) 355-0630.

The Search For Paradise: A History Of Western Gardens: The Baroque Garden – Tues., Feb. 21 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. | Members Free, Non-Members $10 (includes admission). Registration required. Explore garden history through this four-part lecture series. Join Director of Education Lynn Norris for a trip through some of the world’s great gardens as we trace the connections between art and gardens. Space is limited. For further information, please email or call (904) 355-0630.

Lunching With The Ritz: A Lunchtime Chamber Concert – Wed., Feb. 22 from 12:30 p.m. | Free with Museum Admission. Registration required. Make your lunch hour more enjoyable with a concert from the Ritz Chamber Players. Pre-order a box lunch from the Cummer Café (for an additional fee) and enjoy a special performance. For further information or to register, please call (904) 899-6038.

Sunday Classical Concert – Sun., Feb. 26 from 1:30 p.m. | Free with Museum Admission. Registration required. Join the Museum for a classical concert inspired by the works of Academic Splendor: Nineteenth-Century Masterworks from the Dahesh Museum of Art. 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

Gail Bliss is back in JAX for ‘A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline’

She’s ‘Back in Baby’s Arms’ at the Alhambra Theater & Dining, where you can close your eyes and imagine the melodious tunes of the comparable songstress Gail Bliss (take a look and listen to her video here), who performs as Virginia Hensley; Ms Patsy Cline.  Gail epitomizes the very essence of Patsy Cline – from Patsy’s early career up until her untimely death back in 1963.  Ms. Bliss has returned to celebrate the Alhambra’s 50th Anniversary and welcomes her new attendees along with her “Repeat Offenders” (a term of endearment given by Gail, to all of her friends who have returned to see any of her numerous shows around the country).

It takes many fine people to orchestrate a show like “A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline”.  Gail’s musicians are a top-notch crew of professional instrumentalist and vocalists.  Paul Kramer is the Band Leader, plays Fiddle, Tic-Tac Bass & adds his Vocals to the mix; Russ Wever and Eric Lewis are the Steel Guitarists; Dan Embree, Vegas/Opry Comic, Little Big Man and Radio Announcer brings back memories of commercials such as: “Mr. Clean”, “Winston Cigarettes”, “Ajax Foaming Cleanser”, “Stand Back Analgesic Powder” & “Ajax Laundry Detergent”; Bryan Aylor plays a mean set of Drums; Pen Pennington is on Electric and Acoustic Guitar and lends his Voice; Rory Hoffman is the Vocal Director, plays Piano, Saxophone & contributes vocals; and Dave Webb really get into playing his Upright Bass as he too helps with the vocals.

Gail Bliss was chosen, by Mr. Charlie Dick (Patsy Cline's husband), because of her resemblance to Patsy Cline in voice, talent and in stature.  Gail is also a ‘master of costume changes’ (from different eras) that she portrays during each performance.  When Gail Bliss turns into Patsy Cline, she requires a personal assistant/dresser (Linzy Lauren) to help her quickly get in and out of dazzling outfits, shoes, boots and wigs.  Any musician would know that you cannot get along without proper Sound Engineers, so Gail has two of the finest - Bill Lilliman and Dave VanderKamp.

Happily married to John Eberhard, Gail also enjoys her Harley, her '64 GTO, her home and marathon running.  She flies the friendly skies with American Airlines, as an international flight attendant based in New York City, for the past 32 years, with her main routes in South America and Europe.  So, if you think that you were served by Gail Bliss (Patsy Cline) on a flight to one of these countries – you may have been on one of her flights.

Below are the songs that Gail sings during her 2017 performance at the Alhambra Theater and Dining: “Come On In (Make Yourself at Home”), “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “Gotta Lot of Rhythm in My Soul,” “Seven Lonely Days,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “Life’s Railway to Heaven,” “Stop, Look and Listen,” “Faded Love,” “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” (video of Patsy), “Lovesick Blues”, “I Don’t Wanta,” “Leavin’ on Your Mind,” “Blue Moon of Kentucky” (video of Patsy), “She’s Got You,” “Back In Baby’s Arms,” “Oh Susannah,” “Sweet Dreams” (video and pictures of Patsy), “I Fall To Pieces”, “Bill Bailey Won’t You Please Come Home,” “Crazy”, and a repeat of “Just a Closer Walk With Thee.”  Now that’s a show!!!

The meal that Chef DeJuan Roy has prepared is fit for the queen of country and for those who come to enjoy “A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline”.  Take a look at the menu and get your tickets for the Alhambra Theatre & Dining before they run out.

Want to hear more?  Don’t miss any of your favorite music and a great new CD (“Play It By heart”) from Gail.  Take a little time to visit her store and cherish every memory from the Alhambra.  Also, if you’re looking for something to do next Monday, see “Bliss and the Boys” at the Mudville Music Room on Monday's; February 6 and February 13, 2017 at 7 p.m.

A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline
  starring Gail Bliss

DATES: January 27 - February 19, 2017
PLEASE NOTE NEW SHOW TIMES: Evening shows Tuesday through Sunday start at 7:50 p.m.  Doors open at 5:50 p.m., and dinner will be served until 7:20 p.m.  Saturday Matinees begin at 1:15 p.m.  Doors open at 11 a.m. and the brunch ends at 12:45 a.m.  Sunday Matinees are at 1:50 p.m.  Doors open at 11:50 a.m. and the meal service ends at 1:20 p.m.

DRESS: “Business Casual,” “Country,” or “Sunday Best.”

TICKETS: Range from $49.95 – $57.  Ticket prices include: a plated dinner served to your table, an incredible show and prime parking.  Group sales of 20 + are available upon request.  Price does NOT include gratuity or orders from the bar.

LOCATION: Alhambra Theater & Dining
       12000 Beach Blvd.
       Jacksonville, Florida 32246
       (904) 641-1212

Abducted Jacksonville Florida girl found after 18 years

Mobley(left) & Williams (right)

If your child were abducted in July 1998 (some 18 years ago,) and that child was recently found; as parents and as the almost grown child, what would you do and how would you react?  Kamiyak Mobley (renamed Aexis Manigo) was taken from the University Medical Center (now UF Health Shands JAX) maternity ward by a woman dressed up as a nurse (See story here).

Found on Friday, January 13, 2017, Kamiyah is not holding any ill-will towards her abductor (Gloria Williams), whom she has known as “Mother” all this time.  The young teenager was also happily reunited in SC with her birth parents (Shanara Mobley and Craig Aiken), on Saturday Jan. 14th.

Kamiyak visited the incarcerated Williams on that Friday and made this statement according to Moberly’s Facebook page and a Daily News report which stated, “She raised me with everything I needed and most of all everything I wanted,” Mobley wrote. “My mother is no felon. The ignorant ones won’t understand that.”  Williams had reportedly suffered a miscarriage about a week before she drove from South Carolina to the Florida hospital, where she allegedly snatched the newborn, according to Walterboro Live.

There remains so many unresolved issues and so many emotions, yet the questions that remain unanswered are: What will be the outcome of all parties concerned?  How will each person live their life from this point forward?  And finally: What would you have done?

'Kenny Rogers - The Gambler's Last Deal' world tour comes to JAX

Kenny Rogers and Linda Davis

You don’t want to gamble - there are only a few seats left.  Grammy Award-winning superstar and Country Music Hall of Fame member “Kenny Rogers” has enjoyed great success during his storied career of nearly six decades, which will be celebrated during his “Final World Tour: The Gambler’s Last Deal” with special guest Linda Davis.  The tour will be playing Northeast Florida at the Thrasher-Horne Center in Orange Park.

The enduring country and pop icon has endeared music lovers around the globe with his amazing songs, heartfelt performances, distinctive voice, gift for storytelling and universal appeal. The first country artist to consistently sell out arenas, Rogers has played to millions of fans around the world, performing songs from his long list of hits which comprise 24 Number Ones including: “The Gambler,” “Lucille,” “Coward of the County,” “Lady,” “Islands in the Stream,” “She Believes In Me,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Daytime Friends,” “Through The Years,” “You Decorated My Life,” and “Buy Me A Rose.”

Incredibly, Rogers has charted a record within each of the last seven decades. He has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, making him one of the Top Ten Best Selling Male Solo Artists of All Time, according to the RIAA. Rogers has won many awards for his music and charity work, including three GRAMMY Awards, 19 American Music Awards, 11 People’s Choice Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards and six Country Music Association Awards, including the CMA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. Rogers was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2015, Rogers was awarded the CMT Artist of a Lifetime Award and in 2016, he received the Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award from the TJ Martell Foundation.  Check HERE to find the tour coming to a town near you.

“Kenny Rogers’ Final World Tour”
  The Gambler’s Last Deal
DATE: Sat. Jan. 28, 2017   TIMES: 8 p.m.

LOCATION: The Thasher-Horne Ctr.
      St. Johns River State College
      283 College Drive
      Orange Park, FL 32065

TICKETS: range from $53 – $89 with all fees included, and may be purchased in person, online at THcenter, or by calling (904) 276-6815 between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday – Friday.  Discounts are available for groups of 12+ (15% discount), or 40+ (20% discount).  The Thrasher-Horne Center is a not-for profit performing arts venue and conference center owned and operated by St. Johns River State College.  The Thrasher-Horne Center is located on the Orange Park campus.

'Academic Splendor' comes to the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

Gérôme - Marble Work, 1995.104

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens’ newest exhibition Academic Splendor: Nineteenth- Century Masterworks from the Dahesh Museum of Art, will be on display January 27 through April 16, 2017.  More than 40 stunning paintings and sculptures will tell the story of a century that tried to balance deep-rooted artistic traditions while creating new ones. “We are thrilled to welcome such a world-class collection to Jacksonville” says Holly Keris, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Curator.

In the 19th century, Paris was the center of academic art, and home of the French Academy, which ran the premier art school – the École des Beaux-Arts. The Academy also oversaw the official exhibition known as the “Salon”, one of the most attended cultural event in the city. By following the Academy’s path, artists gained entry into a world of fame, awards, and commissions. Some of the best-known artists to emerge from the Academy system include Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904), Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889), and William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1904).

Frère - Along the Nile at Gyzeh, 1995.102

The changing artistic climate, shift in collector’s taste, and booming art market encouraged academic artists to explore different genres while upholding the principles of ideal beauty seen in Classical and Renaissance art. Depictions of rural life, religious imagery, and landscapes coexisted with historical scenes. As travels became easier, artists visited the vast area now referred to as the Middle East, present-day Turkey, and North Africa. They naturally drew inspiration from the region’s landscape, architecture, and culture, often creating highly staged scenes, blurring the lines between documented and fabricated realities.

Bazzani - Pompeian Interior, 1996.24

The Museum welcomes visitors to view Academic Splendor and experience premier examples of European art from the 19th century.

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

'Riverdance' comes back to JAX for five exciting shows

Back by popular demand, “Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour” is coming to Jacksonville’s Times-Union Center January 27-29, 2017 for five performances only.  The tour is celebrating an extraordinary milestone for an incredible show, as it makes stops in over 60 North American cities.

“Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour,” composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan, is currently celebrating a sold out, critically acclaimed run across Europe and Asia and will return to North America in January 2017. To mark the eagerly awaited return of the show to North America, ending a four-year absence, “Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour” features new costumes, new lighting, new projections and the addition of a brand-new number, “Anna Livia,” featuring the female members of the Irish dance troupe in an acapella hard-shoe number.

“Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour” is an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures.  “Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour” has set design by Robert Ballagh, lighting design by John Comiskey, costume design by Joan Bergin and sound design by Michael O’Gorman.
 

Some interesting facts about 20 Years of Riverdance: With its fusion of Irish and International music and dance, the show broke all box office records during its world première run in Dublin in early 1995. When the show transferred to London in June of that year, the reaction was unprecedented, with the original 10 performances being increased to 151 in subsequent months. There followed a hugely successful tour starting in New York in March 1996, where 8 sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall heralded the start of 16 years of non-stop touring by Riverdance companies throughout North America. Since its inception Riverdance has packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia, Europe, South Africa and most recently South America.

For a complete list of tour engagements and ticket information for the North American tour cities, please visit their website. 

“Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour”
DATES: Fri., Jan. 27, 2017 TIMES: 7:30 p.m.
    Sat., Jan. 28       2 & 8 p.m.
    Sun., Jan. 29      1:30 & 6:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Times Union Center Performing Arts
      Moran Theater
      300 West Water St.
      Jacksonville, FL 32202

TICKETS: start at $38.50, and may be purchased online at FSCJ Artist Series, sponsored by Chase (the official presenter of the Jacksonville show), or by calling (904) 442-BWAY (2929) between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday.  Discounts are available for groups of 10+ by calling (904) 442-2947 or emailing groupsales@fscj.edu.