My formal training is in science, chemistry, and chemical engineering, and I spent almost 34 years in the industrial chemical industry before retiring.  Although my working life has always been is some type of technical function, I have also always been interested in being creative, in being artistic, in making things.   For someone who was required to be very left brained in his professional career, I feel fortunate to also have some right brain talent wanting to get out.

Over the years I have delved deeply into photography (the film and darkroom kind), stained glass crafting with a specialization in Tiffany style lamps, custom knife making, woodturning and wood art, photography (this time the digital kind), and most recently, computer generated imaging.

Early on, these activities were more for myself, a way to release some creativity.  Yes, I won some ribbons and sold some pieces but mostly the things I made went to decorate the house or were given as gifts.  It was not until I retired that I really got a chance to get serious with my art.  Since then I have had a number of my pieces in the galleries at Avondale and have had pieces on display and critiqued at several Florida Woodturners’ and American Association of Woodturners’ Symposiums.  I am a Hanging Member of the Art Center of Jacksonville and have pieces in the galleries at Adams Street and the Bank of America.  I am also a member of the Turning Arts Group, a group of four like-minded woodturners, who use wood as their media.

I also have a print in the La Florida exhibit, which is currently on display at the Cummer Museum & Garden; this is an accomplishment for which I am most proud.  My most recent work, all computer-generated images, centers around the idea that a biological survey has been conducted on an alien planet and that the leader of the survey team has documented his discoveries.  It is one of the prints from this series that is in the La Florida exhibit.

Having always been interested in science and coming from a formal chemistry and chemical engineering background, I have constantly tried to find the hidden or deeper understanding of how the things around me work – why does the world look and behave the way it does?  Answering these questions from a purely scientific perspective was certainly gratifying but perhaps a little emotionless.  But I am fortune, I have also been blessed with a creative or artistic bent and I am able to add more than just facts to my view of the word.

When I worked with stained glass for example, I understood the laws of refraction and transmission but I also was able to feel the warmth of the light and to see it through its individual components.  When I worked with wood, I understood the biology of the tree and the structure of the grain but I was also able to feel the life in the wood and, hopefully through my craft, present that life for others to see and feel.

Now that I have been working with digital imaging for a while, I have begun to realize that you do not necessarily need a physical medium to express your view and understanding of the world around you.  Writers do this all the time; yes there is ink and paper but the real meat of their expression is in the interpretation of their words.  For me, creating these digital images is a way to continue to express my view of the world.  Hopefully, my images will help you to see that world as I see it.

Another thing I thoroughly enjoy is the technical aspect of the software needed to create these images (the math behind the algorithms).  So, in a way I have come full circle back to science.

Artist in the  Store – March 2, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Artist in the Market – March 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Anna Morgan Reynolds will feature her work focused on the natural cycles of Southeastern regional environment. The pieces are mixed-media landscapes, featuring the natural environment found along the footpath of the artist. This series of drawings focuses on the constant ruin and renewal of the world around us, acknowledging and accepting transitions.

Reynolds received her BFA in painting from University of North Florida and her MFA in painting and drawing from Florida State University. She has taught as an instructor for both the University of North Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville, served as Artist-in-Residence for Duval County Schools, and taught workshops for the Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens and the Jacksonville Women’s Center. In 2008, she was the recipient of an Art Ventures: Field of Interest Grant from the Community Foundation, Inc. of Jacksonville, which led to an exhibition at the Cummer Museum. Anna’s work has been shown in numerous other galleries, among them, the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Florida State University, Valdosta State University, FSCJ, The vonLiebig Art Center, and the Siena Art Institute in Italy.  She has been an art teacher with St. Johns Country Day School since 2010 and, most recently, won a national teaching award from Speedball’s Imprint on the World contest for block printing with her 6^th graders.

Clockwise: “Apple Garden”, 2010, 30×30; “Dragonfly”, 2010,
24×36; “Sea Inside”, 2010, 24×36; “Fire Flower”, 2010, 30×30.

Artist in the Store – February 26th, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Anna Miller received an extended professional art education in Eastern Europe that set her on a path to personal artistic discovery. Starting at age of 12 she attended a college level art school, and continued to study privately in studios of permanent European artists. She continued her education by entering the National Academy of Fine Art and Architecture of Ukraine, from which she graduated in 1997 with MA in Painting and later same year moved to United States.

In 1999 she received an offer to teach part time at a local college. She later became a full-time member of the faculty, and has taught at the school for over 10 years. She continues teaching and exhibiting her work locally in Jacksonville, FL.  Anna Miller is currently a member of Southlight Gallery.

Anna is currently working on her MFA at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

“I consider my life to be an amazing adventure and a discovery of colors and forms.”                                   -Anna Miller.

Artist in the Store – Tuesday, December 18, 5-7pm

Written by Stephanie Elayne Ashley

I am a sculptor using glass and other forms of media to create auditory sculptures that evoke a heightened sense of emotion and engagement of the viewer. My work combines my love of sound with my passion for creating tangible forms. I choose sculpture since it brings forth the intricacy of the third dimension that is lost in medias such as painting or drawing. By utilizing space, my works are more engaging for both myself, in their creation, and the audience, in their viewing. I choose glass as my material not only because of its aesthetic luminescence, but also for its resonant quality that cannot be matched by any other material. I experiment with the nature of glass and ceramics to create percussion and wind instruments from both materials. Currently, I am expanding on this body of work by creating, tuning, and assembling glass bar percussion instruments. The use of sound furthers the audience’s interaction by incorporating time. Sound can bring about emotions that are left untapped by the simplicity of a static form. Being a musician, as well as an artist, I use my knowledge of auditory resonance and its structure, to create sculptures with life. My work comes from my love of operatic expression and the physical climax of emotions felt from experiencing a live performance. My purpose is to give the audience an in depth physical and emotive involvement with my work.

Psst. Have you heard about Santa’s little secret? It is a secret that could save your holiday shopping experience! 

This little secret is called Champagne and Shopping at The Cummer Store, and will happen on Thursday, December 6th and Friday, December 7th. This may be the most unique shopping experience you have this season. Why? Well it’s simple, instead of waiting in long lines, attacking your neighbors for the same merchandise, or killing your feet to get to every store; you will get a glass of champagne, a chance to meet the various artisans of the merchandise available for purchase, and an excellent staff ready to assist you at any time, all in one location.

This shopping experience also comes with discounts! On Thursday everyone will receive an additional 15% off their entire purchase and Friday everyone will receive an additional 10% off their entire purchase.  This means that if you are a Member or Volunteer at the Museum, you will get your regular discounts as well!

For more information, please call The Cummer Store at (904) 899-6035.
Proceeds from The Cummer Store support the many programs at The Cummer.

Follow Maggie Reynolds, Assistant Director of Education to the studio for a hands-on lesson in printmaking. She will introduce some basic mono-printing techniques that will have surprisingly beautiful results. You are welcome to bring a bottle of wine or beer to enjoy for this portion of the evening.

This event is free to Up & Cummer Members and $10 for non-members. Please RSVP by calling Louise Stevens at (904) 899-6004 or emailing lstevens@cummer.org. Tickets are available for purchase on-line by clicking here. 

The Cultural Center will be transformed into a beautiful shopping area with 21 hand-picked boutiques from all over the country.   Brimming with unique gift ideas for the whole family, this event offers a wonderful venue to shop and browse, just in time for the holidays.  For more information, please contact the Culture Center at 904-280-0614.

The Holiday Shoppes are located at:
The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach
50 Executive Way (directly behind Al’s Pizza)
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

Artist in the Store – November 6, 2012 – 5-7pm

Artist in the Market @ RAM – November 10, 2012 – 10am-4pm

Meet artist, Brianna Marie Angelakis, who will discuss the relationship between her artwork and literature.

Brianna Marie Angelakis (b. 1990) is an American artist. She was born in Massachusetts and moved to New Hampshire during her early teen years. She moved to Florida at the end of her high school years, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Angelakis currently attends Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL. She will graduate in the Spring of 2013 with a B.A. in the Visual Arts, a B.A. in English, and a minor in Illustration. Her approach to artistic expression often emphasizes bright colors, texture, and fluidity. Finding straight lines and structure a confinement, she centralizes on the organic shapes of the natural world, animals, and figures.

Her artistic inspiration stems from her love for literature and poetry in addition to her own experiences as a young woman. She often depicts a narrative which centralizes around the female figure or child figure in nature. Her paintings evoke the strong emotions correlated with romanticism and childhood innocence, elevating the female and child into a sublime, natural world. By isolating her figures, she creates an emotional relationship between the figure and the observer.

Angelakis’ artworks have been exhibited nationally and in various galleries located throughout north and central Florida including the Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens. She will be showing internationally for the first time in Leeds, England this December in an exhibition curated in collaboration with the Bronte Parsonage Museum and Leeds College of Art and Design. Additionally, her works have been published internationally through print and online magazines including Poets Artists Magazine, MISC Magazine, and the cover story for Northeast Florida’s Magazine, Folio Weekly.

How do we fix this? Due to political agendas and bureaucracy changing government can prove to be very difficult, thus the proposal of getting both the parent and community involved is essential. Why focus on children? Well that’s because research has shown that the more we expose young people to literature, the more they can build on their vocabulary and encourage further educational habits that are pivotal to both their futures and our country’s  as a whole.

At The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, we are doing just that! The museum sponsored Book Fair & Literacy Family Day is a collaborative approach of bringing local children’s book authors, parents, and children to celebrate reading in all of its forms. Research shows that most parents often find it difficult to locate and purchase books for their children, and find the time to read to their children daily due to ever-busier schedules. Actually 13 million children 5 and under go to bed every night without a bedtime story, which is a disappointing because books written for children contain 50 percent more rare words than prime time television or even college student conversations. In this environment kids within the Jacksonville area will be offered a venue to expand their vocabulary and spend time with their peers to celebrate learning.

So what are we offering? We have over 28 authors and illustrators coming to participate in Words of Art: A Children’s Book Fair & Literacy Family Day. Through out the day we will have local celebrities reading to children, including writer Brandy Hilbolt Allport from The Florida Times Union, and our very own Museum Director, Hope McMath. Parents and children will be able to participate in numerous activities, including a scavenger hunt, a studio art project, gallery tours, and Make Art Now! In the Gardens, families will be able to enjoy music by Ajamu Mutima, view a theatrical presentation of Emma’s House of Sound will take place in the Auditorium.

As an added bonus, the Museum is partnering with Books-A-Go-Go, a local nonprofit that provides free books to low income children.  Every person who attends the Book Fair will have the opportunity to purchase a book for themselves and one to donate to the cause.

So mark your calendars for November 17, 2012 from noon to 4pm and admission is free for everyone! 

Jando Dance, Malawi 2006 Silver gelatin photographic print

The Yao people of Malawi, though predominantly Muslim, observe a blend of spiritual beliefs, customs, and cosmologies that remain synonymous with their Bantu heritage. Initiation rites remain an important part of the Yao social order and are celebrated with ceremony and dance. Here, dancers celebrate Jando, the circumcision of young boys coming of age.

Music plays an important role in many African ceremonies. To hear a selection of music composed by local musician, Ajamu Mutima, using the voice, kora, thumb piano, flute, drum and other traditional African instruments, use your mobile device to scan the QR code below. For a free QR scanning app, visit redlaser.com or getscanlife.com. Mr. Mutima’s CDs are also available for purchase.

Simply click on the title links below to listen to each selection.

Healing Waters – Sky & Earth album

Banana Tree – Returning album

Ways To Go – Returning album

Man Who Wears Red & Black Fila – Rhythm of Life album

Ichetucknee (Original Flute Music) – Rhythm of Life album

Tuesday, August 28, 5 to 7 p.m.

Meet jewelry artisan, Isolina Guerrero, who will discuss her unique handmade designs.  She will also have her Iso Design Jewelry available for purchase in front of The Cummer Store.

Guerrero currently lives in Miami and states, “Living in an international city has given me the opportunity to not only be inspired by my own Peruvian roots but those of all Latin America, including Mexico.  I love life, color, beaches, crocheting, and being surrounded by natural and organic beauty, all of which is shown in my jewelry designs.”

For more information, please call The Cummer Store at (904) 899-6035.
Proceeds from The Cummer Store support the many programs at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.

Barbara G. Spurlin is a National Distinguished Principal and author of multiple books for children. Join her and co-author, Beverly N. Chapman, in front of The Museum Store for the first signing of her newest book, A Lizard in Space.  All of her books are available for purchase at The Cummer Store.

For more information, please call The Cummer Store at (904) 899-6035.

Proceeds from The Cummer Store support the many programs at The Cummer.

On the evening of June 26^th from 6 until 8 p.m., The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will host Matthew Patterson as part of our “Artist in the Store” program.  Patterson is an interdisciplinary artist but focuses on the area of drawing to address issues important to him.  He has exhibited both nationally and internationally and currently has work on display in Jacksonville’s Gallery 1037 on Hendricks Avenue.

Patterson will be on hand to discuss his work and his process.  Several pieces will be on display and available for purchase, including new works inspired by direct observation of The Cummer Gardens.

For more information please contact The Cummer Store at 904.899.6035.

Meet local jewelry designer and creator of AlaArt, Samantha Merritt, who will be displaying her handcrafted wearable art that will be available for purchase. Samantha’s designs are reminiscent of vintage styles. She creates exotic pieces of jewelry using a multitude of materials including handmade lamp work glass, semi-precious gemstones and reclaimed vintage beads.

For more information, please call The Cummer Store at (904) 899-6035.

Proceeds from The Cummer Store support the many programs at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.

Au Revoir de Bons Achats a la Boutique de Sortie

Good bye with good buys at the Exit Shop!  Save up to 50% on a wide selection of merchandise specific to the exhibit Impressionism and Post-Impressionism from the High Museum of Art, in the shop located between the Mason and Stein galleries. In addition, don’t miss the after sale of Boutique de Sortie display on Tuesday, May 8, 10 am to 5 pm.

The Cummer Store has opened a special exhibition exit shop featuring merchandise specific to the exhibit: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism from the High Museum of Art. Visit the new exhibit shop, located between the Mason and Stein galleries, to find reproductions d’art impressionist as well as specially selected fait en France products.

Also, join us for our upcoming Impressionism and Post Impressionism from the High Museum of Art exhibit which will be opening on February 16, 2012. We hope to see you at The Cummer soon!

Kim Young will be on hand in the museum store Tuesday, October 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to discuss her creative method of glass blowing.  Examples of her work will be available for purchase in addition to a selection of glass pumpkins created by JU students and faculty exclusively for The Cummer Store.

For more information about the event, please call The Cummer Store at (904) 899-6035.

Come one, come all! This Tuesday, September 6^th, 2011 from 5pm to 7pm, the Museum Store will open its doors to a young, up-and-coming artist. Lily Smith was born a photographer. She picked up a camera at a very young age and has not put it down since.

Just 18 years old, Lily is completely self-taught with no formal photography training. However, she hopes to build upon her passion with college-level photography courses this fall.

Lily will show her black and white photography here at The Cummer the evening of the 6^th, so please stop by and show your support for this upcoming local artist! Don’t forget, we offer free admission every Tuesday from 4pm to 9pm, so you can bring your whole family for a night of fun completely free of charge.

Tony Rodrigues’ work mostly involves painting, but also includes drawing, printmaking, photography, collage and multi-media combinations. Tony has woven a rich tapestry of appropriated imagery culled from the chronicles of the 20th century such as vintage textbooks, postcards and snapshots. He repurposes and reshapes these images into scenarios and vignettes that subtly convey feelings ranging form quiet levity to somber introspection. There is often an open-ended quality in the work that offers the viewer some mystery to contemplate. While Rodrigues’ style has evolved over the years, there is a sentiment and awareness throughout his work that remains his own and is easily recognizable to those that are familiar with his art. His confident and adroit use of materials as well as his selection and juxtaposition of imagery lends a timeless quality to his work.

See more of Tony’s work at his website or in our special exhibition Neighborhood as Art.

With graduations already amongst us and Fathers day right around the corner, its time to start gift shopping and The Cummer Store is the perfect place to find the unique gift items we all search for.

Graduation:

For graduation gifts, the museum has a great selection of jewelry, art books, address books, soaps, umbrellas, scarves, slippers, purses, totes, and oriental print overnight bags and coin pouches.

Father’s Day:

In addition the Cummer Store has a plethora of Fathers Day gifts.  Such as cigar cutters, ties, mugs, aprons, and an elegant tea collection.  There are gardening and cook books available: A Mans Garden by Warren Schultz, A Table for Two by Sharron O’Connors, and Toast of the Coast Cookbook The Junior League of Jacksonville Collection.

Gifts for Golfers & Wine Enthusiasts:

For the golfer, Cummer Store has a Golf Set to practice golf in the office, Black Golf Mug with golf club stirrer and small ball, Wine Caddies to hold wine bottles and all your wine accessories, wine glasses, wine thermometer with digital display, and antique golf club wine openers.

Visiting the store is always free of charge and the store’s hours are the same as the museum.  The Cummer Store accepts all major credit cards and provides gift-wrapping and UPS shipping.

Please call (904) 356-6857 ext. 6035 or send an e-mail to Susan Tudor at studor@cummer.org for more information.

The 575-page volume is written by Ulrich Pietsch, director of the State Porcelain Collection in Dresden, Germany, the most important and most extensive collection of Meissen porcelain in the world.

The publication contains full color photographs and complete text entries for 689 pieces in the Wark Collection of Early Meissen Porcelain, given to The Cummer by St. Augustine siblings Ralph and Constance Wark. The collection they assembled is regarded as the most significant collection of its type in the United States and one of the top three collections in the world.

The book will be available in the museum store on May 13th.

In Ms. Sonia Huffman’s class at Alden Road Exceptional Student Center, this is the goal year-round. For over a year now, students at Alden road have been working on a crayon recycling/fund raising project, where they take old crayons and combine them to make new, fun-shaped crayons, including hearts, moons, teddy-bears, even fingers!

Not only is this project pro-environment, but it gives the students an opportunity to practice different academic and vocational skills, such as identifying missing parts of objects, recognizing the value of a community project, and the purpose of saving money, as well as introducing the students to new art-oriented vocabulary.

These fun crayons are on sale at Alden Road School, and are perfect for anyone who loves art. There are a wide variety of shapes available.  These colorful creations not only make a perfect gift, but support an amazing and inspiring project in our community. These crayons are not only unique in their shapes and colors, but in the way that hard work and dedication is put into each and every one.

Looking for the perfect gift for the hard to buy for friend?  Located immediately inside the Museum’s entrance, the quaint and eclectic Cummer Store offers unique gifts and artwork by area artists.  The Cummer Store carries everything from jewelry and home and garden decor to books, catalogues, cards, posters and innovative children’s toys.  It also features art glass pieces from Jacksonville University Students.

The Cummer rewards Museum members by offering a 10 percent discount at the store on all merchandise.  To enable the gift of giving, The Cummer Store accepts all major credit cards and provides gift-wrapping & UPS shipping services.  Proceeds from The Cummer Store support the many programs at the Museum.

Each month, The Cummer store presents The Artist in the Store Event, where a local artist is featured and available to discuss and display their artwork with museum visitors. This month, local author Barbara Spurlin will be featured in The Cummer Store for a book signing on Tuesday, February 8th, from 5 to 7 p.m.

On your way in or out of the Museum, be sure to stop by The Cummer Store to purchase one of the many unique items it has to offer.  For more information, contact the store at (904) 899-6035.