#We Are Open for Art Walk
Celebrate our community's deep pool of creative talent with us on the first Wednesday of each month in Downtown Jacksonville! The Main Library stays open until 9 p.m. for the festivities! We are conveniently located directly across from James Weldon Johnson Park, one of Art Walk's two major hubs of activity. This month, check out local art in the gallery, join the zinesters meeting and collaborating in the Zine Zone, and drop in for a Summer Kick-Off Party in the Teen Room.
Don't forget to pick up a Map & Guide to the Main Library on your way in! You'll find public art, a huge vintage map collection and more!
#We Are Open for Art Tours
Docent-Led Art Tours Start at 6 PM
Augusta Savage, Al Held, Kathryn Freeman, Lee Adams, Jerry Uelsmann. Do you know that works by these artists and many more are on permanent display at the Main Library? Come take a 20-minute docent-led tour during Art Walk and (re)discover these remarkable paintings, sculptures, and photographs. Tours start every half hour starting at 6 p.m. Meet the docent by the Art Tours sign in the Pacjic Promenade (the entry/hallway on the first floor).
Registration is strongly recommended. The last tour starts at 8 p.m.
Note: In addition to the permanent works, we also have exhibits that rotate regularly in our galleries on the first, second, and third floors, featuring works by local students and professional artists.
Looking for something more in-depth? Take a longer, 45-minute tour on Saturday, June 8 at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Interested in being a volunteer art docent? Apply to volunteer at the Library.
#Summer Reading Kick-Off
Stop by the Teen Room from 5-7 p.m. for a teens-only Drop-In Summer Kick-Off Party. Teens in attendance will receive their first free summer prize book (while supplies last)! There will also be games, crafts, and other giveaways. It's a great time to pick up a Bingo Card, Passport or other reading and activity tracker. And if you haven't yet, it's also a good time to download the Beanstack app and join Mayor Deegan's River City Readers challenge. By reading (and logging) just 20 minutes per day, you could earn even more prizes - both at the library and through the City. River City Readers has a goal of reaching one million minutes read by the end of 2024. The City's top readers earn awesome prizes. For more information, visit jacksonville.gov/rivercityreaders.
Note: There is an earlier Drop-In Summer Kick-Off Party for young children and their families from 2-4 p.m. in the Children's Room (on the second floor).
#Drop-In Activities
Zinester & Comix Makers Meetup
Make, trade, read, and discuss zines with local zinesters and comic makers at our monthly Zinester Meetup in the "Zine Zone" from 6 - 8:30 p.m. (across from the first-floor gallery).
Students from Professor Andrew Kozlowski's Comics and Narrative class will be hosting a Scrabble-style jam comic during Art Walk. We'll start with a few different panels and participants will help fill in the blanks- working panel by panel to complete the stories that unfold. Just like in a game of Scrabble, anyone can build a story by adding a new panel to an existing one - so long as it adds to the story! Drop in for five minutes or stay the whole time - no drawing experience required!
Note: They'll return to the Main Library on Saturday, June 15 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. for the third annual Duval Comic & Zine Fest, where they'll be helping out with the risograph printing activity.
If you haven't already, this is also a good time to browse the Zine Collection (they are available for checkout!). If you have a zine or self-published comic to donate to the Library, bring it with you! For more info, visit jaxlibrary.org/zines.
Drop-In Board Games with Other Adults
Relax at the Main Library with board games! Come join us the first Wednesday of every month from 6-8 p.m. (during Art Walk) and enjoy a selection of our tabletop games and meet other gamers. The group meets on the first floor (near the Zine Zone) and is open to adults. Note: Participation from beginning to end is not required and players can join/leave at any time.
We're playing Azul, Codenames, Dixit, Flick 'em Up!, Dead of Winter, MonsDRAWsity, Mysterium, Sushi Go! Party, and Exploding Kittens.
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#Exhibits
Songs of the Summer Art Exhibit & Reception
There's Jazz, Folk, Bluegrass, Country Western... and there are sounds of the night, tree frogs, cicadas, stories around campfires, children laughing in the park, splashing in the pool - all sounds and songs of summer in the city!
What truly distinguishes the Songs of the Summer art exhibition is a new, captivating interactive element the Art Center Cooperative and the Jacksonville Artists Guild have introduced. Find several discreet, low-volume players accompanying 16 of the art pieces in the Gallery at Main Library. The player breathes life into the song that inspired the artwork, crafting a one-of-a-kind and immersive experience for visitors.
Scan codes on the labels also lead to an information page featuring all the pieces. Once a piece of artwork is selected, the user is empowered to read more about the piece, make an online purchase if they wish, or even play a YouTube video of the song associated with the art.
The Songs of the Summer art exhibition runs from May 20 through July 26 with a Reception on Wednesday, June 5, from 6-8 p.m. (during Art Walk). Best-in-show and judge's choice awards will be presented at the reception.
The poster features a piece called "Narcissus in Pink" by artist Andrew Pollock and is inspired by the son of the Greek goddess Cephissus and the song "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon.
If you are interested in exhibiting your artwork at one of our libraries and you're already a member of The Art Center Cooperative, Inc. or Jacksonville Artists' Guild, please speak with your respective group about upcoming shows.
A Place for All People: Smithsonian Poster Exhibit in the Promenade
From the child-size shackles of a slave and the clothing worn by Carolotta Walls on her first day at Little Rock Central High School to Chuck Berry’s Gibson guitar, “Maybellene,” and the track shoes worn by Olympian Carl Lewis, the exhibition presents a living history that reflects challenge, triumph, faith, and hope.
Organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, in collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, “A Place for All People” highlights key artifacts that tell the rich and diverse story of the African American experience.
This exhibit ran during Black History Month (in February) at the Brentwood Branch Library. It will run at the Main Library during African American Music Appreciation Month (through June).
