“A depository for the people of Jacksonville, both large and small, the wealthy and the moderate, to be able to give for the betterment of their fellow man, not just today, but in a continuing way…”
Clockwise from top left: Annelies Dykgraaf, Joseph’s Tunic- Orange, 2009, woodcut and acrylic;Russel Wilson, Late Summer, 2009, oil on canvas; Jim Draper, Floating Hearts, 2008, oil on canvas; Thomas Hager, City # 1, 2008, kallitype; Mary Williamson, Nine Mile, No. 2, 2009, pencil on paper; Kathy Stark, Field of Yellow, 2009, watercolor on paper
Established in 1964, The Community Foundation in Jacksonville is the oldest community foundation in Florida. The Foundation leads the way in efforts to improve public education, expand and strengthen our arts community, provide support for our veterans, and strengthen Jacksonville’s neighborhoods and nonprofits organizations.
Twenty years ago, The Community Foundation was challenged by the National Endowment for the Arts to create the Art Ventures Fund. This was a big risk for the Foundation. Instead of taking the safer path and investing in the already established arts community, the Foundation decided to send Art Ventures in a different direction. Flying in the face of convention, they offered a great opportunity to the local artists of Jacksonville, and gave our city the chance to flourish culturally by offering support to individual artists and small, emerging arts organizations. Over the past 20 years, the Foundation has been fortunate to be able to support 91 individual artists and 39 small arts organizations.
All of this has lead to our current exhibition, ArtVentures: Supporting the Arts in Jacksonville for 20 Years. With our mission to engage and inspire through the arts, gardens, and education, and The Community Foundation’s passion for enriching Jacksonville’s arts community to be more vibrant, creative and robust than ever before, this new exhibition is the perfect collaboration. The Museum is currently exhibiting the work of 30 individual artists and is hosting 6 performance nights with a variety of individuals and performing arts organizations. Our final performance nights will include an Evening of Film on December 21st, and an Evening of Chamber Music on December 28th. For more information please visit our calendar of events or call the Museum at 904-356-6857.
