by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Santa Claus is coming Downtown Wednesday for Art Walk and while he’s certainly the headliner, this month’s event offers an even wider variety of entertainment than usual.
While St. Nick is greeting the kids and posing for pictures at Hemming Plaza from 6-7 p.m., the St. Johns River City Band will be warming up in the Hicks Auditorium at the Main Library for the annual “Yuletide Swing” concert that will begin at 7:30 p.m. Lisa Kelly Scott and the band are hosting a sing along of traditional holiday songs. Guests can go upstairs to the first floor after the concert to see this year’s display of 40 Christmas trees decorated by the Junior League.
Jacksonville University’s College of Fine Arts has united its departments for a first-of-its-kind showcase that will fill 122 Ocean St. (the former Haydon Burns Library) with every fine art discipline from live theatre to glass blowing.
The goal, said JU Fine Arts Coordinator Forrest Taylor, is to “transform building into 30,000 square feet of living, breathing art.”
Glass art and a demonstration of glass blowing will be presented by the college’s Visual Arts department in addition to exhibits of photography, animation, film, sculpture, ceramics, painting, graphic arts and costume design.
Dance students will perform original works and the Music Department will be represented by the JU Percussion Ensemble, the Honors String Quartet and several jazz combos.
Under the direction of Theatre professor Deborah Jordan, students will perform a reader’s theatre production of “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” The absurdist play was written by Steve Martin and places Albert Einstein and Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904 before the scientist became famous for the Theory of Relativity and the artist gave the art world cubism.
Taylor said so many students and classes participating in a single event is a first for JU.
“Normally we just do things on campus and we usually concentrate on performing just one aspect of the fine arts, but we felt with the number of people who attend Art Walk each month, it would be a terrific opportunity to showcase the entire range of our students and faculty,” he said.
“It’s great to see other groups want to get involved with Art Walk. Being able to offer a wide variety of visual and performing arts brings more people Downtown,” said Michelle Brooks, promotions manager for Downtown Vision, Inc., the organization that presents the monthly event.
In addition to Santa’s stop in Hemming Plaza, carolers will perform from 7-9 p.m. Advance tickets for Downtown Vision’s Historic Church Tour Saturday will be available for $5 and Hemming Plaza Jewelers will be celebrating the opening of its new, larger location at the corner of Hogan and Monroe streets with a drawing for $500 worth of gift certificates
Art Walk begins at 5 p.m. rain or shine and offers a self-guided tour of Downtown venues featuring works by dozens of artists. For more information visit www.downtownjacksonville.org or call 634-0303, ext. 230.