by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Felicia Bowen may not be an artist, but she has been a fixture in the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art for nearly six years.
She’s the manager of JMoMA’s gift shop and is among the few employees who made the move when the museum relocated across from Hemming Plaza last year.
“It was so exciting to be with the museum back when there was talk of us moving,” said Bowen. “Then to be able to watch the project unfold as it happened, that was great.”
Bowen, a Kansas City, Mo. native, moved to Florida “for the great weather.” She found the museum job while scanning the classified ads.
She had never worked in a museum before but had worked in other gift shops.
“I guess I’m lucky,” she said. “There’s a very friendly atmosphere here and it’s great being right at street level. Everyone who walks by has a chance to look through the window and maybe stop in for a little while.
“A lot of museums have gift shops, but almost none of them have windows like we do.
“It really is beautiful here and I’m always happy when people stop in.”
Conversation, said Bowen, is just part of her job.
“It’s one of the best parts really,” she said. “People come in and ask questions and really want to know what’s going on here.”
Bowen said she’s only too happy to oblige.
“Well,” she said, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want people to stop in.”
Open for nearly one year, top sellers in JMoMA’s gift shop include handmade jewelry and various children’s toys.
“A lot of the things we have in here are very popular with children because they’re hands-on and they allow them to be creative,” she said.
And how creative is Bowen?
“Well, I’m not an artist, myself,” she said, “but I can appreciate a beautiful piece of artwork when I see it.”