October 8th, 2018 – Jessica Santiago

“Art Republic” – Art dealer and Curator Jessica Santiago wants us to live more creative, curated lives. As the Founder and CEO ArtRepublic, a global art movement, she has established relationships with some of the most esteemed artists, curators, galleries and art-focused brands in the nation, with the intention of using art to ignite economic growth, bridge cultural divides and inspire thought-provoking environments. ArtRepublic is giving the voice of our culture to artists, curating Public Art, Digital Art and Human Transformation.  The modern patronage harnesses collective giving and calls upon intentional artists, passionate about upgrading and healing humanity. Together artists and the global community induce states of awe through immersive installations, exhibitions and events that increase connectivity, empathy and wellness.   Jessica’s intention is to awaken the masses by expanding awareness of contemporary art.

More information about Jessical can be found at https://artrepublicglobal.com and http://wallstreetfineart.gallery
Reservations Required – Paid Members Only - a Cover will be required for this Catered Event - Contact: Leslie Kruzicki

November 12th, 2018 – William McMahan

After receiving an MFA in Printmaking from Indiana University, William McMahan moved to Jacksonville in 2012 and began teaching with the Art League of Jacksonville.  He currently manages the Murray Hill Art Center for ALJ and teaches and oversees many classes for the organization. William has also been teaching a range of drawing classes at Reddi Arts as well as through the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach since 2013.  William historically produces surrealistic  representational drawings and etchings, but he has also been working on a series of abstract brush pen drawings for over a year.

January 14, 2019 – Tony Wood

"My paintings seem to always gravitate towards people, faces and the figure. I believe I am looking for an emotional connection, a certain action that speaks to our humanity, our biography, our wit, and I want to say it with subtle but universally recognizable human gestures, nuanced body language and paint. Because I choose to paint people and their emotions, I have often been called a romantic, trying to only paint and draw beautiful things. Sometimes this is true – I like to accentuate the beautiful in an often ugly world – but I’m not naïve. I also want my art to reflect my time and my truth. This is a truth in metaphor only because the idea of a naturalistic painting as something other than illusion is laughable. It is a lie by nature. A lie made beautiful, poignant or ugly by the artist. I am interested in this beautiful lie and how I can use it to find my place in the vast representation of the human in art.” Wood has a BFA in studio art from the University of North Florida augmented by his many travels across this country and the world. Wood’s studio is in the CoRk Art District in Riverside in the CoRk North building. He currently shows work in SouthLight Gallery in downtown Jacksonville and instructs art at Stanton College Preparatory High School.

More information about Larry can be found at http://www.larrywilsonartist.comy

February 11, 2019 – Overstreet Ducasse

Born in Haiti, Overstreet Ducasse came to the United States at the age of six. Faced with the challenges of an unfamiliar environment, a new language, and a different culture, Ducasse turned to art as a means of expression and communication. He deems art the universal language and a way to release frustrations and aggravations. The art of Ducasse goes beyond the visual. His work is captivating, direct and abundant with metaphors and meaning. As an artist, Ducasse refuses to be locked down by one particular style. “The number one rule in art is that there are no rules.” He creates on a variety of mediums from traditional canvas to wood frame doors. Inspired by the desire for reason and understanding, his work is the expression of his life experiences as well as his true intellect. Ducasse describes himself as a Deepressionist, a term he conceived to express both the frustrations experienced by the artist and the depth of thought and imagination an artist must exude. Ducasse’s art is in the collection of former advisor to Bill Clinton and current mayor of Jacksonville FL, Alvin Brown and HBO star Bill Mahr.

March 11 2019 – Hiromi Moneyhun

Hiromi Mizugai Moneyhun is a native of Kyoto, Japan. She moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 2004. Since 2012, Hiromi and her handcut paper sculptures have been written of in every major publication in the Jacksonville area, including the city’s largest newspaper, the Florida Times Union. She was chosen by Huffington Post for a feature article as one of only four artists nationwide from Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art's 2014-2015 show, State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now. Hiromi received attention in her native Japan when she appeared as the subject of a syndicated Japanese television show. Her work has appeared numerous times in northeast Florida in group and solo shows, in New York City, in London, and, as mentioned above, in Bentonville, Arkansas, in the Crystal Bridges Museum. Hiromi began drawing at a young age, and with no formal art training, has evolved a unique homegrown artistic voice that combines traditional Japanese visual art forms with the super-modernity that is now found in all of Japan's biggest cities. Her most significant early influence was ehon, a general term given to Japanese picture books, especially those that featured images taken from original papercuts by Giro Takihira, who was also known as a woodblock print artist. As with woodblock prints, Hiromi's paper sculptures are the result of a multistep process that produces an art that is at once amusingly lighthearted and startlingly alive. Her pieces invite the viewer in; indeed, one feels compelled to reach out and touch the art. Like the works of all the great masters, Hiromi’s pieces are best appreciated when viewed in person.

April 8, 2019 – Noli Novaks

"Social Media Promotion for Artists" Noli is a staff hedcut illustrator at The Wall Street Journal with over 28 years of experience. She has created tens of thousands of original illustrations for the paper and wide variety of clients ranging from all publishing, corporate brochures and advertising to product and website illustration and social media avatars. Hedcut is a term referring to a style of drawing, used exclusively by staff artists at The Wall Street Journal. They use the stipple method of arranging small dots in specific patterns combined with a hatching method of thin lines to create an image. This technique is designed to emulate the look of woodcuts from old-style newspapers, and engravings seen on certificates and currency. It is drawn by hand using pen and ink. Hedcuts are never computer generated. The phonetic spelling of "hed" is based on newspapers' use of the term hed for "headline."

May 13th - Dustin Harewood

The parents of contemporary artist Dustin Harewood recognized his artistic energy early and nurtured it by enrolling him as a Junior Member of the Brooklyn Museum at age seven. Adding to his artistic influence, the young painter spent his teenage years in his family’s native Barbados, where he was both baffled and indelibly marked by the Eastern Caribbean island’s landscape and the strong colonial British culture. Now a Professor of Art at Florida State College in Jacksonville, Dustin is making a splash with his series of reef paintings. Just like the sensitive ecosystem off the Florida Keys, Barbados has miles of coral reefs that face threats of contamination and deterioration from human carelessness and ocean acidification. The artist's reef depictions titled “36 Views of a Dying Coral Reef,” are inspired by the series “36 Views of Mount Fuji” by Japanese printmaker Katsushika Hokusa. Viewers may find the series a call to action to protect this cherished and vital part of our ecosystem. “I want for my reef drawings to suggest a gnarled elegance, quiet beauty and sadness. As far as humans are concerned, I find it fascinating that there are many instances when we unwittingly destroy the things that we love.”

June 2018

"Azaleas to Zinnias" A unique duet of floral works by JAG members is coming to the Cummer Museum and Gardens and The Berdy Dental Group. Wine & Cheese Reception at the Cummer June 6th 5:30-7:30 followed by a Dessert Reception at the Berdy Dental Group (Members check the Exhibitions page for an application)