Year with arts and culture

Submitted by Evelyn C. McDonald
Arts & Culture Reporter
May 5, 2016 7:17 a.m.

About a year ago, the Observer and I started this column. Granted some columns were less arts and culture than others but there was a wealth of opportunities to write about in and around town. In honor of the year anniversary, I started to think about how many arts and culture organizations we have in Fernandina. This is by no means an exhaustive list. It reflects all the organizations I can think of sitting at my desk.

Let’s start with art. We have three places where we can see artists at work – Blue Door Artists, Gilded Dolphin and Gallery C. There are two art galleries – Art On Centre and The Island Art Association. Artists’ work can be found in the library and many of the restaurants around town and elsewhere on the island.

In addition to live performances at various bars and restaurants, we have three music festivals – Chamber Music, Jazz, and Bluegrass. Story and Song concerts bring us talent from other areas of the country in informal settings.

Literature is represented by two book stores – The Book Loft and Books Plus. There is an annual Amelia Island book festival. We have a newly redone public library. We have several writers groups that meet monthly to support and encourage our many writers and poets. We also have a number of groups meeting to exchanges ideas on books.

We have two theatres – the Amelia Musical Playhouse and the Amelia Community Theatre. The Friends of the Library presents Story Slams, where local people compete in telling stories that appeal to them.

There are two museums – the Amelia Island Museum of History and the Maritime Museum. Both of these organizations are dedicated to preserving Fernandina’s heritage. Educational courses are offered twice yearly in art, history, literature, languages, and more. Wild Amelia not only puts on an annual festival celebrating the beauty and diversity of the island wildlife but they also sponsor monthly talks on wildlife.

What’s the point of the above list? For a town of around 12,000 people, that’s a lot of arts and culture. In any given week, you could visit an art gallery, go to a play, buy a book, visit the library, or see an artist at work. Depending on the time of year, you can enjoy one of our festivals. And weather permitting; you can do the all of the above without getting in a car.

I realize you are probably thinking that I missed one of your favorites. That’s great. Let me know what your favorites are. The people involved in these organizations are doing a great job and deserve our support.

Evelyn McDonald moved to Fernandina Beach from the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. in 2006. She is a chair of Arts & Culture Nassau, a city commission charged with support of the arts in Nassau County. She serves on FSCJ’s Curriculum Committee for the Center for Lifelong Learning. She is also the chair of the Dean’s Council for the Carpenter Library at the UNF. Ms. McDonald has MS in Technology Management from the University of Maryland’s University College and a BA in Spanish from the University of Michigan.