Evelyn C. McDonald
Arts & Culture Reporter
August 11, 2016 1:00 a.m.
I used to call July and August the summer doldrums. That was the time when my will power was weakest and I took on commitments that I’d have to live up to come fall. Last year when I started doing this column, I realized that I was wrong. Let me give you a few examples for this weekend alone.
Jose Garcia is doing an art exhibit at the Plantation Artists’ Guild August 9 – September 10. There will be a reception for him on Friday August 12 from 5:30-7:30 pm. Jose is working in the alcohol ink medium, including some pieces on tiles. This medium produces intriguing effects.
Story and Song on Saturday, August 13 will feature The Wayfarers, a trio of singer-songwriters. As always, the concert will be at St. Peter’s starting at 7 pm. There is no fee but a donation of $20 is requested for the artists. These concerts have long been a fixture in the island art scene, thanks to the efforts of Mark and Donna Kaufman.
The main stage at ACT is featuring “These Two Couples Went to Italy.” The play was a Mark Twain Comedy Award winner and chronicles the travels of two couples trying to outdo each other as seasoned tourists. “Chicago” is sold out for all 9 shows at the Amelia Musical Playhouse. That’s a great achievement for the playhouse.
In addition to this weekend, there are ongoing events and venues that can brighten up your summer. The Museum of History’s Gaslight Gallery exhibit “Historic Details” will be open through the end of August. You can get a one hour tour of the museum exhibits every day at 11am and 2 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. Or you can go on a ghost tour of Fernandina Beach every Friday.
Art galleries are open and offer a cool alternative to warm streets. A lovely new gallery (at least new to me) is Art on Centre at 503 Centre St. downtown. It’s a warm open space with artful arrangements of paintings and sculpture. At the Island Art Association on Saturday, you can see the work of featured artists and photographers, Scott and Dawna Moore. While you’re there, you can view the Nouveau Art show entries.
Just a weekend sampler from Amelia Island. And it’s only a sampler. I’m sure I’ve left out a lot of events. It does serve to remind me that the summer doldrums are mostly creatures of my imagination. We have a rich arts and culture scene and summer is the ideal time to enjoy it.
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.