# Free Art Tours Offered Twice a Month
Augusta Savage, Al Held, Kathryn Freeman, Lee Adams, Jerry Uelsmann. Did you know that works by these artists and many more are on permanent display at the Main Library? Main Library offers small group tours showcasing the beautiful public art and architecture on the first Wednesday and one Saturday a month!
We Are Open for Art Walk
Stop by during Art Walk (the first Wednesday of every month) and take a 20-minute docent-led art tour. (Re)discover these remarkable paintings, sculptures, and photographs, with a trained volunteer as your guide. In addition to the permanent works on display, we also have exhibits that rotate regularly in our galleries on the first, second, and third floors, featuring works by local students and professional artists.
Tours start every half hour starting at 6 p.m. The last tour starts at 8 p.m.
Registration is strongly recommended but walk-ins are welcome if space is available. Meet the docent by the Art Tours sign in the Pacjic Promenade (the entry/hallway on the first floor).
# Saturday Art Tours
Spend Your Saturday Downtown
Want to take a deeper dive? Take a 45-minute art and architecture tour and see even more! Tours are offered at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. one Saturday a month. It's the perfect excuse to spend your morning or afternoon in downtown Jax.
Note: Street parking downtown is free on Saturdays, and you can also park in the Library Garage at 33 W. Duval St. and get your parking validated at the checkout desk on the first floor.
Looking for more things to do downtown?
Why not make it a day trip? The Main Library is right next door to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Jacksonville. Thanks to the generous support of VyStar Credit Union, all visitors receive free admission on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Looking for a few sweet treats, a cup of coffee, or a tasty lunch? Take the kids to the famous Sweet Pete's Candy (just a block away) or find one of the many other restaurants and cafes within walking distance of the Library on VisitJacksonville.com.
# More Tour Opportunities
Classes and Other Large Group Tours
Are you new to Jacksonville? Have family visiting? Tours of the Main Library (up to one hour) are available by appointment during all open hours. Request a tour at least one week in advance online or by calling (904) 255-BOOK.
Teachers: Schedule an Elementary School Field Trip to the Main Library. Library staff will present a fun storytime and tour of the library (maximum class size: 60). DCPS students will also be able to use their student library cards to check out books at the end of the visit. Note: Duval County Public Schools will have their buses organized centrally by their transportation office.
Need a Unique Event Venue?
The Conference Center at the Main Library is designed to accommodate everything from small, intimate parties to large one-of-a-kind affairs. With up to 20,000 square feet of elegant, versatile spaces, our experienced event specialists will work with you to create a vision for your special event that family, friends, or business partners will remember. Call (904) 255-6198 or visit jaxpubliclibrary.org/conference-center to learn more.
# You May Also Like...
Lewis Ansbacher Map Room Tours
It all started with the gift of an antique map from his son. Today, local attorney Lewis Ansbacher’s collection features antiquarian maps from around the world, in addition to historical views and plates focusing on North Florida. As part of their legacy, the Ansbacher Family Foundation donated the collection to the Main Library during its construction.
The “Map Room” was created on the fourth floor of the Main Library to house the collection and serves as the heart of the Library’s Special Collections Department.
The Ansbacher Map Collection has a sub-collection of the Le Moyne-De Bry engravings located in the Jordan & Shirley Ansbacher Gallery in the Special Collections department.
# A Preview of Our Public Art...
This five- ton, 25-foot foot tall bronze owl sculpture is hard to miss. Perched atop a stack of larger-than-life books, Wisdom occupies the niche on the outside corner the Main Library’s entrance. Created by artist Larry Kirkland, she was based on the owl in Michelangelo’s “Night” sculpture.
Located in the Betsy Lovett Courtyard on the second floor of the Main Library as well as on the outside of the building along Duval Street, these analytiques honor the historic Rhodes-Futch Collins, South Atlantic Investment, and the Buckman & Ulman Real Estate buildings, which were formerly located on the site.
Inspired by the double-porch façade of the historic landmark and former Springfield residence of Dr. Richard P. Daniel, this is a companion piece to the “Allegory of a Library” mural opposite. The two 18’x36’ murals by artist Kathryn Freeman are located in the grand staircase connecting the second and third floors of the Main Library.
Artist Kathryn Freeman created this 18’x36’ mural “Allegory of a Library” and its companion, “Springfield Composition” to adorn the grand staircase on either side of the entrance to the Betsy Lovett Courtyard. Freeman worked with local historians, community leaders, and around 1000 school children to choose the imagery, artists and authors incorporated into the work.
Lee Adams created this 31-foot oil-on-canvas mural in 1959 in honor of the 400-year anniversary of Ribault’s landing. French explorer Jean Ribault lead the French Huguenots to Northeast Florida, arriving the mouth of the St. Johns River on May 1, 1562. Commissioned for the Jean Ribault Room and restaurant located inside the Sears Roebuck & Co. department store on Bay Street, the mural remained a celebrated fixture there until the store closed in 1981.
This colorful “Untitled” abstract painting by artist Al Held was one of his last commissioned works. Hanging high above the desks and public workstations in the cathedral-like and aptly named “Grand Reading Room,” this 9 ½ by 60-foot canvas rests between two sets of windows, almost giving it the look of stained glass.
Artist, educator, and activist Augusta Savage was born and raised in Northeast Florida. She became one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century during the Harlem Renaissance. Augusta Savage is best known for her sculpture “The Harp,” which was inspired by James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The “untitled” painted terra cotta bust on display at the Main Library is one of three of her sculptures on display in Jacksonville.
Don't have time for a guided tour? Pick up a Map & Guide to the Main Library (brochure) on your next visit. It includes a brief history of the Library and a few things to see and do while you're here.
Do You Love Talking About Art?
Interested in being a volunteer art docent? Apply to Volunteer at the Library.
Be the first to know about upcoming art shows, Art Walk activities, and more!
