We are open for artists.
We are open for poets.
We are open for zinesters.
We are open for readers.
# We are open for Art Walk
Celebrate our community's deep pool of creative talent with us on the first Wednesday of each month in Downtown Jacksonville! The Main Library stays open until 9 p.m. for the festivities! We are conveniently located directly across from James Weldon Johnson Park, one of Art Walk's two major hubs of activity.
Not only that, there is usually local art on display, zinesters meeting and collaborating on the first floor, and sometimes special drop-in activities going on in the Teen Room. Don't forget to pick up a Map & Guide to the Main Library on your way in! You'll find public art, a huge vintage map collection and more!
# Drop-In Activities
# Collaborative Teen Craft
Ring in the New Year with a fireworks-themed collaborative craft! You'll paint fireworks onto a display board of the Jacksonville skyline. Find us in the Teen Room starting at 5 p.m. on the first floor of the Main Library (next to the gallery).
We also have a variety of board games you can check out. So, bring a friend!
# Zinester Meetup
Make, trade, read, and discuss zines with local zinesters and comic makers at our monthly Zinester Meetup. The Zinesters meet in the "Zine Zone" from 6 - 8:30 p.m. next to the Zine Collection and across from the first-floor gallery.
Participating in the Duval Comic and Zine (DCAZ) Fest in 2024 isn’t out of reach! Learn how to create S.M.A.R.T. goals around your zines and comics. We will show you how to make an eight-page zine from one sheet of paper and discuss prioritizing goals for larger format projects. Materials will be provided for free!
S- specific
M- measurable
A- attainable
R- realistic
T- time-bound
If you haven't already, this is also a good time to browse the Zine Collection (they are available for checkout!). If you have a zine or self-published comic to donate to the Library, bring it with you! For more about the Library's Zine Collection, visit jaxlibrary.org/zines.
# Tabletop Players Welcome
Are you interested in TTRPGs (tabletop roleplaying games)?
Join us for a Dungeons & Dragons one-shot adventure for adults from 6 - 8:30 p.m. every Art Walk. No experience is required. Just bring your creativity! The group meets on the first floor (near the Zine Zone).
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# Art Exhibits
# Winter in the South
Have you checked out the art exhibit in the Gallery on the first floor of the Main Library? Curated by The Art Center Cooperative, Inc. and Jacksonville Artists Guild, this exhibit runs through January 26 and features 18 accomplished local artists.
# Theme
Artists were asked to "Choose a book, poem or song that best inspires the artist in you." As further inspiration, they were told to "Look to nature for the robin that has come South, for the squirrel storing food or the early evening brilliant sunsets. Also, hot soup on the table and mittens on our hands, red noses and cold toes... that is what 'Winter in the South' looks like." Stop by and see what they came up with!
Vist the TAC website for more information.
# Artists
Linda Chipperfield, Cookie Davis, Annelies Dykgraaf, Leila Griffith, Lisa Lofton, Sean Lofton, Peggy Harrell-Jennings, Dawn Inglis Montgomery, Pat Setser, Sunil Kumar Ancha, Christine Booras, Andriyesh Bukov, LuAnn Dunkinson, Ron Episcopo, Leslie Kruzicki, Douglas Mealing, Diane Rabideau-Wise and Lori Ann Sweet.
# Pop! of Color
You can also see brand new colorful artwork brightening our second and third-floor galleries by featured artist, Lynn Syrcle! Presented by The Art Center Cooperative, Inc., this show runs through February 1.
A fine art photographer and painter, Lynn focuses on natural surroundings and bright colors. She is a Floridian at heart which inspires her creative works.
If you are interested in exhibiting your artwork at one of our libraries and you're already a member of TAC or Jacksonville Artists' Guild, please speak with your respective group. You can also Request to Exhibit on your own. For more information, check out our Exhibit Policy or ask to speak with the manager at the library location that you're interested in working with.
