Bustin’ Out with Art

Nobody said it better than Rodgers and Hammerstein in “Carousel:” June is bustin’ out all over – especially in the Jacksonville arts community, ushered in by “A Vision for Art” with more than 40 artists on display at Episcopal School of Jacksonville St. Mark’s campus and continuing with “In the Neighborhood,” the current exhibition of JAG artists at Church of the Good Shepherd – where LuAnn Dunkinson took Best in Show, Susanne Myatt Ulmer and Midge Scelzo took Juror’s Choice awards from Juror Randy Pitts and Lisa Lofton introduced Stephanie Welchans, incoming 2026-27 JAG president.

The organization finished out its season with a presentation by FSCJ Gallery Coordinator Mico Fuentes.

“Art is about love and passion, the process of creating; then, as a viewer, experiencing and entering the world of the artist,” said Fuentes, a multi-talented artist as multi-layered as his artwork. Trained throughout childhood by his artistic grandmother, then attending undergrad at FSCJ before moving on to JU for his Master’s of Fine Arts, the Riverside resident embraces printmaking, etching, screen printing, metal work, woodwork, and more as he continues to evolve and explore with layers of lights, sounds, and action.

He and his wife, Rebecca Levy, artistic director of Jacksonville Dance Theatre, frequently collaborate on their artistic journeys; both embrace the concept that art is ephemeral. Choreography, dance, and visual art are experienced in the moment – how the dancers interact, how the viewer interacts with and processes visual art. Fuentes explained that it is personal and important to our human consciousness. An example: For her choreography, Levy asked Fuentes to create lightweight boxes for her dancers to perform on. They needed a clear top that could support the dancers’ weight and movement and contain lights to illuminate the movement. Talk about some “conceptual objectification,” as Fuentes calls it. Fuentes called the project a creative challenge and opportunity to find “the value and reimagine; look for patterns, play with reality, explore.”

Meanwhile at MOCA, Frank Stella’s 30-plus-foot-tall sculpture, “Stacked Stars” which was created to celebrate MOCA’s 100th birthday two years ago was moved from the atrium to the outside entrance of MOCA and the recent ribbon cutting was an exciting affair with many notable local dignitaries including Preston Haskell – personal friend and collector of Stella’s work – and Mayor Donna Deegan, who said the acquisition “is a momentous milestone for the museum.”

Sharla Valeski, Mari Santana, and Sonia Noway-Vera are three women artists who are definitely “bustin’ out” with their art as they “thrive on spite.” A recent show at UNICAT Gallery displayed their sculptures – crafted in ceramic, fabric, soap, and mixed media – that used strength to connect with identity and emotion, and to promote social change by altering and transforming it.

Finally, Zora Neale Hurston Fellows in Storytelling Teresa Cook and Emily Mitchell celebrated their exhibit “Spaces and Places” at the Ritz Theatre and Museum. Part of Women Writing for (a) Change, Cook’s watercolors honored the legacy of Hurston with small, intricate architectural renderings and hidden histories of the city, inspired larger pieces which map Cook’s connection and reflections of the spaces and people of Jacksonville. Mitchell’s oil paintings are personal, nostalgic and glowing with the light of the impermanence of time and memory. Her paintings reflect her personal family history, which draws the viewer into her narrative.