2 minute read
Art on Display
Downtown has seen an explosion of public art in recent years, with the addition of nearly 100 pieces, including murals, sculptures, mosaics, seating, bike rack installations and traffic signal cabinet art in the past decade alone. The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville’s Art in Public Places program oversees the selection, installation and conservation of a wide range of art on City-owned property and administers the Downtown Investment Authority’s Urban Arts Project, infusing art into targeted areas. The privately funded Art Republic has curated murals on private property since 2016, while Friends of Hemming Park added its own Sculpture Garden in 2019. New public art projects include:
“Jaxoscope,” an interactive and illuminated installation by
Buffalo-based Shasti O’Leary-Soudant in early 2020 in
Jesse B. Smith Park across from the The Florida Theatre. Carlos Alves and JC Carroll installed a mosaic on the Yates
Fountain in a collaboration between the City’s Public Works
Department and Art in Public Places Program. “Emergence,” a new LED light installation with murals is being installed on the Water Street Garage at the base of the Acosta Bridge. The murals will depict the musical scores of the historic “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” and contemporary
“Bridges,” recently composed for the Jacksonville Symphony.
It's the work of Seattle-based artists Laura Haddad and
Tom Drugan. The Duval County Courthouse Plaza Stakeholder Committee is engaged to secure iconic public art with the largest Art in
Public Places budget to date earmarked from the courthouse construction cost designated by a city ordinance.
TOURS & OUTDOORS ACTIVITIES Myriad tour options allow visitors to explore Downtown on land or by river. Visitors can explore architecture and art on Jax Rides electric fat-tire bikes or power a Pedal Pub to visit Downtown’s favorite watering holes. Go Tuk’n’s tuk tuks take visitors on Downtown tours, kids scavenger hunts, and Urban Core Brewery & More Tours. On the water, enthusiasts can enjoy Urban Kayaking Adventures, the Kraken Cycleboat (a boat-bike combination experience), or themed cruises on the St. Johns River Taxi. Visit Jacksonville offers self-guided walking tours of Downtown's Public Art and Historic Architecture.
On foot, nearly three miles of riverwalk on both banks and a bridge loop through St. Johns River Park, where Friendship Fountain makes a stunning setting for relaxation and exercise alike. Under the Acosta Bridge on the Northbank, Corkscrew Park provides the community with a shaded, outdoor public gym.
