I received my Off the Grid Launch Party invite in the mail Thursday. It looks tight. Jacksonville, downtown specifically, is getting a little swagger. Off the Grid is:

a partnership between artists, property owners, Downtown Vision, Inc. and the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville. Off the Grid facilitates introductions between Jacksonville artists and Downtown property owners in an effort to activate vacant spaces in the urban core with artistic energy and provide artists with much needed work and exhibition space.

This movement started here and was formerly called Creative Communities. I like the new name, a big improvement. Listen to Terry Lorince, DVI Pres talk about the program, and other things.

Download audio file (urban-jacksonville-weekly-episode28.mp3)
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I Hope This Makes You Happy

I Hope This Makes You Happy is a new project from Nick at Art Behind the Fridge. It has the potential to keep me walking up and down the streets of 5 Points on Fridays.

The idea involves me creating a 5×5 drawing that I will take and put up somewhere in Jacksonville for whoever to find it. The idea behind it is this, I believe that art makes people “happy”, or at least thats the case for me. I know that when I look at an illustration, a painting, a sculpture, street art, or even a film that I think is “cool”, it makes me “happy”.

At least I’m hoping he leaves one or two in 5 Points for us to find. Keep an eye out for free art today!

Mesh Magazine Looking for ArtWalk Photos and Events

If anyone has ArtWalk photos, send your links to Mesh Magazine so they can post them up on the site with credit for you. You can also send them events you have coming up in the next month.

I Saved the Best for Last

Each year the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville presents their Annual Arts Awards at a luncheon. The event is held on stage at the Times-Union Performing Arts Center. This year’s awards ceremony will be held on April 20th.

A new part of this celebration of the arts in Jacksonville will be using technology to feature the regions artists on a huge screen running across the back of the stage.

The Cultural Council is looking for artists to submit images for this event. If you want to be included please send or deliver up to 10 of your digital images to the address below. Digital Images must be:

• Professionally photographed.
• Full images, as well as, detail shots are welcomed.
• We would like both 2D and 3D work to showcase.
• Images must be at least 300 dpi and SGA 1024 x 768.
• We will need the images no later than March 17th.
• Indicate how you would like your name credited.

Send or drop off your disk of digital images
Martha McManus
(904) 358.3600
Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville
300 W Water St., Jacksonville, FL 32202

Or if you have a Flickr account, place the images in a group called “Cultural Council 2010” and send a link to martha@culturalcouncil.org

The goal is to highlight as many artists as possible. The Cultural Council cannot guarantee that your work will be included and by submitting your images you are agreeing to allow Cultural Council to use your images in the future to help promote the arts in Jacksonville.