by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Pick up any of the other publications in town, and you may find a gigantic list of art galleries and museums from all over the region. Every time I look over one of those lists, my eyes glass over, I feel a spike of panic, and I pass out from the sheer volume of information. It’s just too much to deal with, and I know that I won’t enjoy most of them.
Relatively speaking, I’m a fairly informed art enthusiast, and even I don’t like having to wade through those long, cold lists. I’ll bet you’d like it if someone narrowed down the list a bit, so that’s what I’ve done. Below is a shorter list of 24 destinations that I consider to be the best bets in the Jacksonville area. They aren’t all the same, and they aren’t all on the list for the same reasons.
I’ll confess this much to you: I haven’t been to every one of them, and there are probably some pretty cool galleries out there that I’ve either never heard of, or haven’t given much of a chance. Being the Art Czar for EU Jacksonville, I get a ton of press releases and tips from readers, and the establishments listed below actively renew their displays regularly, offering the public many opportunities to find and enjoy something they’d like.
I’ve never been to an art gallery or museum that immediately seemed welcoming and friendly, and I don’t think they exist, but none of these places have anything against you. Don’t worry about feeling awkward or out of place, because you are more welcome to visit and stare than you realize. Galleries and museums are quiet places, so keep your flatulence and snickering to a minimum and you’ll do just fine.
Try these places out, I think you’ll like them. Most of them have websites that offer detailed information on their exhibitions and upcoming events, and EU always has a list of the week’s offerings in the Arts section.
2800 University Boulevard North, Phillips Fine Arts Building, Jacksonville, FL 32211
(904) 256-7371 or arts.ju.edu/art.html
Monday – Friday 9 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday 12 pm – 5 pm
31 West Adams Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 614-5986 or blogfromthecenter.blogspot.com
Check Schedule of Events for Hours
1253 McDuff Avenue South, Jacksonville, FL 32205
(904) 387-0852 or bogdagallery.com
Monday – Saturday 11 am – 7 pm
137 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 825-4577 or butterfieldgarage.com
Monday – Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
50 Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
(904) 280-0614 or ccpvb.org
Monday – Friday 9 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday 10 am – 1 pm
829 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32204
(904) 899-6034 or cummer.org
Tuesday 10 am – 9 pm
Wednesday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday 12 pm – 5 pm
3312 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32207
(904) 296-1414 or foglefineart.com
Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 6 pm
Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
1037 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207
(904) 398-3161 or reddiarts.com/gallery.html
Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 6 pm
Saturday 9:30 am – 6 pm
Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm
228 West King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 829-2838 or screenartsflorida.com
Monday – Friday 9 am – 6 pm
14201 Pecan Park Road, Jacksonville, FL 32218
(904) 741-3546 or jiaarts.org
177 4th Avenue North, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
(904) 435-3200 or jjohnsongallery.com
Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm
Saturday 12 pm – 5 pm
643 Edison Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32204
(904) 338-5790 or janegraygallery.com
Monday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm
101 West 1st Street, Jacksonville, FL, 32206
(904) 356-2992 or rain.org/~karpeles/jaxfrm.html
Tuesday – Saturday 10 pm – 4 pm
Sunday 12 pm – 4 pm
MOCA Jacksonville, 333 North Laura Street
(904) 366-6911 x210 or mocajacksonville.org
Tuesday 10 pm – 4 pm
Wednesday 10 pm – 9 pm
Thursday – Saturday 10 pm – 4 pm
Sunday 12 pm – 4 pm
3606 St. Johns Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32205
(904) 388-1188 or rrobertsgallery.com
Monday – Friday 9 am – 6 pm
Saturday 10 am – 6 pm
1409 Atlantic Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32207
(904) 396-9492 or stellersgallery.com
Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 6 pm
Saturday 10 am – 3 pm
Merchants Plaza, 240 A1A North, Suite 4, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
904-273-6065 or stellersgallery.com
Monday – Friday 11 am – 6 pm
Saturday 11 am – 3 pm
115 Bartram Oaks Walk, Suite 101, Jacksonville, FL 32259
(904) 230-4700 or stellersgallery.com
Tuesday – Friday 11 am – 6 pm
Saturday 11 am – 3 pm
200 1st Street, Neptune Beach, FL 32266
(904) 247-7200 or stellersgallery.com
Tuesday – Friday 11 am – 6 pm
Saturday 11 am – 3 pm
829 N. Davis Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 632-5555 or ritzlavilla.com
Check Schedule of Events for Hours
22 Marine Street, St. Augustine FL, 32084
(904) 824-2310 or staaa.org
Tuesday – Saturday 12 pm – 4 pm
Sunday 2 pm – 5 pm
283 College Drive, Orange Park, FL 32065
(904) 276-6815 or thcenter.org
Monday – Wednesday 10 am – 4 pm
Thursday 10 am – 7 pm
Friday 10 am – 4 pm
4567 St. Johns Bluff Road, Founders Hall, Building Two, Jacksonville, FL 32224
(904) 620-2534 or http://www.unf.edu/dept/gallery/
Monday 9 am – 5 pm
Tuesday 9 am – 7 pm
Wednesday – Thursday 9 am – 5 pm
Friday 9 am – 3 pm
5644 Colcord Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32211
(904) 722-3000 or womenscenterofjax.org
Check Schedule of Events for Hours
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