Mandarin Museum News
June 2023
"Embrace the Mandarin Experience"
|
|
 |
Dear friends,
The month of May was marked with exciting new partnerships as Mandarin Museum continues steadily toward its grand reopening this summer.
We were honored and pleased to accept a $1,250 contribution from Reverend Dr. Gary L. Williams, Sr. and the Hopewell Church congregation to support our efforts to preserve and share Mandarin's Black history as an integral part of the entire community's story. We also enjoyed a visit from Victoria Smalls, Executive Director of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. This site visit was the final step in our recognition as a partner site along the Corridor, acknowledging those of Gullah Geechee heritage who called and continue to call the greater Mandarin area home.
May ushered in a renewed partnership with the University of North Florida Department of History through our internship program (be sure to read more on that below) as well as with the Department of Art and Design through the start of a digital humanities project utilizing the Museum's archives.
We were also pleased to provide multiple guided tours of our historic buildings to community-based groups including Basca, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing better living, working, educational, social, and recreational opportunities for adults with special needs.
Bolstering our regular roster of indispesable volunteers, the Museum received additional support from Scout Troops affiliated with St. Joseph's Catholic Church including 9473 and 473 and Cub Scout Pack 473. And Naval Air Station Jacksonville's Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Seven Two provided much-appreciated man(and woman)power throughout the Museum and Park.
We are proud to be a part of such a caring community. We are honored to be entrusted with its history.
As work continues behind the scenes on our new permanent exhibits, be on the look out this month for a special announcement regarding our reopening.
Warmest regards,
|
|
|
|
-----Brittany Cohill
-----Executive Director
|
|
Thank you to all who attended our May 18th Third Thursday Lecture with Wayne Wood! His presentation on Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage is now available online at Mandarin Museum's YouTube Channel.
And a very special thank you to the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour for providing such a wonderful backdrop and venue!
|
|
Volunteer Spotlight
Gabriele Dempsey
by Paula Suhey
Gabriele and her husband, Bruce, moved to Mandarin from Tallahassee more than 45 years ago. They chose to settle in Mandarin because the big oak trees and rural setting reminded them of Tallahassee where they had taught at Florida State University. Bruce was the director of the University art gallery and she was an assistant professor teaching graphic design...before the age of computers!
They purchased property not far from the corner of Mandarin and County Dock Roads that had been Halsema Nursery. The property came with a 75-foot long glass greenhouse which they incorporated when designing their residence. Along with their children, Max and Kate, they appreciated the serenity Mandarin offered. "People often rode horses on Mandarin Road. I once opened our back door to see a feral pig charging past. Life was still and quiet in those days," said Gabriele.
Gabriele has always enjoyed gardening. When Covid struck, she had much more time to work in the garden and discovered a number of monarch eggs. As she found more and more eggs, she decided she needed to give them a fighting chance due to their overall declining numbers. Gabriele became serious and bought a butterfly enclosure to provide a safe environment for the eggs to hatch and become caterpillars. This summer she raised about 150 eggs to adulthood and released 143 monarch butterflies.
One of Gabriele's biggest joys was the building of the Museum & Historical Society in Walter Jones Historical Park. She can often be seen walking their dog, Luna, throughout the property. Part of their daily routine is to keep County Dock and the park as clean as possible, picking up trash along the way, enjoying the sounds of the birds and smelling the citrus blooming in early summer.
As a board member, Gabriele was involved in working with the contractor as two new rooms were added to the museum, a dedicated Maple Leaf room and the expansion of the archive room.
With her graphic design expertise, she has been working on the exhibition panels for the new museum displays. She also worked with board members on the interpretive exhibit inside the St. Joseph's Mission Schoolhouse for African American Children.
Regarding what's next, Gabriele remarked, "Our dream for the future has just unfolded. Having Brittany Cohill as our new executive director will give the board and all the volunteers an opportunity to really spread our wings. We look forward to the re-opening of the museum very soon!"
|
|
In the Collections
Recently, Artist Nofa Farha Dixon graciously donated four Charlie Brown pieces of pottery and one Memphis Wood piece to the Museum's permanent collection. Charlie's methods, while successful in creating beautiful handwrought designs, made his pottery a bit fragile in nature. No less valuable, the cracking in this piece is part of its story, inviting the audience to embrace imperfection while exploring its artistry and charm.
Donor Nofa Dixon is an accomplished artist in her own right. Active in the Jacksonville art community for many decades, she is a professional artist and arts educator. She served as Curator of Education at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville for twelve years prior to becoming a faculty member in the Department of Art and Design at the University of North Florida where she taught drawing, painting, and design classes. She served as an Artist-in-Residence for Duval County Schools from 1997 to 1999, and in 1998 was awarded the Art Educator of the Year by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville.
Nofa's work can be seen at the South Mandarin Library as part of the Cultural Council's Art-in-Public-Places permanent collection. Commissioned in 2005 and titled Stepping Stones, ceramic floor tiles feature glaze-painted stones that lead guests from the library's entrance to the children's section. Nofa used a technique known as trompe l'oeil ("to deceive the eye"), a technique through which an artist produces realistic imagery to make a flat surface appear three-dimensional.
|
Image courtesy of Nofa Dixon |
Charlie Brown and Memphis Wood's influence can be seen in Nofa's work. Nofa, along with other young emerging artists in Jacksonville during the 1970s, formed a group known as the Crown Craftsmen. In September 1977, The Tallahassee Democrat reported, "The Crown Craftsmen are Jacksonville area artists. They joined together two-and-a-half years ago to promote high quality crafts and to trade new ideas about art." Nofa describes it as a special time, adding, "the 1970s art scene in Jacksonville is something that will never be duplicated." Charlie and Memphis were mentors to this younger generation who displayed and sold their pieces at galleries across Florida. Serving as a matriarch and patriarch of sorts, they were instrumental in encouraging the Crown Craftsmen as they pursued their passion. Nofa recalls her first piece that sold went to a special buyer, Charlie Brown.
This past month, Nofa approached Mandarin Museum & Historical Society with the idea for a permanent Crown Craftsmen collection for the Museum's archive. An exciting endeavor, the Museum is thrilled to collaborate with Nofa to curate, preserve, and share the work of artists born out of this distinct moment and movement within Jacksonville's art community. With Mandarin's own Charlie Brown and Memphis Wood playing central roles in the Crown Craftsmen narrative, this new collection will further the Museum's mission to share the stories of Mandarin's history and culture. Many of Nofa's pieces will serve as the foundational acquistion and will be featured in future exhibitions.
|
|
|
What's new with our Duval County Master Gardeners?
Executive Director Brittany Cohill has many hobbies, but gardening is not one of them. This is for good reason as evidenced by her struggle to keep a potted gardenia - a 2022 Mother's Day gift from her family - alive and happy. A couple weeks ago, she brought the gardenia to Duval County Master Gardener Juliet Johnson to rehome in the Museum's Shade Garden. In that short amount of time, the chlorosis has subsided, lovely new growth is appearing, and little buds will soon give way to blooms. Juliet really puts the "Master" in "Master Gardener" as do George DeMarino, Candace Barone, Christine Morrow, and Brenda Miller who comprise the team caring for Mandarin Museum's gardens.
|
|
|
|
Click above to read Juliet's latest blog written for UF/IFAS, with contributions from Candace Barone & Paula Weatherby.
|
|
|
|
Meet Our Intern! Taylor Knapp-Calkins is a senior at the University of North Florida majoring in history with a minor in criminal justice. Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, she lived in California for nine years before moving to Florida in 2020. She is an active-duty service member in the United States Navy, having served for 12 years as an aircraft mechanic. Taylor is now persuing her degree full-time in order to commission as a naval officer through the Seamen to Admiral Program. She is uncertain what path she will follow after the Navy, but has said this internship has already opened her eyes to a new field she is falling in love with.
|
|
|
Taylor has proven to be a wonderful asset. Participating in all aspects of museum operations, she is also working on special projects including the development and implementation of our archivial photograph digitization process. When not here or at school, she enjoys spending time with her four-year-old son, Harrison. |
|
The FIRST and THIRD Saturdays, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm: The historic buildings in Walter Jones Historical Park will be open including the 1875 Webb/Jones farmhouse, 1876 Barn, 1898 St. Joseph's Mission Schoolhouse for African American Children, and Losco Winery log cabin. The Historic Mandarin Store & Post Office will be open on the THIRD Saturday only.
Saturday, June 3, 10:00 am: Paint Party on the Museum's front lawn. Paint your very own Mandarin Frog (or turtle or squirrel) and take it home with you same day! Space is limited. Email [email protected] to register. THE JUNE PAINT PARTY IS NOW ON A WAITLIST. Email to add your name.
Sunday, June 4, 2:00 to 4:00 pm: Music Under the Oaks music jam. If you play an acoustic instrument, bring it and join the song circle. If you don't play, bring a lawn chair or blanket and sit under the oaks to enjoy the music. This is a FREE event, donations support the Museum's programming and operations.
Mandarin Museum's main building remains closed for renovation, but the Museum Shop is available when the park buildings are open as listed above.
|
|
Save the Date
Thursday, August 17: Third Thursday Lecture. Greg Holbook, Executive Director of the New Smyrna Museum of History, will present on the Murray/Sheldon family, early 19th-century residents of Mandarin. Originally from Philadelphia, George Murray was a well-known engraver. The family also owned land grants in Mandarin and New Smyrna. Mr. Murray died young, and his wife and children came to Mandarin alone. Their daughter, Jane Murray, married John Dwight Sheldon in what is now Walter Jones Historical Park. Jane and Dwight buried three children on that land before selling the property in 1840. They moved to New Smyrna where they became well-known and distinguished citizens.
|
|
Mandarin Newsline
Read current and past issues of the Mandarin Newsline online now.
This free newspaper allows Mandarin Museum to share history, events, and programs with the public. The newspaper remains free to readers due to the robust local advertising. Please visit, shop, and eat at those businesses who support the community in this way.
|
|
Take a moment to make a difference in the Mandarin community... |
|
More ways to stay up-to-date! |
|
|
Thank you to our all of our community partners!
Mandarin Museum is funded in part through the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and the City of Jacksonville.
|
|
MISSION: Mandarin Museum & Historical Society shares the stories of Mandarin's history, culture, and natural resources by providing engaging programs that educate, entertain and inspire.
VISIT. JOIN. VOLUNTEER.
Mandarin Museum & Historical Society
904-268-0784
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
