An Evening to Explore the Intersection of Art & Infrastructure<\/p>\n
Tides of Transformation: Water, Memory, and the Shaping of Jacksonville brings together artist Calida Rawles and a panel of local historians, planners, and community advocates for a public conversation inspired by the Cummer\u2019s current exhibition, Calida Rawles: Away with the Tides.<\/p>\n
Rawles\u2019 work uses water as both a symbol of trauma and a medium for healing, and the program extends those themes to Jacksonville\u2019s own history of riverfront development, highway construction, and neighborhood change, from Miami\u2019s Overtown to Jacksonville\u2019s LaVilla and Sugar Hill communities.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., the Cummer-hosted panel will discuss how decisions about land use and infrastructure continue to shape the social and environmental fabric of the city. Audience members will be encouraged to ask questions and share their own experiences as part of the dialogue.<\/p>\n
Voices from Art, History, and Community<\/p>\n
The panel reflects a cross-section of people working at the intersection of culture, planning, and community life. Alongside Rawles, participants include:<\/p>\n
? Dr. Alan Bliss, CEO of the Jacksonville History Center, offering context on how policy and development have reshaped our neighborhoods over time.<\/p>\n
? Kandice Clark, placemaking manager with Riverside Avondale Preservation, focused on how design and public space shape neighborhood identity.<\/p>\n
? Ennis Davis, public historian, author, principal of Community Planning Collaborative and The Jaxson co-founder, whose work often highlights the impacts of highways and redevelopment on historically Black communities.<\/p>\n
? Erin Kendrick, director of education at Jacksonville Arts & Music School (JAMS), connecting youth, education, and creative expression to conversations about place.<\/p>\n
? Gloria McNair, manager of community engagement and equity initiatives at Groundwork Jacksonville, bringing a perspective rooted in environmental justice and the St. Johns River corridor.<\/p>\n
Presented in partnership with the St. Johns Riverkeeper\u2019s Resilient Ribault project and supported by Lauren and Ted Baker, the program is designed to link waterways, neighborhoods, and infrastructure to questions of equity and the kind of city Jacksonville wants to become.<\/p>\n
The Cummer as civic gathering place<\/p>\n
Tides of Transformation is one of two winter programs echoing the museum\u2019s role as a hub for civic dialogue. In February, the Cummer will welcome Dr. Russ Wigginton, President of the National Civil Rights Museum, for a lecture on museums as stewards of memory and catalysts for social reflection, offered in conjunction with Black History Month and the Rawles exhibition.<\/p>\n
These programs build on founder Ninah Cummer\u2019s vision of the museum as a \u201cliving resource\u201d where people of all backgrounds can encounter art, nature, and one another. Today, with riverfront gardens, major exhibitions, and free community nights such as its annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, the institution continues to position itself as a venue for conversation about Jacksonville\u2019s past, present, and future.<\/p>\n