CF Appleton Museum of Art Announces Fall 2023 Class Schedule

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, announces the Fall 2023 schedule of studio art classes for children and adults.

For children, the Museum & Me Pre-K program returns on Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. By popular demand, this program for ages 2-5 now meets bimonthly, and introduces children to the Appleton through story time, a brief gallery visit and a corresponding art activity in the Artspace. For children ages 8-12, Art Explorations is back with a six-week session focusing on hand-building with clay, scheduled for after school on Wednesdays, beginning Oct. 11. Just for teens, a six-week clay class focusing on wheel throwing, will meet on Saturdays beginning Oct. 14.

New this year is a three-week art class for ages 5-7 called Art Adventures. This class meets on Saturdays beginning Oct. 7 and will introduce pint-sized Picassos to creating art in a studio environment. A new program called Museum Happenings is designed with homeschool and independent school students in mind. Meet an educator in the lobby and pick up a special activity sheet, complete the activity sheet in the museum galleries, then visit the Artspace for an accompanying art project led by the education team. This program meets on Wednesdays, Sept. 20 and Oct. 25.

A special holiday-inspired workshop on Dec. 9 allows children and an accompanying adult to make art together. Create a clay horse ornament inspired by the colorful wooden Dala horses of Sweden.

For adults, the Art 101 workshop series returns with Paper Quilling on Sept. 12, Abstract Mood Painting on Oct. 10 and Fall Leaves Colored Pencil and Watercolor workshop on Nov. 14. All materials are provided for these single-day, three-hour workshops. A Reduction Printmaking class on Sept. 30 will have participants creating multicolored, layered prints using a single print block during one four-hour session with E. Marie Fielding. Other single-day workshops include a charcoal drawing class led by Christina Szakonyi that meets on Oct. 14, and an Art Deco Mandala Painting workshop with Lisa Russo that meets on Dec. 9.

Multiweek classes for adults include Dig Into Clay Wheel Throwing that begins Sept. 30. The six-week session is offered on Saturdays and is open to potters of all skill levels.

“The Appleton Clay Lab features 11 pottery wheels and is the only one of its kind in the area,” said Hollis Mutch, museum educator. “We welcome all students, from beginner to advanced.”

Also this fall, the Master Class Series welcomes acclaimed visiting artist Anthony Ackrill. Focused on teaching the basics of figure drawing from life with charcoal or pencil, participants will learn the steps of establishing a solid rendition of the model. Ackrill trained as a student at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy for five years, where he then taught anatomy, figure painting and figure drawing. Ackrill’s painting, “Reaper,” is part of the Appleton’s permanent collection.

“By adding several new programs this year, we are pleased to meet the increased need in our community for arts and education,” said Jason Steuber, Appleton director.

Advance registration is required for all classes and programs. Visit AppletonMuseum.org for full class details and to register.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

CF Ira Holmes International Film Series Launches Sept. 12

The Ira Holmes International Film Series at the College of Central Florida returns in September with a full season of 12 films from across the globe – plus special events including a live filmmaker Q&A at Ocala’s historic Marion Theatre, a sci-fi Halloween costume contest, a kid-friendly Japanese anime feature and bonus performances by the Southwest Florida dance team made famous in a recent documentary.

The series kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 12, with the 2022 Polish film “EO,” which follows the journey of an adorable nomadic donkey named EO, removed from a circus, who experiences both cruelty and kindness from a cast of human characters. With stunning cinematography and a resonant musical score, the drama road movie directed by Jerzy Skolimowski earned the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize and an Academy Award nomination. Screenings will be held at 2 p.m. at the Appleton Museum of Art and 7 p.m. at the CF Ocala Campus, Building 8, Room 110, 3001 S.W. College Road.

“This season features an exciting slate of films representing a diverse range of cultural topics and locations across the globe, with special features for Hispanic Heritage Month and Women’s History Month,” said series coordinator and CF Professor Wendy Adams. “Whether you like action, anime, comedy, documentary, drama or science fiction, we’ve got something you’ll enjoy.”

Series Schedule:

Sept. 12 – “EO”

Sept. 26 – “Long Flat Balls: Broken Promises”

Oct. 10 – “Utama”

Oct. 24 –  “Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty” special event at the Marion Theatre. One screening only at 7 p.m. Filmmaker John de Graaf will introduce his latest documentary and host a Q&A following the film. The CF Student Activities Board will provide a free popcorn and drink for CF students and film series members.

Oct. 31 – “Fantastic Planet” special Halloween event: wear a sci-fi-inspired costume to the 7 p.m. screening and win a prize. The CF Student Activities Board will provide refreshments and giveaways.

Nov. 14 – “Honeyland”

Jan. 30 – “Pather Panchali”

Feb. 4 – “Spirited Away” special event at the Marion Theatre. One Sunday 2 p.m. screening of the Academy Award-winning animated fantasy, rated PG. The CF Student Activities Board will provide a free popcorn and drink for CF students and film series members.

Feb. 13 – “Petite Maman”

Feb. 27 – “Calendar Girls” (2022) plus an additional special event at the Appleton Museum: on Saturday, March 2, meet the Southwest Florida dance team featured in the film and watch them perform at 11 a.m. and noon. Free as part of Free First Saturday.

March 26 – “Polite Society”

April 9 – “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”

All films will be shown Tuesdays at 2 p.m. at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, and at 7 p.m. at the College of Central Florida, 3001 S.W. College Road, Building 8, Room 110, unless otherwise noted. Films at the Ocala Campus are free and open to the public. Films at the Appleton are free to all museum and film series members; nonmembers pay museum admission. Films may contain mature content.

 

CF Selected by Amazon as an Education Partner For Career Choice Program

The College of Central Florida has been selected as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing Amazon’s hourly employees access to all 170 of CF’s degree and certificate programs.

Amazon’s Career Choice program is an education benefit that empowers employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. The program meets individual learners where they are on their education journey through a variety of education and upskilling opportunities including prepaid college tuition, industry certifications designed to lead to in-demand jobs, and foundational skills such as English language proficiency, high school diplomas and GED diplomas. In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025 to help move them into higher paying, in-demand jobs.

“We’re committed to preparing students for success in their careers, and this partnership is going to make that process more affordable and accessible for even more students in our community,” said Dr. Jennifer Fryns, CF vice president for Workforce Development and Innovation. “Whether students are interested in logistics, marketing, engineering or another field altogether, there are opportunities for them here.”

At CF, students can upskill with a short-term certificate, earn an Associate in Arts degree for university transfer, learn specialized workplace skills with a two-year Associate in Science degree, or pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree. CF’s Associate in Science in Supply Chain Management is expressly designed for logistics and supply chain employers such as Amazon. Night, weekend and online classes are offered to provide class options for students needing flexible schedules. With a wealth of student services, small class sizes and award-winning faculty, students at CF are supported every step of their education and beyond.

Amazon’s Career Choice program has a rigorous selection process for third-party partner educators, choosing partners that are focused on helping employees through their education programs, assisting them with job placements, and overall offering education that leads to career success.

“We’re looking forward to CF coming on board as an education partner for Career Choice, adding to the hundreds of best-in-class offerings available to our employees,” said Tammy Thieman, director of Career Development Programs at Amazon. “We’re committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere. We have intentionally created a partner network of third-party educators and employers committed to providing excellent education, job placement resources, and continuous improvements to the experience. Today, over 130,000 Amazon employees around the world have participated in Career Choice and we’ve seen firsthand how it can transform their lives.”

For more information on Amazon’s Career Choice, visit: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/career-choice or CF.edu/CareerChoice.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

 

CF Webber Gallery Presents The “52nd Annual Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition

The College of Central Florida Webber Gallery presents the “52nd Annual Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition” on view Sept. 25-Oct. 26. Visitors will see a diverse array of both traditional and experimental designs created with water-soluble media on materials from paper to clay-coated surfaces to illustration board.

More than 500 works were submitted by skilled artists affiliated with the Florida Watercolor Society, and 79 were selected and will be judged by Andy Evansen, a watercolor painter and signature member of the American Watercolor Society since 2015. Evansen was featured on the cover of American Artist Magazine in 2005 after winning its international watercolor competition. He has taught national and international workshops and is a longtime signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Red River Watercolor Society, Northwest Watercolor Society and Plein Art Painters of America, as well as a member of the Salmagundi Club and California Art Club.

“Jurying a large watercolor society’s annual exhibition is always enjoyable because of the variety and skill level, and this year’s Florida Watercolor Society entrants didn’t disappoint,” Evansen said. “Watercolor is an incredibly diverse medium, and I want the public to see that when viewing the exhibition. I love original, thought-provoking works, and I often find myself asking, ‘How did the artist do that?’ or ‘What was this artist trying to say?’ and I hope the paintings selected elicit the same response from viewers.”

The community is invited to an opening reception on Friday, Sept. 29, 6-8 p.m. Webber Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and admission is free. The Webber Gallery is located at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. For more information, visit CF.edu/Webber or call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.

 

Appleton August Free First Saturday Features Gallery Tours With Artist Charles Eady

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, offers free admission on the first Saturday of each month with the popular Free First Saturday series.

The next Free First Saturday is Aug. 5. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., visitors can enjoy free admission to see several recently opened exhibitions, including “The Unscene South: Charles Eady Revisits History.” At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Eady will give free tours of his solo exhibition, featuring more than 20 mixed-media works that explore the history of free Blacks in the South prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. Learn directly from the artist with the opportunity to ask questions. Tours are free and will meet in the exhibition on the second floor.

Other special exhibitions on view include “Eternal Summer: Works from the Permanent Collection” and “Caught Up in History and Captured on Film: Randy Batista’s Photographs of Florida and Cuba.” Scuba Steve’s Snack Shack food truck will be on-site throughout the day.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

 

CF Appleton Museum of Art Unveils New Lobby Mural Project

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, announces an initiative to bring new perspectives to the museum’s iconic lobby and add opportunities for contemporary artists through the display of dynamic large-scale works of art.

“Art on the Up and Up” is an innovative project series that allows invited Florida artists to develop original artworks that will become oversized vinyl graphics installed in the museum’s lobby. You’ll have to look up to see these unique works — the gravity-defying vinyls are secured to the underside of both the eastern and western marble staircases leading to the second-floor galleries.

“The museum’s striking travertine façade and reflecting pools have welcomed nearly 2 million visitors since opening in 1987,” said museum director Jason Steuber. “We’re delighted to present this fresh opportunity to reimagine the lobby and how we engage and welcome visitors, through the installation of contemporary art in unexpected places.”

CF Professor Tyrus Clutter is the inaugural “Art on the Up and Up” featured artist, and his vinyls inspired by William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s “The Shepherdess” and Elizabeth Jane Gardner’s “Daphnis and Chloe” are currently on display through the fall. Clutter noted that these two works are frequently chosen by his students for writing assignments when visiting the museum.

“They are iconic images from Arthur I. Appleton’s collection,” Clutter said. “I think many visitors are often attracted to them on their first visit to the museum and frequent visitors enjoy returning to them again and again.”

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

CF Citrus Open House July 27

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, July 27, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Charles S. Dean Sr. Educational Center at the CF Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid and register for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived and will receive a CF T-shirt.

Attendees are encouraged to register at www.CF.edu/OpenHouse. For more information, call 352-746-6721, ext. 6179.

CF Levy Open House July 20

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, July 20, from 2-5 p.m. at the CF Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid and register for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived and will receive a CF T-shirt.

Attendees are encouraged to register at www.CF.edu/OpenHouse. For more information, call 352-658-4077, ext. 2118.

CF Ocala Open House July 19

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Wednesday, July 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at the CF Ocala Campus Ewers Century Center, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived.

A virtual open house will also be offered on Wednesday, Aug. 2, from 10-11:30 a.m. on Zoom.

Attendees are encouraged to register at www.CF.edu/OpenHouse. For more information, call 352-873-5800, ext. 1379.

CF Donates Health Education Equipment to MCPS

High school and middle school health science students at 11 Marion County Public Schools will have more hands-on opportunities to learn basic patient care thanks to a donation from College of Central Florida.

On June 13, CF transferred 12 hospital beds and 17 high-tech simulators, valued at $67,000, to MCPS. The electric beds allow students to learn on equipment used in hospitals. The Laerdal VitalSim-enabled manikins simulate heart, breath and bowel sounds, helping students learn to take vital signs and blood pressure readings as well as other basic nursing skills.

The donation was made possible after CF received grant funds through the Florida Department of Education LINE grant, created by the Florida Legislature, which allowed the college to purchase new simulators to be used by nursing students.

“This is the ripple effect of funding,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “Because of the tremendous support College of Central Florida received from the Florida Legislature and the Citrus County Hospital Board, who provided the initial investment to be matched by the state, we can now gift this training equipment to Marion County Public Schools. We’re excited to help younger students interested in health care careers get an earlier start with hands-on learning.”

The simulators and hospital beds will be distributed to five MCPS high schools: Belleview, Lake Weir, North Marion, Vanguard and West Port, as well as six middle schools: Dunnellon, Fort King, Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks, Howard, Liberty and North Marion.

“We are grateful for community partners like the College of Central Florida for identifying ways to support our students who are interested in high-demand jobs, like those in the health care industry,” said Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Diane Gullett. “Being able to provide hands-on training is another way we are partnering together to help every student succeed.”

To learn more about CF, visit CF.edu. To learn more about Marion County Public Schools, visit MarionSchools.net.