Jacksonville Today Arts and Culture Editor Matt Shaw shares his arts and culture picks for the weekend.
Friday
A Night with Jennifer Chase
Happy Medium Books | Avondale
Local singer-songwriter, playwright, author and educator Jennifer Chase celebrates the release of her memoir, I Can Smell You From Here: Thirty Years, Seventeen Letters to My Town 1993-2023. In a feature for the Jacksonville Music Experience, Daniel A. Brown calls the book, which is written as an epistolary, “poignant and hilarious” and “a crucial historical document of a specific milieu and epoch of the Jacksonville arts galaxy.” In conjunction with the book’s release, Chase also produced a new EP of original music that shares the same title as her memoir. A Night with Jennifer Chase is held from 7-8:30 p.m. at Happy Medium Books, 2724 Park St. Tickets ($25) include a copy of the memoir, sangria, and light hors d’oeuvres. More information.
Friday & Saturday
Adelya Plays The Lark Ascending
Jacoby Symphony Hall | Downtown Jacksonville
Renowned violinist, the Uzbek-American artist Adelya Nartadjieva takes center stage for the Jacksonville Symphony’s presentation of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. The program also includes composer Edgar Elgar”s “love letter to Italy” and William Walton’s First Symphony. Both Friday and Saturday’s performances start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and more information.
Saturday
Emancipation Celebration
James Weldon Johnson Park | Downtown Jacksonville
Jacksonville’s annual Emancipation Day celebration returns to James Weldon Johnson Park in Downtown Jax. The event, presented by City Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman and hosted by City Councilman Rahman Johnson, includes musical performances from R&B-soul group Katz Downstairs, Mr. Al Pete, Taryn “Love Reigns” Warwood, Mal Jones, Nan Nkama, and students from the Jacksonville Arts and Music School. Local food trucks and vendors will be on-hand, along with family-friendly activities. The festival is held from 4-8 p.m. Free to attend. More information.
Saturday & Sunday
PHX Jax Spring Mural Jam
Phoenix Arts & Innovation District | Springfield
More than 50 artists will participate in turning the walls of North Springfield’s Phoenix Arts District into an outdoor art gallery for PHX Jax’s Spring Mural Jam. Visitors are invited to watch the installation process from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. More information.