The 8th Annual October Imaginarium is open! This year’s theme, Reality or Illusion? has resulted in a wonderful collection of artwork depicting Autumn, Halloween, and imaginative ideas building upon the theme. The exhibition opened on Friday, September 17, and continues through Halloween. The gallery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12-5pm and Sundays from 10-5pm. The Imaginarium is always a well-attended, popular show and this year’s collection is a must-see! We deeply appreciate The Human Bean for their support of this exhibition.

If you can’t make it to the gallery, you can still see a virtual tour on our website, https://art-presence.org. To inquire about the art that moves you or schedule a private gallery viewing, contact Anne Brooke at 541-941-7057 or anne@brookewatercolor.com.

October’s Second Saturday ArtWalk takes place on Saturday, October 9, from 3-6pm. Some artists will demonstrate their skills outdoors on California Street while others show their work inside a downtown Jacksonville shop. Look for the yellow flags marking participating merchants. The gallery will remain open until 6pm on Saturday for the ArtWalk and opens at 10am on Sunday for the convenience of Farmer’s Market visitors.

Anne Brooke and Ginna BB Gordon kick off the fall Arts & Letters Zoom chats with a conversation about the next novel in Gordon’s Lavandula Series, Humming in Spanish, on Friday, October 22 at 5pm.

As our annual October show illustrates, making art doesn’t have to be so serious that you can’t have fun. Reserve a Thursday evening with up to 7 of your friends and learn how to paint with watercolors in Anne Brooke’s “Wine and Watercolor” workshop. All art supplies are provided, so simply bring your favorite wine and hors d’oeuvres and enjoy painting in a social atmosphere! $25 per person, vaccination required.

Local Artists: Art Presence has studio spaces available in our Loft. The benefits are many, with reasonable month-to-month rent, convenient location, your own key and water. Please contact Anne Brooke to inquire.

Featured image: “Becoming Mortal,” by Kim Sterling