Veridian: Arts & Sciences Event Series

These abstract mechanisms are surrogates for figures and for the ways body and identity are inseparable, even when they feel at odds. Made of specialized parts capable of broad and specific tasks, they carry the implication of function. But by obscuring utility, that function retreats. Without assignment, the purpose becomes simply to exist. The work occupies the space between labor and play as they both align with a restless motion. Through digital and analog processes, precisely fabricated components combine with the slower rhythmic labors of woodwork, sewing, and crocheting. Vibrant color and surface queer these mechanical references, stretching across genders and identities, becoming bodily. The paintings flatten this vocabulary into blueprints, catching machines mid-action, freed from gravity and wear. These mechanisms require care and are destined to deteriorate. Like bodies, they rely on others to broaden their possibilities. This fragility and need for connection celebrates existence instead of progress and the completion of a task.

Yount, a two-time New York City’s Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grant Recipient, paints the human condition and the metaphysical aspects of our origins, time, space, and where we are going in the future. The essence of our existence and how we treat one another and our behavior is the general concept that envelopes two subcategories. One is of an epic global proportion of humanity’s history and how this repeats the atrocities and perpetuates the indoctrination of the mind and soul and a secondary stage with a personal domestic perspective of being a universal poetic visual artist and how this affects his perspective of the family relationships of power dynamics and his perspective of gender structures and interactions.

Science on Tap-JAX is a monthly science speaker series creating deeper conversation and understanding of topics relevant to the Jacksonville community. This collaborative effort between Jacksonville University, the University of North Florida, and the St. Johns Riverkeeper grew out of the March for Science and occurs monthly on the second Wednesday of every month from September to May, except for December.

Join Dolphin Records for open mic night at Cantina Rio. Participants can sign up and perform solo or with a group on the Cantina Rio Patio. Also featuring Jason Perry on PA systems and live music mixing.

Join us in the JU Alexander Brest Dance Pavilion to celebrate the artistry and legacy of this amazing modern dance pioneer. Led by dance faculty Cari Freiberger, with live music played by dance department accompanist Laura Fitts, the celebration includes a chance to learn about the magic and nuance of the Duncan choreography, style, and history.

In a changing media landscape, traditional platforms are transforming, and the rise of nonprofit news organizations is increasing. Monroe, like many traditional journalists, has been navigating the transition and building momentum. Metro columnist, beat reporter, investigative reporter for the Florida Times-Union, and columnist for the USA Today Network, Monroe will share his philosophy on how to adjust to technical and financial realities while upholding journalistic and media ethics.

Come support the efforts and celebrate 10 years of Team Terrapin, a Turtle Survival Alliance volunteer science group that works to protect the local Diamondback Terrapin populations of Northern Florida. Science-driven conservation meets community involvement. Join us for turtle meet-and-greets, raffles, turtle merchandise, live music and more.

With the unprecedented use of executive power in the Trump administration, observers and scholars have described the upcoming 2026 Congressional Elections in November as the most important in recent American history. Will they mark a continuation of Trump populism, or will Democrats gain control of the House and Senate and change the policy direction of the nation? These four Jacksonville University scholars will examine this question and assess the political, policy, and legal consequences of each potential outcome. There will be a roundtable for 45 minutes and then the discussion will open for audience questions.

ContrAlto Classics celebrates the deep, velvety power of the rarest female voice type in existence. Professor Dina Barone and guest artist Sachiko Frampton, collaborative pianist, present an immersive lecture-recital dedicated to the true contralto tradition. Experience breathtaking masterworks and iconic operatic arias while discovering the legendary vocalists who shaped this extraordinary history.

The First Coast Wind Symphony presents a program of inspired music masterworks. Featured is the premiere of a new work especially written for the FCWS by Los Angeles film composer and orchestrator Rossano Galante. Noted educator Dr. Kenneth Williams is the distinguished guest conductor.

A favorite among participants and viewers, this juried showcase features undergraduate student work that reflects the contemporary pulse in art-making of Northeast Florida. The eclectic exhibition consists of a variety of media, including animation, ceramics, computer generated images, drawings, film, glass art, graphic design, illustrations, photographs, prints and sculpture. Awards are given for outstanding work.

Experience a powerful vocal collaboration as the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus and JU RiverTones join forces under the direction of conductor Christopher Warren-Green. The evening features Borodin’s majestic Polovetsian Dances, Bernstein’s humorous Fancy Free, and Korngold’s lush Violin Concerto featuring Concertmaster Adelya Nartadjieva. Stravinsky’s spellbinding The Firebird Suite closes the night.

Experience the captivating world of Small Mouth Sounds, a theatrical production that follows six strangers who arrive at a silent retreat in search of something, meaning, peace, acceptance, or simply a way forward. As they navigate the quiet, they discover that when speech is stripped away, what remains is trust, vulnerability, and a willingness to face the unknown. Join us for a compelling glimpse into that unknown.

At the annual Ghost of JU Write a Thon, students unleash their creativity in 15 minute bursts, each building on the last as the Ghost of JU roams from the playing field to the performing stage to the cafeteria. It is fast, collaborative, and wildly imaginative. Students gather sponsors to support both local and international charities. Last year’s proceeds supported the Literacy Foundation of Northeast Florida and scholarships for students in Haiti through the Art Creation Foundation for Children. Scores of students from across campus join this festive tradition. The Write-a-Thon welcomes support through monetary donations and refreshments.

The Babadook, is a critically acclaimed psychological horror film that explores themes of grief, trauma, fear, and the complexities of mental health. Join us for an evening of film, conversation, and insight as we watch the psychological dimensions of The Babadook and discuss what lessons can be drawn from its characters and themes. The film follows Amelia, a widowed mother struggling to raise her young son Samuel, whose fear of a mysterious storybook creature known as the Babadook begins to blur the line between reality and imagination. As tensions rise, the film offers a powerful examination of psychological distress and the challenges of confronting difficult emotions. Following the screening, participate in an engaging talk-back discussion facilitated by Dr. McNeil-Young, Dr. Iannone, and Dr. McGraw. Together, they will lead a Q&A exploring the film's psychological themes, and the ways horror films can reflect real-life emotional experiences.

Join Dolphin Records for a spooky Halloween themed concert at Cantina Rio. Student performances include solo and DR House Band lineups. Wear your best costume and enter to win a prize provided by Dolphin Records. Also featuring Jason Perry on PA systems and live music mixing.

Art Historian Cindy Edelman and author Stacey Goldring open the season with a look at two true visionaries, Post-Impressionist Vincent Van Gogh’s unconventional use of color and Walt Whitman’s poetic works. A cheeky peek at their incredible lives is promised.

Mentorship is transformative. Join us for a talk showcasing the impact of service-learning courses and interdisciplinary collaboration on both university students and youth within a surrounding community. Focusing on Jacksonville University and the Arlington community, Grant, Jones and Dew will share their insights on the impact of interdisciplinary collaboration on mentorship. The interdisciplinary learning initiative integrated mentoring, literature, writing, and photography to create meaningful opportunities for reciprocal learning.

Hold Me Tight is a visual meditation on the tension between memory and identity, born from the quiet agitation of approaching middle age. In this series of constructed self-portraits, the artist explores the psychological experience of aging and the friction that arises when self-perception no longer aligns with the visible body, a tension intensified by a culture that glorifies youth. Through digital compositing, she stages an imagined dialogue between her younger and current selves, inhabiting scenes associated with youth while occupying them with present awareness. The work lingers between nostalgia and reality, examining how identity is shaped by time, memory, and the vulnerability of inhabiting a body that carries both past and present.

Leigh Merrill and Christy Wittmer's exhibition of sculpture and photo collage is a meditation on materiality, fragmentation, and perception. Wittmer's sculptures and Merrill's photo collages, each ranging from body-sized to small-scale, activate the gallery across floor and wall. With distinct yet overlapping methods, including sculpture, collage, visual reconstruction, and accumulation, their practices explore the space between the known and the invented, the enduring and the ephemeral. Together, the artists destabilize fixed categories of image, object, and meaning, offering instead a set of visual propositions in which transformation, memory, and the act of making coalesce.

Experience the ultimate vocal showcase bridging the magic of cinema and the grandeur of the theatre. This dynamic concert merges Reel Harmony—a nostalgic yet modern mash-up of on-screen hits from golden-age cinema to the digital era—with Real Harmony, a curated collection of beloved melodies from the world's greatest stage productions. From classic operettas, modern theatrical hits and iconic film soundtracks to viral social media reels, this enchanting evening celebrates the full power of the human voice. The performance features Jacksonville University’s contemporary vocal ensemble, the RiverTones, sharing the stage with powerhouse student soloists and renowned collaborative pianist Stephen Fennell.

As part of the School of Fine Arts and Humanities' commitment to original programming, this annual eclectic dance concert will offer faculty and internationally recognized guest artists of choreography from a global perspective. Join us for exciting new dance works that challenge and invigorate performers and audiences alike.

In partnership with the City of Jacksonville Senior Services Division, the Ritz Chamber Players perform a sampling of works from Expanding Horizons for our senior community as part of the Art and Mental Wellbeing program.

Every definitive movement begins with an act of courage. The RCP Silver Jubilee Season opens by honoring the imagination, discipline, and unwavering commitment that transformed an ambitious dream into one of America's leading chamber music ensembles. This performance features works that reflect both the ensemble's founding ideals and the extraordinary breadth of its artistic evolution. By paying tribute to the musicians, audiences, and steadfast partners who built the Ritz Chamber Players, this opening concert celebrates a historic legacy while boldly embracing the limitless territory the next twenty-five years will chart.

Experience the captivating world of Small Mouth Sounds, a theatrical production that follows six strangers who arrive at a silent retreat in search of something, meaning, peace, acceptance, or simply a way forward. As they navigate the quiet, they discover that when speech is stripped away, what remains is trust, vulnerability, and a willingness to face the unknown. Join us for a compelling glimpse into that unknown.