Free First Saturday Guest Speakers at CF Appleton Museum of Art

Visit the Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, on Feb. 4 for Free First Saturday. Admission is free all day and the public is invited to enjoy the permanent collection, special exhibitions, the Artspace and other special programming.

Visitors can take advantage of this free opportunity to see several new exhibitions. On view through May 21, “Big and Bold in Modern & Contemporary Art” features the largest and most dynamic works from the collection. On view through June 18 are two exhibitions by Florida artists: “Paper Thin & Shadow Deep: Hiromi Mizugai Moneyhun’s Hand-cut Paper Works” and “Pre Post Poetic: Hand-Stitched Collages by Debora Greger.”

At 11 a.m., artist and poet Debora Greger will lead a tour of her solo exhibition, “Pre Post Poetic,” which features 28 hand-stitched collages created between 2019-2021. The Gainesville-based artist juxtaposes pre- and post-pandemic themes of the everyday world. The tour will meet in the Balcony Gallery for Florida Artists on the second floor and is free to attend.

At 2 p.m., the Appleton welcomes back educator, author and photographer Cynthia Wilson-Graham. In a talk titled “Remembering Marion County’s African American Achievements,” Wilson-Graham will discuss the successes and contributions of underrepresented African Americans, highlighting their cultural heritage and resilience. This talk will be held in the Appleton auditorium and is free to attend.

“Thanks to a generous grant-funded sponsorship from Marion Cultural Alliance, we’re happy to continue presenting our Free First Saturday program,” said Victoria Billig, Appleton assistant director. “In addition to offering free admission, we hope you’ll join us for an exciting lineup of guest speakers, films, activities for children and more.”

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month. 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.