The College of Central Florida Communications Department will host a reading with award-winning poet and memoirist Brian Turner. A book signing and Q&A session will follow the reading, which begins at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18, in Building 8 at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road.

Turner is the author of five collections of poetry, most recently “The Wild Delight of Wild Things” (2023), “The Goodbye World Poem” (2023), and “The Dead Peasant’s Handbook” (2023), all forthcoming with Alice James Books. The trilogy traverses the landscape of loss, sitting quietly in the grief of afterwards before allowing oneself to gravitate again toward delight and wonder.

His other collections include “Here, Bullet” (2005), winner of the 2005 Beatrice Hawley Award, the New York Times “Editor’s Choice” selection, the 2006 PEN Center USA “Best in the West” award, and the 2007 Poets Prize; and “Phantom Noise” (2010). He is also the author of the memoir “My Life as a Foreign Country,” which made Powell’s Best Nonfiction of 2014 list.

His poems and essays have been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic and Harper’s, among other journals. He was featured in the documentary film “Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience,” which was nominated for an Academy Award.

The Debra Vazquez Memorial Poetry Series honors CF English and creative writing professor Debra Vazquez, who died as a result of domestic violence in 2004. Funds for this event are provided by the Debra A. Vazquez Endowed Chair in Poetry.

For additional information, contact CF Senior Professor Sandra Cooper, 352-873-5800, ext. 1361. To learn more about CF, visit www.CF.edu.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, presents “Skylines to Hemlines: Art Deco Design from the Permanent Collection,” on view Oct. 14, 2023-Jan. 14, 2024.

Curated and displayed for the first time ever from the Appleton’s impressive permanent collection of Art Deco objects, “Skylines to Hemlines” offers an introductory overview to early 20th century art, architecture, design, fashion, jewelry, paintings, prints and photographs created in the interwar period.

Art Deco, or French Arts Décoratifs, influenced everything from high fashion to everyday household objects. Museum visitors can expect to see a broad selection of art and objects that represent the movement, from its beginnings in France to its influences across the world. On view will be vintage garments and accessories, including designers Cartier and Schiaparelli, and Art Deco textiles from Japan; a large variety of objects made by Chase, one of the preeminent producers of American Art Deco metal objects, such as clocks, radios and doorstops; and vintage posters, photographs and other ephemera. Also included in the exhibition are two visitor-favorite sculptures by Romanian artist Demétre Haralamb Chiparus, who is considered one of the quintessential sculptors of the bold design movement.

“We are pleased to showcase this incredible selection of works from our Art Deco holdings,” said Appleton Director Jason Steuber. “We know that visitors will be delighted and inspired by the striking design that feels both modern and timeless.”

Regular admission fees apply to visit. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month for the Free First Saturday program.

Special Events

Appleton Directors Circle members are invited on Thursday, Oct. 12, for “A Toast to Art Deco” opening reception. From 5:30-7:30 p.m., guests will enjoy a 1920s themed reception with champagne, hors d’oeuvres and the captivating sounds of Miranda Madison. RSVP is required to Colleen Harper, harperc@cf.edu, or 352-291-4455, ext. 1831.

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.

The College of Central Florida Ira Holmes International Film Series will feature “Long Flat Balls: Broken Promises” on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

To win back the love of his life, a charming car mechanic and a gang of soccer-mad friends embark on a madcap journey to the lawless East Bloc to correct a mistake of his past, risking life and prison in an ingenious booze smuggling scheme. It’s been 14 years and Petter has not kept his promise to marry Laila. Petter wants to get married. The problem is that he can’t. The 2022 Norwegian comedy is 103 minutes and is not rated.

Screenings begin at 2 p.m. at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., and at 7 p.m. at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road, Building 8, Room 110. 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.

For more details, visit CF.edu/FilmSeries.

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 Oct. 7. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., visitors can enjoy the permanent collection and several special exhibitions, including “The Unscene South: Charles Eady Revisits History” and “Caught Up in History and Captured on Film: Randy Batista’s Photographs of Florida and Cuba.”

At 1 p.m., architect and author Mario Cartaya will give a free presentation in the Appleton auditorium called, “Across the Florida Straits to Cuba: A Living History of the Buildings Left Behind.” Cuba is a historical laboratory of buildings, streets and artifacts that have been mostly untouched since 1960 — allowing visitors to transport themselves into a time and space that has not evolved into modern times. In this historical presentation, Cartaya retraces and recalls six decades of friendly and cooperative Cuban-American relations and history.

Free First Saturday visitors can also visit the Appleton Artspace for art activities for all ages. The Smoked Biscuit Company food truck will be onsite from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Free First Saturdays are sponsored in part by Marion Cultural Alliance and CAMPUS USA Credit Union.

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.

Community members are invited to join College of Central Florida students and faculty on two exciting study abroad trips in 2024. The first trip will be to Costa Rica, March 11-15, and will focus on community development. The second trip will be to Austria, May 5-12, with experiences centered around music appreciation.

The CF Study Abroad program, in partnership with the Study Abroad Association, is dedicated to facilitating education through international experiences that provide diverse and interesting opportunities for experiential learning.

Trip prices include accommodations, all ground transportation, full-time local guides, 24/7 on-ground emergency support, travelers’ health insurance and liability insurance, plus tips and gratuities. Some to all meals may be covered depending on the trip. The cost of the Costa Rica trip is approximately $1,500 and the Austria trip is approximately $1,970. Price is an estimate until tickets are finalized. Scholarships may be available. Round-trip airfare is not included.

The Costa Rica trip includes an introduction to medicinal plants, traditional Caribbean cooking lessons, participation in community projects, plus a visit to Cahuita National Park and Playa Negra beach. The Austria trip includes cultural walking tours, a visit to Mozart’s Birthplace Museum, a classical concert and time to explore Vienna, Austria’s beautiful capital city.

Applications are open now for these educational trips. Being enrolled as a CF student is not required for participation.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/StudyAbroad or contact the Study Abroad coordinator Jean Scheppers at scheppej@cf.edu.

The College of Central Florida Webber Gallery presents “Perfect Black: Visual Expressions of the Southern, Rural, African American Experience” on view Nov. 6-Dec. 7. Visitors will see artwork that expresses the personal viewpoints of Black artists from the Southeast in all mediums.

The competitive, regional exhibition was inspired by Kentucky Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson’s 2021 book of poetry, “Perfect Black,” which features vivid imagery of her experience growing up in Southern Appalachia.

Entries will be judged by Steve Prince, director of engagement and distinguished artist in residence at the Muscarelle Museum at William and Mary University. He is a mixed media artist, master printmaker, lecturer and art educator who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University.

The community is invited to a reception and awards presentation on Friday, Nov. 17, 5-7 p.m.

The Webber Gallery is located at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and admission is free. For more information, visit www.CF.edu/Webber or call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.