Love a good whodunit mystery? Just in time for Halloween, the College of Central Florida Visual and Performing Arts students will present “The Hound of the Baskervilles” live on stage Oct. 26-29.

Performances times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26-28, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Dassance Fine Arts Center, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala.

“I think this is the most entertaining Sherlock Holmes mystery,” said Nonalee Davis, CF assistant professor of theatre and the play’s director. “It’s set in a creepy Victorian house on the moor and has several supernatural characteristics. If you don’t know the story, you’re going to be super surprised at whodunit! It will be a fun way for our students to help the community get in the Halloween spirit.”

Ten CF students make up the cast, including CF Theatre veteran Collin Williams as Sherlock Holmes. Another 13 CF students are working on the production as stage managers, costume designers and technical crew members. The set is designed by Tyler Stentiford and built by students under the technical direction of Dassance Fine Arts Center Theatre Manager Mario Cieri.

Known as the most spine-chilling Sherlock Holmes mystery, “The Hound of the Baskervilles” by Tim Kelly features suspense, humor and haunting. Will Sir Henry, heir to the Baskerville fortune, succumb to the family curse – death at the fangs of the beast who prowls the moor? Follow along as the sleuth casts suspicion on sinister servants, ladies in distress and escaped convicts to find out who wrote the letter that summoned the hound.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for non-CF students and can be purchased beginning Sept. 6 at cf.universitytickets.com or by calling 352-873-5810. Tickets are free for CF students, faculty and staff with valid I.D.

For more information about CF Visual and Performing Arts events, visit CF.edu/VPAEvents.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, is pleased to announce the winners of the ninth annual “Mobile Photography Contest & Exhibition.”

Participants of all ages were invited to submit one photo per category. Throughout the month of July, the Appleton received 519 mobile photos inspired by four categories: Light and Shadow, Pattern, Summer Scenes and My Kid Took That.

“Each year, the Appleton looks forward to this fun community event,” said Victoria Billig, Appleton assistant director. “Now in its ninth year, we continue to be impressed by the amazing displays of creativity. It’s truly inspiring to see the unique ways that participants interpret the categories.”

Entries were juried by Jenny Eggers of Jenny E. Photography.

“Jurying the mobile photo contest was eye-opening in the most delightful way,” Eggers said. “There were beautiful technical moments with creative composition, color harmony, the use of light, etc… But what really impressed me was the storytelling. Many of the images whisked me away!”

All 519 photos will be on view at the museum Aug. 22-Sept. 24. Regular museum admission fees apply to see the exhibition. Visitors can enjoy free admission on Sept. 2 for Free First Saturday. You can also see the winning photos online at AppletonMuseum.org/2023-mobile-photography-exhibition.

“We are thankful to those who participated this year and congratulate all of the winners,” said Kerry Elkins, Appleton Museum specialist. “The contest is a wonderful way to engage the community and share experiences in such a universal way, especially with the Summer Scenes category that saw new views of our own backyard as well as abroad. The Appleton invites the participants and visitors alike to see the Mobile Photography exhibition.”

 

2023 Mobile Photography Winners

Light and Shadow Category:

First Place, Jason Row, Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Second Place, Jon Barber, iPhone 11 Pro

Third Place, Peter Meyerhoefer, iPhone 13 Pro

Pattern Category:

First Place, Rayhan Ahmed, Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro Max

Second Place, Rin Suggs, Motorola Edge 5G UW

Third Place, Dominika Koszowska, Sony Xperia 5 IV

Summer Scenes Category:

First Place, Justin MacDonald, iPhone 11

Second Place, Clarissa Cervantes

Third Place, Megan Nelson, iPhone 13

My Kid Took That Category:

First Place, Mary Clare, Age 8, iPhone 12

Second Place, Marcus von Rosenberg, iPhone 13

Third Place, Amira, Age 6, Galaxy S22+

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 Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, announces the Fall 2023 schedule of studio art classes for children and adults.

For children, the Museum & Me Pre-K program returns on Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. By popular demand, this program for ages 2-5 now meets bimonthly, and introduces children to the Appleton through story time, a brief gallery visit and a corresponding art activity in the Artspace. For children ages 8-12, Art Explorations is back with a six-week session focusing on hand-building with clay, scheduled for after school on Wednesdays, beginning Oct. 11. Just for teens, a six-week clay class focusing on wheel throwing, will meet on Saturdays beginning Oct. 14.

New this year is a three-week art class for ages 5-7 called Art Adventures. This class meets on Saturdays beginning Oct. 7 and will introduce pint-sized Picassos to creating art in a studio environment. A new program called Museum Happenings is designed with homeschool and independent school students in mind. Meet an educator in the lobby and pick up a special activity sheet, complete the activity sheet in the museum galleries, then visit the Artspace for an accompanying art project led by the education team. This program meets on Wednesdays, Sept. 20 and Oct. 25.

A special holiday-inspired workshop on Dec. 9 allows children and an accompanying adult to make art together. Create a clay horse ornament inspired by the colorful wooden Dala horses of Sweden.

For adults, the Art 101 workshop series returns with Paper Quilling on Sept. 12, Abstract Mood Painting on Oct. 10 and Fall Leaves Colored Pencil and Watercolor workshop on Nov. 14. All materials are provided for these single-day, three-hour workshops. A Reduction Printmaking class on Sept. 30 will have participants creating multicolored, layered prints using a single print block during one four-hour session with E. Marie Fielding. Other single-day workshops include a charcoal drawing class led by Christina Szakonyi that meets on Oct. 14, and an Art Deco Mandala Painting workshop with Lisa Russo that meets on Dec. 9.

Multiweek classes for adults include Dig Into Clay Wheel Throwing that begins Sept. 30. The six-week session is offered on Saturdays and is open to potters of all skill levels.

“The Appleton Clay Lab features 11 pottery wheels and is the only one of its kind in the area,” said Hollis Mutch, museum educator. “We welcome all students, from beginner to advanced.”

Also this fall, the Master Class Series welcomes acclaimed visiting artist Anthony Ackrill. Focused on teaching the basics of figure drawing from life with charcoal or pencil, participants will learn the steps of establishing a solid rendition of the model. Ackrill trained as a student at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy for five years, where he then taught anatomy, figure painting and figure drawing. Ackrill’s painting, “Reaper,” is part of the Appleton’s permanent collection.

“By adding several new programs this year, we are pleased to meet the increased need in our community for arts and education,” said Jason Steuber, Appleton director.

Advance registration is required for all classes and programs. Visit AppletonMuseum.org for full class details and to register.

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 has been selected as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing Amazon’s hourly employees access to all 170 of CF’s degree and certificate programs.

Amazon’s Career Choice program is an education benefit that empowers employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. The program meets individual learners where they are on their education journey through a variety of education and upskilling opportunities including prepaid college tuition, industry certifications designed to lead to in-demand jobs, and foundational skills such as English language proficiency, high school diplomas and GED diplomas. In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025 to help move them into higher paying, in-demand jobs.

“We’re committed to preparing students for success in their careers, and this partnership is going to make that process more affordable and accessible for even more students in our community,” said Dr. Jennifer Fryns, CF vice president for Workforce Development and Innovation. “Whether students are interested in logistics, marketing, engineering or another field altogether, there are opportunities for them here.”

At CF, students can upskill with a short-term certificate, earn an Associate in Arts degree for university transfer, learn specialized workplace skills with a two-year Associate in Science degree, or pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree. CF’s Associate in Science in Supply Chain Management is expressly designed for logistics and supply chain employers such as Amazon. Night, weekend and online classes are offered to provide class options for students needing flexible schedules. With a wealth of student services, small class sizes and award-winning faculty, students at CF are supported every step of their education and beyond.

Amazon’s Career Choice program has a rigorous selection process for third-party partner educators, choosing partners that are focused on helping employees through their education programs, assisting them with job placements, and overall offering education that leads to career success.

“We’re looking forward to CF coming on board as an education partner for Career Choice, adding to the hundreds of best-in-class offerings available to our employees,” said Tammy Thieman, director of Career Development Programs at Amazon. “We’re committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere. We have intentionally created a partner network of third-party educators and employers committed to providing excellent education, job placement resources, and continuous improvements to the experience. Today, over 130,000 Amazon employees around the world have participated in Career Choice and we’ve seen firsthand how it can transform their lives.”

For more information on Amazon’s Career Choice, visit: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/career-choice or CF.edu/CareerChoice.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

 

The College of Central Florida Webber Gallery presents the “52^nd Annual Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition” on view Sept. 25-Oct. 26. Visitors will see a diverse array of both traditional and experimental designs created with water-soluble media on materials from paper to clay-coated surfaces to illustration board.

More than 500 works were submitted by skilled artists affiliated with the Florida Watercolor Society, and 79 were selected and will be judged by Andy Evansen, a watercolor painter and signature member of the American Watercolor Society since 2015. Evansen was featured on the cover of American Artist Magazine in 2005 after winning its international watercolor competition. He has taught national and international workshops and is a longtime signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Red River Watercolor Society, Northwest Watercolor Society and Plein Art Painters of America, as well as a member of the Salmagundi Club and California Art Club.

“Jurying a large watercolor society’s annual exhibition is always enjoyable because of the variety and skill level, and this year’s Florida Watercolor Society entrants didn’t disappoint,” Evansen said. “Watercolor is an incredibly diverse medium, and I want the public to see that when viewing the exhibition. I love original, thought-provoking works, and I often find myself asking, ‘How did the artist do that?’ or ‘What was this artist trying to say?’ and I hope the paintings selected elicit the same response from viewers.”

The community is invited to an opening reception on Friday, Sept. 29, 6-8 p.m. Webber Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and admission is free. The Webber Gallery is located at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. For more information, visit CF.edu/Webber or call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.

 

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 Aug. 5. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., visitors can enjoy free admission to see several recently opened exhibitions, including “The Unscene South: Charles Eady Revisits History.” At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Eady will give free tours of his solo exhibition, featuring more than 20 mixed-media works that explore the history of free Blacks in the South prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. Learn directly from the artist with the opportunity to ask questions. Tours are free and will meet in the exhibition on the second floor.

Other special exhibitions on view include “Eternal Summer: Works from the Permanent Collection” and “Caught Up in History and Captured on Film: Randy Batista’s Photographs of Florida and Cuba.” Scuba Steve’s Snack Shack food truck will be on-site throughout the day.

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 invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, July 27, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Charles S. Dean Sr. Educational Center at the CF Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid and register for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived and will receive a CF T-shirt.

Attendees are encouraged to register at www.CF.edu/OpenHouse. For more information, call 352-746-6721, ext. 6179.