The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, continues its monthly, free online series of artist talks, “Artist’s Outlook.”

Join Appleton Curator of Exhibitions Patricia Tomlinson as she chats with individual artists about their work, processes and inspirations. This online series will take place every third Thursday through June and is free to attend. Learn more about the works by each artist that are in the museum’s permanent collection, and hear directly from the artists on their processes, inspirations and upcoming projects. Participants will have the opportunity to ask the artist questions before the end of each program.

All talks will be hosted on Zoom and can be accessed using your mobile device or desktop computer. If using your phone or other mobile device, search “Zoom” in the app store. If using a desktop computer, visit www.zoom.us. Use the following login information for each artist talk: Meeting ID: 302 190 0088 | Passcode: 352352.

Feb. 18, 7 p.m. with Anthony Ackrill
American painter Anthony Ackrill, currently based in Florida, is known for his large-scale dramatic works depicting figures in allegorical or symbolic poses and settings. His painting “The Reaper” is part of the Appleton’s permanent collection.

March 25, 7 p.m. with Christopher Still
Native Floridian Christopher Still depicts Florida’s wildlife, people and landscapes in his artwork. In addition to the two paintings in the Appleton’s collection, his work can be found in museums and private collections including the Governor’s Mansion of Florida and the Smithsonian Institution. Of special note are 10 murals commissioned by the Florida House of Representatives in which the artist depicts Florida’s historic and natural beauty. He was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, he is the Artist in Residence for the Florida Legislature, and Florida State University granted Still an honorary doctorate.

April 15, 7 p.m. with Kristin Herzog
Florida artist Kristin Herzog’s work ranges from non-representational to abstract, often with a landscape or vegetative reference. Herzog enjoys traveling to residencies in the U.S. and abroad, and her work has been juried into over 80 regional, national and international shows and has won two awards from The Artist’s Magazine. Her work is on view in the Appleton’s Balcony Gallery for Florida Artists through June 27.

May 20, 7 p.m. with Matthew Bennett and Aneesha Rhodes
Matthew Bennett, who painted the powerful visitor-favorite “Primary Color,” will speak alongside friend, model and muse Aneesha Rhodes. Learn more about why the artist depicted Aneesha as a superhero and how the two inspire each other.

June 17, 7 p.m. with Maggie Taylor
Gainesville-based Maggie Taylor is a renowned digital artist who combines surrealism with 19^th century aesthetics, referencing hand-colored type photographs. Her photography has been published in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll (2008), “Adobe Photoshop Master Class: Maggie Taylor’s Landscape of Dreams” (2005), and “No Ordinary Day” (2013), among others. In addition to the Appleton, her works are in the collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the High Museum in Atlanta, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

For questions, email AppletonMuseum@cf.edu.

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.

College of Central Florida will offer information sessions on the eight-week Timber Harvesting Equipment program that takes place June 7 through July 29 at the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland. Classes meet Monday through Thursday in the morning for the first five weeks and then for a full day the last three weeks.

Virtual information sessions on what the program includes will be held on Friday, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m.; Monday, March 29, at 5 p.m.; and Thursday, April 22, at 11 a.m. Links for the Zoom meetings can be found at CF.edu/TimberHarvesting.

The program is open to 12 students and includes classroom instruction and field trips to local logging companies and mills. Students will receive OSHA-10 and CPR certification. Upon completion of five weeks, students will be registered for the Master Logger Certification course and exam. The final three weeks of the program will include on-site training and cover harvesting a section of timber donated by the Department of Forestry using a skidder, fellow-buncher and loader. Support is offered through industry partnerships with Usher Land and Timber, Loncala Inc. and the Florida Forestry Association.

Due to a generous scholarship, students can attend the program for free. The program includes all assessments required for registration, textbooks, fees, personal protective equipment and tuition. Students must be at least 18 years old to participate. Deadline to submit an application is Friday, May 7.

For more information, contact Leah Gamble at 352-658-4077, ext. 2118.

The College of Central Florida’s Business and Technology Department will host a free event about careers in logistics and supply chain management on Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 12:15-1:30 p.m., online.

Participants will hear how they can start training for a career in logistics and supply chain management and about skills employers seek in today’s job market. This session will be hosted by Mark Davis, program manager for Logistics and Supply Chain Management at CF.

Register now at CF.edu/BusTechEvents. The first 10 to register and attend will receive a small gift. One event participant will also be selected to receive a grand prize. For more information, contact Bonnie Hays at haysb@CF.edu.

This event is presented by CAMPUS USA Credit Union and sponsored by the CF Foundation, the Talent Center and CF Alumni Association.

The College of Central Florida Foundation’s Night at the Farm, formerly Taste of Ocala, scheduled for March 6, 2021, has been canceled due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic.

“Planning for this scholarship fundraising event began last summer and we had high hopes we would hold the event in person in 2021,” said Chris Knife, executive director of the CF Foundation. “Due to the vaccination roll out and unknown impacts caused by the new strains of the virus, the Foundation Board in consultation with college administration and input from some sponsors believes this is the most reasonable and safest thing to do with the event so close.”

The CF Foundation appreciates the gracious support from the Night at the Farm sponsors and will gladly accept tax-deductible donations for this year’s event to help fund critical scholarships. Donations can be made at CF.edu/give.

“Despite the cancellation, sponsorships and donations for this year’s event will fund two endowed scholarships and possibly three,” said Knife. “In normal circumstances, our goal is to fund three.”

The 2021 Night at the Farm is supported by Presenting Sponsor Campus USA; Signature Sponsors AdventHealth Ocala, Regions Bank and SEI; Patron Sponsors Custom Window Systems, Duke Energy, Northern Trust, DeLuca Toyota and Bill and Debbie Browder; Title Sponsors Ausley Construction, CenterState Bank and Florida Express Environmental; and Associate Sponsor Mulberry Grove Animal Hospital.

Since 1989, the CF Foundation has raised more than $1.46 million for College of Central Florida student scholarships through “Taste of Ocala” and “Night at the Farm.” For questions about the CF Foundation or for more information about Night at the Farm, contact the CF Foundation at 352-873-5808 or foundation@cf.edu.

The College of Central Florida will host its annual Preview Night open house on Tuesday, March 2, from 4-7 p.m. online.

The college will showcase the many career and educational opportunities it offers. Prospective students can learn about academic programs, financial aid opportunities and how to get started at CF. They may also interact with faculty and staff to learn about workforce and certificate programs, and advanced degrees, including CF’s baccalaureate programs.

Students who complete the event survey will have their $30 college application fee waived and will be entered into a drawing to win a scholarship to pay for one three-credit undergraduate class at the in-state rate. They will also receive a free CF T-shirt.

For more information about the free event, call 352-873-5800 or visit www.CF.edu/PreviewNight.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, presents a full schedule of special exhibitions, programs and workshops during February.

Opening on Jan. 30, visitors can enjoy the landmark exhibition “Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art.” Organized and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C., this show presents 62 works of art from a collection that was amassed over 35 years by the Davises. Kerry, a retired mailman, and Betty, a former television news producer, gladly gave up many ordinary comforts in order to live with extraordinary paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures. Their pioneering collection includes masterpieces by Radcliffe Bailey, Romare Bearden, Beverly Buchanan, Elizabeth Catlett, Ernest T. Crichlow, Sam Gilliam, Loïs Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Gordon Parks, Alma Thomas and Charles White. Visitors can enjoy free admission every Saturday and Sunday in February to see this exceptional display.

Learn more about “Memories & Inspiration” and the Davises’ collection on Sunday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m. during a free, online Zoom talk with Kerry Davis. He will be accompanied by celebrated artist and curator Kevin Sipp. Zoom login details are available at AppletonMuseum.org.

Also on view during February, “Luminous Worlds: Paintings by Kristin Herzog” featuring bold, abstract works by the Florida artist. Drawn from the permanent collection, bright and colorful prints by Clayton Pond, as well as work that focuses on the Sunshine State by Florida artists, are sure to please audiences of all ages.

Special online programs during February include a meeting of the Appleton Book Club on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. Bibliophiles and art enthusiasts alike will enjoy reading “The Brilliant History of Color in Art” by Victoria Finlay. Register for the free, online meeting at Eventbrite.com by searching “Appleton Book Club.” On Thursday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m., the monthly Artist’s Outlook series will present a free, live Zoom talk by American figure painter Anthony Ackrill. Login details are available at AppletonMuseum.org.

For those interested in art-making, our weekly Teaching Tuesday series continues with pre-recorded, instructional art projects for children. A new video is posted on the Appleton Facebook page and YouTube channel every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Previously posted videos remain accessible for later viewing. For adults, our popular Art 101 workshops are currently online and free. February’s workshop features a clay Valentine’s dish project; participants must provide their own supplies and will be given a supply list in advance. Registration information is available for this Feb. 9 workshop at Eventbrite.com or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

For questions on Appleton exhibitions, events or programs, contact AppletonMuseum@cf.edu.

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.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Gabriel Bullaro to the College of Central Florida District Board of Trustees.

Bullaro is Chief Executive Officer at West Marion Community Hospital and previously served as CEO at Ocala Health. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and has been a member of the American College of Hospital Executives and the Rotary Club of Ocala. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston University and his masters of business administration from Duke University.

“We are pleased to welcome Mr. Bullaro to the CF family,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “We appreciate that he is willing to help us guide the college with his experience as we continue our focus on providing workforce-ready graduates for our community.”

Bullaro joins Board Chair Robert Durrance, Joyce Brancato, Rusty Branson and William Edgar.

Fresh food will be distributed to Marion County families Saturday, Jan. 30, starting at 10 a.m. at the College of Central Florida Hampton Center, 1501 W. Silver Springs Blvd., through a partnership of Farm Share, CF, state Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson and Ocala City Councilman Ire Bethea.

Food items are for Marion County residents and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will be asked to show their IDs. Volunteers will place food items in vehicle trunks to maintain social distancing. Entrance to the drive-through distribution will be at the main entrance of the college on Silver Springs Boulevard. Other entrances will be blocked off. Approximately 500 families will receive food through the distribution.

“It is an honor to work with Rep. Hinson and Councilman Bethea to provide a convenient location and volunteers to distribute food through Food Share during this trying time. It is important that we work together as a community to meet the critical needs of our Marion County residents” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, president of the College of Central Florida.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our entire way of life,” said Rep. Hinson. “So many Floridian families find themselves suffering due to financial loss, food insecurity, or the loss of loved ones. In these times, we must look towards each other for support. That is why I am so excited to be working with the City of Ocala and local community leaders on this upcoming Farm Share event to ensure that our neighbors get the food and support they need. This is the beautiful thing about our district. We know how to come together and overcome.”

Councilman Bethea said: “We are always looking for opportunities for the community to come together for those citizens in need of our assistance. We cherish this opportunity to serve.”

Farm Share is a nonprofit organization based in Jacksonville founded to distribute fresh food free of charge to families, children, seniors and individuals in need throughout Florida. It delivers more than 88 million pounds of healthy and nutritious food each year.

For more information, contact Jessica Kummerle at 352-854-2322, ext. 1598.

The College of Central Florida and Appleton Museum of Art have launched new websites with fresh design and improved functionality that focuses on the user experience.

“Now more than ever, it’s vital that information about college and museum programs and services be easily accessible and inviting,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “We have reimagined the college site to better showcase the experience of being a CF student and the museum site to highlight artwork and programming. Both sites reflect the quality of what we offer at the College of Central Florida.”

A complete redesign, CF.edu features drop-down menus to assist with finding information on admissions, academic programs, student life, and more. The site also offers a new search tool that makes it easy to explore programs, degrees and certificates available at CF. Website visitors can filter results by area of study, degree type and online vs. on-campus availability. The website was a collaborative effort based on input from students, staff, faculty and community members and is fully mobile-responsive.

The Appleton Museum’s site, AppletonMuseum.org, features more imagery to better highlight the special exhibitions and permanent collection. With the new events and education calendars, website visitors can see what’s happening at the Appleton in an easily digestible format, filterable by event type such as films, themed tours and more. “The new Appleton website reinforces the museum’s mission to activate the collections and to enhance our ability to serve our community,” said Museum Director Jason Steuber.

For more information on the projects, contact the Manager of Web Communications and New Media at the College of Central Florida at pr@cf.edu.

The College of Central Florida is excited and proud to continue its long-running International Film Festival with a safe, socially distanced format featuring classic, international films and scholar film talks. Screenings will take place at the Ocala Drive-In theater located at 4850 S. Pine Ave., Ocala, for free followed the next day with an online discussion. Each film can also be screened from the safety of one’s own home at a time of convenience via free, internet film streaming services.  The Ocala Drive-in film screenings and accompanying scholar film talks on topics central to each film can be viewed on the dates and times listed below.

The first film, “Man with a Movie Camera,” will be featured on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 7:30 p.m. with online discussion on Wednesday, Jan. 27, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. hosted by Janna Jones. This 1929 Soviet film by Dziga Vertov is an early experimental documentary that depicts daily life in the Soviet Union in 1920s, but it also is full of playful and breathtaking cinematic tricks. Vertov takes full advantage of the observational powers of the film camera, for he wanted to reveal the ways in which the cinema eye can capture ordinary life. This is a silent film and has a total run time of 80 minutes. Jones, the host for the Wednesday discussion, is a professor of Creative Media and Film in the School of Communication at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. A 20^th century historian, Jones’ scholarship focuses on the history of cinema-going, historic movie theaters, amateur filmmaking, public exhibition, architectural preservation, urban and suburban history, and public art.

“The Sheik,” will be presented Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. with online discussion on Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. hosted by Linda Levitt. This film features Paris-educated Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassam, who is known for providing brides for wealthy Arabs. Currently celebrating its centennial, this Hollywood silent film solidified Rudolph Valentino’s stardom and earned him the nickname “the Great Lover.” In a classic example of Orientalism in Western art, Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan (Valentino) encounters Lady Diana Mayo (Agnes Ayres), a headstrong Western woman, in the African desert and kidnaps her. He intends to seduce her, and over time she develops affection toward her captor. Despite the presence of an independent female lead, the film reflects the social norms of the 1920s, offering a romantic drama particular to its time. This film has a total run time of 86 minutes.

“Metropolis,” will be presented Tuesday, March 30, at 8 p.m. with online discussion on Wednesday, March 31, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. hosted by Mark Neumann. This German science-fiction film (Giorgio Moroder’s edition) presents a highly stylized futuristic city where a beautiful and cultured utopia exists above a bleak underworld populated by mistreated workers. When the privileged youth Freder discovers the grim scene under the city, he becomes intent on helping the workers. He befriends the rebellious teacher but this puts him at odds with his authoritative father, leading to greater conflict. This film and has a total run time of 83 minutes.

“The Night of the Living Dead,” will be presented Tuesday, April 27, at 8 p.m. with online discussion on Wednesday, April 28, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. hosted by Sezin Koehler. After Barbra and her brother Johnny are attacked by a strange, lurching man while visiting their uncle’s grave and Johnny is killed, Barbra manages to escape to a nearby farmhouse as more of these murderous flesh-eating people come out of the woods. Barbra is quickly met by Ben, a Black man who quickly takes charge of the situation and everyone’s safety as best he can, all the while they continue to be violently set upon by hordes of the undead. With an unforgettable and heartbreaking conclusion, George Romero’s seminal 1968 horror film isn’t only a terrifying story of its own right, its social commentary on race in America has continued to remain relevant in the decades since. This film has a total run time of 96 minutes.

For links to the screenings and discussion, and for a full series list and more information on the International Film Series, contact Wendy Adams at 352-873-5800, ext. 1546, or visit www.CF.edu/filmseries.