THIS WEEK
Santa Fe Plein Air Paintout
The eighth annual Santa Fe Plein Air Paintout began April 9 with public viewing for three days in downtown High Springs and three parks. For the past eight years, local and out-of-town plein air artists have flocked to High Springs to capture the city’s parks and springs through their plein art. Nineteen artists painted this year, and the poster painting is “Whispers of Turquoise” by artist Karen LeMonnier. Organizers also are supporting the nonprofit Our Santa Fe River.Org with 10% of all art sales. Paintout exhibit paintings will be on display at Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies through May 17 unless they are sold. Maps will be available at Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies during normal gallery hours all week. For more information, call Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies at 474-1049 or visit lanzagallery.com. The gallery is located at 23645 W. U.S. 27 in High Springs.
‘Free Fridays’ Concert
Catch the next performance of the city’s popular “Free Fridays” concert series from 7 to 9 p.m. May 16 at the Bo Diddley Plaza downtown amphitheater, located at 111 E. University Ave. The free concert series highlights a different act each week, with Loosey’s Downtown Showcase featuring Now Leaving Space, Purple Kloud and Coffee Project this week. Attendees are encouraged to bring their blankets and lawn chairs to Bo Diddley Plaza to enjoy the concert under the stars. For more information, including a list of upcoming performances, visit gainesvillefl.gov/Events-directory/Free-Fridays-Concert-Series. Future performances include Boca Fiesta Showcase featuring The Interwaves, Chimes and Confession Kids on May 23; Crooked Counsel performing ’60s and ’70s rock on May 30; Music GNV Live and Local Edition featuring The Nancys, Mike and the Nerve, and Brook Cooley on June 6; Friday the 13th Showcase featuring The Mermers, DJ Wild Creatrix and Supertwin on June 13; Beatles tribute band The Imposters on June 20; The Savants performing soul and R&B plus Fakksonly performing hip-hop on June 27; The Wire Birds and The Wandering Hours performing folk and Americana on July 4; MusicGNV Live and Local Edition Singer Songwriter Showcase on July 11; Salvaged Records Showcase on July 18; Pet Detectives performing ’90s alt-rock covers on July 25; Uncle Mosie and Bad Dog Mama on Aug. 1; The Ox Showcase featuring Short Stack and Kevin PM Jamboree on Aug. 8; Sooza Brass Band and Displace on Aug. 15; Michael Claytor and friends on Aug. 22; De Lions of Jah on Aug. 29; Alex Kaufman Big Band on Sept. 5; Fest 24 Showcase on Sept. 12; Uncle Morty’s Rhythm Cream performing R&B, soul and rock on Sept. 19; and Morningbell performing psychedelic rock and soul on Sept. 26.
Gainesville Fine Arts Association’s 2025 Studio Tour
The Gainesville Fine Arts Association’s 2025 Studio Tour — an annual, free, self-guided event offering the public a behind-the-scenes look into local artists’ creative spaces — begins with a kickoff reception from 6 to 8 p.m. May 16 at the GFAA Gallery, located at 1314 S. Main St. Attendees can meet the artists, view the “Hidden Histories” exhibit and pick up printed tour maps. One of Lâle Gerger’s paintings, “Sailing Towards Calmer Waters,” will be featured at the gallery and has been paired with an original poem inspired by the artwork titled “Dawn.” The full tour runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17-18. Attendees can explore studios citywide, including Studio 19, where Gerger will showcase her award-winning abstract art. Attendees can contribute to a collaborative painting in progress and enter a giveaway to win a gift basket filled with her original work. Last year’s tour welcomed nearly 900 visitors. Maps and details are available at gfaastudiotour.org.
World Tree Kangaroo Day
Tree kangaroos live high in the trees, and they need our help. The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo will host World Tree Kangaroo Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 17. Families and friends can visit the zoo to learn about these amazing animals and have fun, too. During the event, guests can play games, make crafts and watch animal talks. There will be animal encounters and didgeridoo performances by Lindsey Dank. Food trucks will be on site, and the city of Gainesville’s Urban Forestry Division will give away native plants that were purchased through the Tree Mitigation Fund. These plants help local animals, and can grow in residents’ back yards. Kathy Russell and Jade Woodling also will give a talk about how zoos help protect tree kangaroos in human care and in Papua New Guinea. Tickets are only available at the gate the day of the event. They cost $10 for adults; $6 for ages 4-12, Seniors (60 and older), active military and veterans, teachers, police, firefighters, first responders, EMT/EMS, healthcare workers (all with valid ID), and University of Florida students and staff with current Gator1 ID; $3 for Electronic Benefits Transfer recipients (up to four total tickets with card, any combination of adults/children); and free for ages 3 and younger, Santa Fe students, staff and retirees (with current SFID), and zoo members. All credit cards, cash, Apple/Samsung Pay and checks are accepted. The zoo is located at 3000 NW 83rd St. For more information, visit sfcollege.edu.
Annasemble Concert
Annasemble is set to perform their 2025 spring concert. This year’s theme is “The Environment and Us,” and the performance will feature music through the ages. Organizers say the theme will reflect how humans are intertwined with the environment; giving reverence to the world we live in. The performance will include early music to Scandinavian music of this day and age. See the show at 7 p.m. May 17 at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, located at 4225 NW 34th St. For more information, visit annasemble.org.NCFBS Presents: Women in Blues ShowcaseThe North Central Florida Blues Society is hosting the seventh annual North Central Florida Women in Blues Showcase, set for 3 p.m. May 18 at Heartwood Soundstage. The event will feature Janelle Frost, Alex Richman, Cindy Bear, Tina Jackson, Beulah Mae, Marie Williams, Kiersi Joli, Sheba the Mississippi Queen, Elizabeth Hangan, and a house band with Deb Berlinger on drums, Vange Durst on guitar and Elizabeth Hangan on bass. Tickets for the Listening Room, seated performance are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the show and $10 for NCFBS members. Heartwood Soundstage is located at 619 S. Main St. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/ncfbs25a.
Kyran Daniel with Mark Staples
Kyran Daniel and Mark Staples will perform at Heartwood Soundstage beginning at 7 p.m. May 20. A guitarist, composer, producer and musical director, Daniel began his career performing alongside Grammy nominee Tommy Emmanuel on stages spanning the globe. His debut album, “Per Se,” became a highly influential work in the acoustic guitar world, opening the door to his attendance of the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Tickets to see his performance are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the show. Heartwood Soundstage is located at 619 S. Main St. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/kdwms25a.
‘A Pivotal Moment’
Arts Council of Alachua County and DanZceCentral! Entertainment will present Felicia Walton starring in “A Pivotal Moment.” The production from Jonathan Banks is a Hippodrome Theatre Black Box Exclusive one-night-only event. It also will feature Tony Walton, Monique Wilks and Tradina Thomas as special guests with opening acts by vocalist Alexis Jeanna and poet Bakari McClendon. The vocal stylings of The Rare Diamond Singers under the direction of Toni Diamond-Bingham also will be featured. See the show at 7 p.m. May 20. Tickets are available for Black Box Seating and live streaming. All Internet orders are subject to a handling fee, and can be purchased at itsyourentertainmentspot.org. The Hippodrome Theatre is located at 25 SE Second Place.
ONGOING
‘Riding the 33rd Parallel’
“Riding the 33rd Parallel” is a virtual road trip from Florida to California via the Harn’s photography collection. According to the Harn, 48 photographs by 22 photographers were made along the 33rd parallel (more or less) encompassing Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. The time span is 1961 to the present. Some images are grouped by similar or opposing conditions within one or more states while other images follow Ansel Adams’s grand landscape style and still others fuse the picturesque with toxic industries and extreme weather or truly awesome human ingenuity. The photos will be on display in the Rubin Gallery through May 25 at the Harn Museum of Art, located at 3259 Hull Road. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays through Wednesdays, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, or to see what other exhibits are on display, visit harn.ufl.edu/visit.
‘Silver Linings’
The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida will display art from Spelman College — a historically black liberal arts college for women located in Atlanta. The Harn is one of five venues across the United States exhibiting “Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection.” Through 39 works by nearly 30 artists, “Silver Linings” uplifts the legacy of artists of African descent spanning the 20th century through the contemporary moment, many of whom have been overlooked by mainstream art museums. A community day at the Harn, set for noon to 4 p.m. May 31, will celebrate the exhibition with tours, a silkscreen art activity, art creation by Clermont, entertainment, partner information tables and refreshments. The exhibition will be on view through July 6. “Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection” includes a variety of mediums and techniques such as painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed-media collage, prints and photographs divided into five sections that focus on the Spiral Group, abstraction, early figuration, contemporary photography and contemporary figuration. An artist-in-residence program and special community day are among the programs providing opportunities for the community to engage with the exhibition in multiple ways. Onsite artist-in-residence Jessica Clermont will create works of art inspired by the exhibition Tuesdays through Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m. until June 26. Visitors can engage in discussion as the artist works, discuss the influence of the exhibition and create their own work of art. Entrance to the museum is free. For more information, visit harn.ufl.edu.
Horse Feeding
The Retirement Home for Horses provides lifetime care to elderly horses seized by law enforcement agencies, rescued by the SPCA or humane societies, as well as horses retired from government service such as police patrol or state and federal parks. They allow visitors to tour the property and feed treats — carrots, apple slices and bananas provided by the visitors — from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday. Mill Creek Farm Retirement Home for Horses is located at 20307 NW CR 235A in Alachua. For more information, or to support the nonprofit, visit millcreekfarm.org.
Community Nights
Community Nights are free weekly events hosted by South Main Station and Heartwood Soundstage that include a rotating calendar of jams, skillshares, concerts, arts markets, food and drink specials, and other activities each Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. The event has grown in popularity with families, locals, musicians, and college students since its launch in 2024. The event takes place at South Main Station, an arts, food, and entertainment campus adjacent to Depot Park that spans the Southeast corner of Main Street and Depot Road. Community Nights always feature free live music and drink specials at Heartwood Soundstage’s lawn bar, but any given week can also include skillshares on music and videography, kids’ activities, film screenings, and opportunities to sample local food and drink at South Main’s businesses, which include Humble Pie Pizzeria, Grand Scheme Brewery, Bingo Deli, and Afternoon Coffee. The first Wednesday of every month always features an open air arts market of local makers and an old-time music jam. More information is available at heartwoodsoundstage.com.
COMING SOON
‘The Play That Goes Wrong’
Have you ever been to a show where props went missing, scenery fell apart, actors tripped, the leading lady became unconscious, and a corpse could not stay dead? The international hit “The Play That Goes Wrong” has it all and more. The Gainesville Community Playhouse says audiences will laugh out loud as they watch the Cornley Drama Society try to stage a classic whodunnit only to face one disaster after another. Will the accident-prone actors make it through the show? Find out at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays plus 2 p.m. Sundays May 23 through June 8 at the Gainesville Community Playhouse, located at 4039 NW 16th Blvd. Tickets are $24 for adults, $20 for seniors and $12 for students. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit gcplayhouse.org.
Florida Emancipation Day Celebration
The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center invites the community to celebrate “Emancipation Day in Florida” beginning at 9 a.m. May 24. The festivities begin with a walk from Depot Park to the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center. The procession will be led by Vivian Filer and Mayor Harvey Ward. This event is part of the city of Gainesville’s “Journey to Juneteenth” programming and is in partnership with historic neighborhoods in Gainesville. The event is free and open to the public. After the march, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be music, dance, exhibits and educational activities plus a variety of vendors including food. Among the celebrations will be the plaiting of a maypole and a memorial service honoring the fallen African American Civil War soldiers. In addition, there will be multiple screenings throughout the day of “Before Juneteenth: Emancipation in Florida,” a mini-documentary film. The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center is located at 837 SE Seventh Ave. It is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. For more information, call 226-8321.
‘Pump Boys and Dinettes’
With “Pump Boys and Dinettes,” the Hipp’s summer musical, audiences can step into the world of the Double Cupp Diner and the gas station next door, where the Pump Boys (Jim, Jackson, Eddie and L.M.) and the Dinette sisters (Prudie and Rhetta Cupp) serve up a delicious mix of country, rock, blues and western swing. This isn’t just a show — it’s a full-tank, full-service musical experience where the cast members double as the band, playing their own instruments live on stage. Catch a preview performance of “Pump Boys and Dinettes” at 7 p.m. May 28-29 or a season performance at 8 p.m. May 30-31, June 6-7, June 13-14, June 20-21 and June 27; 2 p.m. May 31, June 1, June 7-8, June 14-15, June 21-22 and June 28-29; or 7 p.m. June 4-5, June 11-12, June 18-19 and June 25-26. Tickets are $20-$45 and can be purchased at thehipp.org.
Doxa Recital 2025: The King & Little Mermaid
Doxa Dance Studio is set to present its 21st annual recital, featuring the theme “The King and Little Mermaid — Story of a Father’s Love.” This year’s production — beginning at 6:30 p.m. June 6, 10 a.m. June 7, 1:30 p.m. June 7 and 5 p.m. June 7 — features performances from all-aged dance classes in a variety of dance styles including ballet, jazz, tap, modern and hip-hop. The event will be held at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets are $17 and can be purchased at performingarts.ufl.edu.