Arts venues for private events and entertainment abound in Jacksonville, says Anne Urban, president/CEO and founder of Destination Planning Corporation, a local destination management company.
“One of our favorites is the Museum of Contemporary Art—commonly known as MOCA—where we hold close to 100 events a year. It can host up to 1,500 people, depending on how much of the museum you want to use. It has a nice theater for 125 where you can stage awards ceremonies, performing arts or business presentations. The atrium is a great place to hold either a reception or dinner. Of course, the decor is contemporary.”
Urban’s other favorite arts venues are the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens and Mussallem Galleries.
The Cummer is right on the St. Johns River, with spectacular gardens, she points out. It’s perfect for intimate to large events for up to 1,000 people.
“The atmosphere is very traditional,” she says, “with a European flair and those magnificent gardens.”
Mussallem Galleries is relatively unknown and quite eclectic, Urban says.
“It’s five minutes from downtown, and I consider this one of our most unique venues,” she says. “From the outside it looks like nothing, but people are stunned by the interior. It has a very valuable inventory of art—all for sale. For many years, the owner flew under the radar and sold mostly to international buyers, but in the last five years he has promoted to specific event planning companies. He is selective, and anyone doing an event there must be reputable and carry the right amount of insurance.”
J. Johnson Gallery is another exclusive venue for events, available only to approved event planners, Urban says. Located a block off the beach, the gallery brings in contemporary works of art from sculpture to paintings.
Art in Jacksonville can add the unexpected, too, she continues. Special meetings with local artists to discuss their styles and techniques can be arranged, and there are team-building possibilities for 30 to 300 participants. Each team does a portion of an art project—say a collage—and the finished piece is shipped to a children’s hospital or other public place for display.
Planners have a fabulous Jacksonville resource in local art schools, Urban adds. Performers will do private events at a fraction of what professional performers would cost, and they often do national productions with expertise that approaches their more experienced counterparts. One Urban client enjoyed a French cafe creation at an Amelia Island event, complete with actor/servers in black berets performing music and acting vignettes. The client gave a budget-friendly donation to the school in exchange for much less than professional fees would have cost.
