In Jacksonville, Florida, the city’s art scene is thriving; from museums to private galleries to festivals and public art, the city is becoming a major arts and cultural outpost in the Southeast.

© Ryan Ketterman

All over Jacksonville these days, especially in its downtown district, visitors find almost 100 colorful murals representing diverse scenes, painted by emerging and established local and international artists. The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville created an Art in Public Places Program, which oversees the selection, installation, maintenance and conservation of the public art around Jacksonville.

Art Republic, an innovative visual arts festival, also brought some of the top muralists in the world to downtown Jacksonville to use the walls of office buildings, parking garages, theaters and shops as canvases. Local historic neighborhoods like Brooklyn, Springfield, Riverside and Jacksonville Beach also have walls decorated by beautiful murals. Go Tuk’n collaborated with ArtRepublic to offer the only Certified Public Art Tour dedicated to showcasing the artist and inspiration behind every piece.

© Visit Jacksonville

The Cork Arts District is a cutting-edge, 80,000-square-foot warehouse space that provides space for local artists and galleries and hosts regular events open to the public. They plan to add more studios and galleries, as well as introduce live music performances. Visit Cork Arts District either by private appointment or during one of the regularly scheduled events held there.

Project Atrium, located in the atrium of Jacksonville’s Museum of Contemporary Arts, showcases a new, site-sensitive installation created by different artists each month. Visitors can plan monthly museum visits and watch a whole new project unfold before their eyes.