# Celebrating Student Artists
Celebrate our community's deep pool of creative talent with us on the first Wednesday of each month in Downtown Jacksonville! The Main Library stays open until 9 p.m. for the festivities! Don't forget to pick up a Map & Guide to the Main Library on your way in! You'll find public art, a huge vintage map collection and more!
Over the past 20 years, Art Walk has attracted over half a million visitors to Downtown Jacksonville. Proudly hosted by Downtown Vision, it's a great way to explore Downtown's Northbank with family, friends and coworkers. This month, get an early preview of the annual Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards: Gold Key Exhibition, collaborate on our next zine, or sign up for a 20-minute art tour with one of our volunteer docents.
Gold Key Exhibition (Early Preview)
The 2025 Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards (NEFSAA) "Gold Key Exhibition" doesn't officially open until Friday, February 7. But you can get an Early Preview during Art Walk. Note: The public is also invited to a free reception on Saturday, February 15, from 1-3 p.m. where student artists and their teachers and families will get a chance to view and celebrate the exhibit together.
Full Exhibition Opens Saturday, February 7
When the full exhibit is opens, there will be hundreds of pieces of award-winning student art on display - so much so that you'll have to visit the first three floors - including the entryway of the Teen Room - to see it all! The 2025 NEFSAA season collected and adjudicated 3,189 student submissions from 1,921 students in eight counties including Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns, Union and Volusia counties. This year 1,611 awards were distributed to 744 student winners including 428 Gold, 467 Silver, and 716 Honorable Mentions.
The show runs until Thursday, March 6. This exhibition is part of an ongoing partnership with Duval County Public Schools and their Fine Arts Department. In the coming months, Jacksonville Public Library will also host The Best of Elementary Art Show (March - April) and The Best of Middle Art Exhibition (April - May).
# Art Tours
Docent-Led Art Tours Start at 6 PM
Augusta Savage, Al Held, Kathryn Freeman, Lee Adams, Jerry Uelsmann. Do you know that works by these artists and many more are on permanent display at the Main Library? Come take a 20-minute docent-led tour during Art Walk and (re)discover these remarkable paintings, sculptures, and photographs. Tours start every half hour starting at 6 p.m. Meet the docent by the Art Tours sign in the Pajcic Promenade (the entry/hallway on the first floor).
Registration is strongly recommended. The last tour starts at 8 p.m.
Note: In addition to the permanent works, we also have exhibits that rotate regularly in our galleries on the first, second, and third floors, featuring works by local students and professional artists.
# Drop-In Activities
Zinester Meetup
Do you read zines? Make your own comics? Want to take a truly DIY approach to self-publishing? Drop by Zine Zone on the first floor of the Main Library every first Wednesday of the month (during Art Walk) from 6 - 8:30 p.m. It's a space where "zinesters," writers, artists and more meet to network, learn new skills, do group projects, and make art!
This month, pick up a copy of the latest "ZMZ" (Zinester Meetup Zine) and contribute to the next printed issue! This month's ZMZ combines contributions from the November and December meetups.
If you haven't already, this is also a good time to browse the Zine Collection (they are available for checkout!). If you have a zine or self-published comic to donate to the Library, bring it with you! For more info, visit jaxlibrary.org/zines.
Smash Bros. Tournament for Teens
Stop by the Teen Room (on the first floor) for a Super Smash Bros. Tournament for teens (ages 12-18) on the big screen TV! Tournament starts at 5 p.m. and runs until someone claims victory (or 8:30 p.m.).
Play Board Games with Adults
Looking for other adults to play board games with? Join us from 6-8 p.m. in the "engagement" space on the first floor. Just look for the big red carpet between the Gallery and the Zine Zone. Note: Participation from beginning to end is not required and players can join/leave at any time.
