Mandarin Museum News

June 2026

Embrace the Mandarin Experience

From left, Stanley Webb, Adele Monson, Ella Eaton Jacks (Nora's 3rd great-grandmother), Letitia Jacks (Nora's 2nd great-grandmother), George Delos Kennedy, M.D. (Nora's 2nd great-grandfather), circa 1905, taken during a trip to Pablo Beach, now known as Jacksonville Beach

Dear Friends,

In a recent grant application, we were asked to describe Mandarin Museum's unique cultural role and quality of life contributions. It's one of those questions to which the answer seems obvious. If you're a visual thinker like me, countless moments in our galleries, historic buildings, at our events, and in the park replay in your mind like a highlight reel of an epic period - adventure - drama - comedy - documentary - musical film. How do you put that into words? Well, I tried:

"Mandarin Museum plays a unique cultural role in many ways, but 3 stand out among the rest that coalescence into one important role, ensuring Mandarin’s unique identity and the “Old Florida” landscape are not lost amid Jacksonville’s continued growth.

Preserving a Sense of Place: For most of its post-colonial life, Mandarin was an independent village along the St. Johns River with a distinct rural character, river culture, and with subsistence farming lifeways. The community was also shaped over centuries by its major industries, including citrus, timber, and turpentine. Those known as “old timers” today trace their lineage back to families who settled the area as free or newly freed men and women, whether English, Spanish, or Gullah Geechee. It’s a history that can’t be adequately, much less fully, understood without a backdrop resembling the natural and built environment against which it evolved.

Telling Stories Often Missed by Traditional Narratives: Our place as a community-based cultural institution affords us the ability to know, understand, and interpret stories that otherwise would be overlooked or lost. Local families, organizations, business owners, artists, civic leaders, church congregations, neighbors and friends are all essential threads in a historical and cultural fabric woven over time. And even as we share episodes of people and events of national significance (e.g. Harriet Beecher Stowe and MapleLeaf Shipwreck), these episodes were wholly influenced by the locals as much as they influenced the locals.

Connecting History, Culture, and Art with Nature: Mandarin Museum interprets not only people and events but also the relationship between the community and the St. Johns River, local ecology, and natural resources. Our home in Walter Jones Historical Park allows us to reinforce the connection between cultural heritage and environmental stewardship.

In this spirit, and through our tangible efforts, Mandarin Museum contributes to a positive quality of life by providing educational programming, accessible cultural experiences, and through preservation of the material culture that supports it all. Our work strengthens community bonds through highlighting both shared and disparate pasts while welcoming dialogue among all visitors.

A new program in 2026 and 2027 perfectly exemplifies our unique cultural role and quality of life contributions – The Art Yard at Mandarin Museum. The Art Yard (hosted in Mandarin Museum’s front yard) is a free monthly art class for children ages 8 to 15, held the 2nd Sunday afternoon of every month from June through April, culminating in an outdoor gallery show and reception featuring the children’s work. The creative force behind this new program is Nora Morrow, Museum volunteer, lifelong Mandarin resident, and a senior of extensive accomplishment at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Nora’s ties to Mandarin run deep, her second, third and fourth great-grandparents are scattered among the Jacks, Kennedy, Monson, and Morrow families who settled in the community in the 1860s. When Nora began thinking of ways to fulfill her required volunteer hours, her first stop was Mandarin Museum, a result of our organization’s presence in the community and her family’s life for generations. Nora’s well-developed sense of place, her authentic connection to our shared community-based museum, and her love for the arts and Mandarin’s natural environment inspired her to conceive of The Art Yard as a means to contribute to the quality of life of our area’s youth."

And there are so many other Nora Morrows out there, standard-bearers of their own family's unique ties to our community. But maybe you're the first among your family to find your way to Mandarin, and to that we say, welcome! We're glad you're here, and we hope to see you in our galleries, our historic buildings, at our events, and in the park. There is a role for you in our epic period - adventure - drama - comedy - documentary - musical film!

And as always, I'll see you at the Museum!

Warmest regards,

Brittany Cohill

Executive Director

Current Art Exhibition

According to Gamble: A Cartoonist's Take on American Public Life

On display through August 20, 2026

Ed Gamble (b. 1943) has called Mandarin home since 1980. That same year, he joined the Florida Times-Union as their first in-house editorial cartoonist, a position he held for three decades.

Known for his sharp takes, and often recognized as an independent thinker, Gamble’s visual rhetoric targeted everything from U.S. domestic and foreign policy to college sports, and everything in between. His tools were simple: ideas and a No. 2 pencil. One cartoon could take as little as 30 minutes. Those he colored with brush and ink might require no more than a few hours.

Gamble’s work has enjoyed national syndication and can be found in the permanent collections of five U.S. Presidential museums, the University of Tennessee, the University of North Florida, and Mandarin Museum. According to Gamble: A Cartoonist's Take on American Public Life invites visitors to consider how one artist’s voice helped shape public discourse surrounding the issues that defined his time.

Mandarin Frog Painting FULL! Now booking for July 11th.

Saturday, June 6

10:00 am

Museum Front Lawn

Purchase, paint, and take home your very own Mandarin Frog (or sea turtle). The cost is $22 + tax per person and all supplies are provided. To register, please email info@mandarinmuseum.org. Payment is collected upon arrival, cash or card. Limited walk-up spots may be available.

First Saturday @ the Museum

Saturday, June 6

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Join Mandarin Museum the first Saturday of every month from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm when all historic buildings throughout Walter Jones Historical Park are open to the public. Admission is free!

Special guest and local author James Glover will be at the Museum signing copies of his newest novel, The Loyal Colony: A Revolutionary War Saga. Glover's previous titles will also be available for sale and signing!

The historic Mandarin Store & Post Office, located just down the road at 12471 Mandarin Rd., will also be open to visitors.

Meet the Maple Leaf Divers

Saturday, June 6

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Maple Leaf Shipwreck Gallery

Meet the men who dove the Maple Leaf Shipwreck! On April 1, 1864, the Union steamboat Maple Leaf was sunk by Confederates in the St. Johns River just off Mandarin Point. In the 1980s, Dr. Keith Holland and his team of divers located and excavated the site. Now designated a National Historic Landmark, the nearly 3,000 artifacts they recovered have been entrusted to the State of Florida for preservation. Mandarin Museum displays many of these artifacts through a longterm partnership with the State Archives of Florida.

Dr. Holland and the Maple Leaf Divers will be in the gallery from 10:00 am to noon on Saturday, June 6th to meet with visitors. This is an informal, conversational-style event. Drop in to hear their story of discovery, recovery, and preservation.

Music Under the Oaks

Sunday, June 7

2:00 to 4:00 pm

Museum Front Lawn

Join us for our final Music Under the Oaks before our summer hiatus! (After our June session, MUTO returns the first Sunday of October.)

Hosted in partnership with North Florida Folk Network, it's the perfect opportunity to enjoy a lazy afternoon under the shade of Mandarin’s historic oak canopy. If you play an acoustic instrument and enjoy singing or playing with others, you are invited to join the song circle. This is an open jam for participants at any experience level. Song circle set-up begins around 1:30 pm. Chairs for musicians are available inside the Museum.

Listeners are welcomed and encouraged! Bring your chairs or blanket and set up just outside the song circle. You’re in for a real treat!

Mandarin Museum and the 1898 St. Joseph’s Schoolhouse for African American Children will be open to visitors during the event.

Photo courtesy of Olis Garber Photography

The Art Yard at Mandarin Museum, Session 1

Sunday, June 14

1:30 to 3:30 pm

Museum Front Lawn

Registration is now open for FREE children’s art classes at Mandarin Museum! Geared toward kids aged 8 to 15, sessions begin on June 14th and continue through April 2027. Register for some or all sessions.

For more info, including how to register, click HERE!

Mandarin Museum - OPEN LATE

Thursday, June 18

4:00 to 7:00 pm
Mandarin Museum

Unable to visit us during our regular hours? We're hosting extended hours just for you! And these aren't just any extended hours. We've curated an affordable night out in Mandarin, great for a date or fun for the whole fam!

On Thursday, June 18th, Mandarin Museum is keeping the doors open until 7:00 pm. Admission is free!

• Enjoy our exhibits, take a tour of the 1898 St. Joseph's Mission Schoolhouse, check out an Adventure Backpack

• Live music on the front lawn with UnderDawg, playing all your Americana & Folk favorites from 5:00 to 7:00 pm

• Check in at Museum Guest Services and pick up a Sweet Treat Certificate, redeemable for a free slice of Chef Dennis Chan's famous Mandarin Orange Cake when you head over to Blue Bamboo for dinner! (valid that evening, one per table, $5 minimum food purchase) www.bluebamboojacksonville.com

Mandarin Frogs are hitting the road this summer...with YOU! And we want pictures!

Get in on the fun! Here's how:

1. Stop by the Mandarin Museum Shop and purchase your very own travel-size Mandarin Frog. They are light weight and can go anywhere!
2. Follow our Instagram account (@mandarinmuseum)
3. Give your Mandarin Frog a name and take your new friend on all your summer travels.
4. Take creative Frog selfies, action shots, etc. and post them on your Instagram.
5. Be sure to tag us in the post @mandarinmuseum AND use the hashtag #MandarinFrogsOnVacay

We've already had one Mandarin Frog hit the road, traveling to Manchester, England, Paris, France, and County Galway, Ireland! Where will your Mandarin Frog go on vacay??? We can't wait to see!

Be a supporter of arts & culture in our community through the purchase of an annual membership! Every contribution made through the purchase of an annual membership enables us to fulfill our mission!

Mandarin Museum members at the Family Level and above automatically enjoy the benefits of NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum Association)! By supporting your favorite museum, you receive reciprocal member benefits at almost 1,500 museums, botanical gardens, aquariums, and more across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and The Cayman Islands. Simply show your Mandarin Museum membership card at participating locations!

Read 2026 issues of the Mandarin Newsline online now!

This free newspaper allows Mandarin Museum to share history, events, and programs with the public. The newspaper remains free to readers due to the robust local advertising. Please visit, shop, and eat at those businesses who support the community in this way.

Until next time, spend some time with family and friends and just enjoy their company!

A big THANK YOU to Dave Clarke, Susie Losco, Dolly Strother, and all the Loscos for keeping your family's legacy alive while at the same time demonstrating what Mandarin is all about.

You may have noticed some upgrades to the Losco Winery Log Cabin in Walter Jones Historical Park recently. In memory of Mark Losco, the Losco crew reinforced the grape trellis, added another wonderful bench, and repaired and leveled the brick path leading into the Winery. This repair has enabled ALL of our tour participants to confidently and safely enter the historic building.

The work culminated in what became a Losco Family reunion at the 1892 Winery, and a moving tribute to their late father/son/husband/cousin, Mark Losco.

Thank you to all our community partners!

A thriving creative economy enhances the quality of life for us all. Supported in part by the Merit-Based Cultural Service Grant Program, administered by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville with funding from the City of Jacksonville and our elected officials, we extend our gratitude to all partners who make this possible.

OUR MISSION: Mandarin Museum & Historical Society shares the stories of Mandarin's history, culture, and natural resources by providing engaging programs that educate, entertain, and inspire.

VISIT. JOIN. VOLUNTEER.

Mandarin Museum & Historical Society

904-268-0784

info@mandarinmuseum.org