Feb 2026 Issue
February 2026 – Entertaining Issue The February issue of The Marion Mosaic is here, and it’s filled with stories that celebrate the heart of our community. Inside, you’ll find ten things to love about Ocala, reader shout-outs to the people who make a difference, and some very charming “dating profiles” from VOCAL’s adoptable animals looking […]
Word: February 2026 – Amira Sims
WORD | FEBRUARY 2026 The written word is one thing. Hearing it is another. Each month we invite you to both. I Hear Sayings WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY: AMIRA SIMS PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO BY: JOSHUA JACOBS https://youtu.be/uTdeorZ9sv8 This poem is a nod to the idea that there is always some level of translation or change […]
Mosaic Set | February 2026
CULTURE ›› MOSAIC SET Mosaic Set: February 2026 Brian Fahey WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOSHUA JACOBS VIDEO BY PALMA PRODUCTIONS AUDIO ENGINEERING BY SYNALGIC STUDIOS Blending rock, folk, and electronic influence, Brian Fahey creates music rooted in authenticity, evolution, and the physical power of sound. https://youtu.be/DapybXP8Wdk?si=uTPBCXv2TulRhBVC Born in Miami and raised in Ocala, Brian Fahey […]
10 Things: Resolutions You’ll Actually Enjoy Doing This Year
TEN THINGS BY: DAVID MOORE 10 Resolutions You’ll Actually Enjoy Doing This Year. You can do it! Make Something. Make some cookies to share or bake some bread. Try a new recipe for a weekend dinner. Take a pottery class, repot a plant, or try a new craft. Take a break from all things digital […]
For Foam And Glory
STORY, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JOSHUA JACOBS For Foam and Glory Thaliondor isn’t just a LARP—it’s a shared mythology, contact sport, and a temporary refuge from modern life, where the only thing that matters is the sword in your hand and the story you leave behind. Before memory was measured in years and before borders […]
Sentenced: January 2026
SENTENCED WRITTEN BY: R.J. JENKINS ILLUSTRATION BY: JOSHUA JACOBS Picking Up The Pieces …in which a life-long lover of books—and especially, sentences—responds to ChatGPT’s answers to his questions about books—and especially, sentences THE PROMPTThese sentences appear in Toni Morrison’s Beloved: “She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, […]
Personalities: January 2026
PERSONALITIES BY: BRAD ROGERS Tom Petty Found His Distiny in Ocala “Elvis in Ocala, Tom Petty Inspired” A historic marker will be installed at the corner of Silver Springs Boulevard and Osceola Road. “He stepped out radiant as an angel,” Petty remembered in a 2007 interview. “He seemed to walk above the ground. It was […]
Artist Seen: January, 2026 – Kevin Rollins
ARTIST SEEN Kevin Rollins: Adjusting the Lens ARTIST SEEN PROFILE | JAN. 2026 What’s the earliest piece of art you remember making? The first piece I remember is a tree in a field, surrounded by cows, that I had to turn around and photograph on a drive home. For years, I thought it was just […]
Word: January 2026 – Kathy Kuhns
WORD | JANUARY 2026 The written word is one thing. Hearing it is another. Each month we invite you to both. I Said My Grandmother’s Name WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY: KATHY KUHNS PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO BY: JOSHUA JACOBS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4DCwGOAS1I I said my grandmother’s name, In a field of phlox, purples and pinks and reds, with […]
Mosaic Set | January, 2026 | Caly Bryan
CULTURE ›› MOSAIC SET Mosaic Set: January 2026 Caly Bryan WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOSHUA JACOBS VIDEO BY PALMA PRODUCTIONS What began as poetry and heartbreak has a voice defined by sincerity, support, and the drive to preserve something real. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBvn4oRZadQ Caly Bryan is an Ocala local, though her story begins a few states north. […]
Hold My Beer
LITTLE MAN, BIG MOUTH Hold My Beer WRITTEN BY DAVE SCHLENKER A treadmill arrives, a button flees, and middle age dares me to do something about it. We officially have become THOSE people. That is to say, we now have a treadmill. In our house. And I am pleased to say, there is no laundry […]
River Dreams
WRITTEN BY: BRAD ROGERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JESSI MILLER AND MICHAEL WARREN River Dreams Restoring the Ocklawaha River has been an environmental debate for half a century. Now proponents argue that restoring the river also has meaningful and lasting economic promise for the region. Since the late 1960s, environmentalists have been pushing the state of Florida […]
January 2026 Issue
January 2026 – The Kicking off 2026 Issue The January 2026 issue of Marion Mosaic opens the year with thoughtful exploration and local perspective, from a fresh look at the long-debated restoration of the Ocklawaha River and its potential economic impact, to reflections on mindfulness in an era of constant digital noise. This month’s features […]
Small Business Power: Scrambles
NOTABLE › SMALL BUSINESS POWER Each month Small Business Power celebrates the innovation, resilience, and impact of entrepreneurs whose work shapes the heart of our community. This month we spotlight: WRITTEN BY: CHRIS CAHILL Scrambles Café Photos by Joshua Jacobs / and courtesy of Scrambles Cafe There’s something about the warm buzz of conversation and […]
Being Santa
WRITTEN BY: BRAD ROGERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JOSHUA JACOBS Being Santa In the heart of Central Florida lives a brotherhood of Santas who are keeping the magic alive. They share the joy, laughter, and spirit that comes from embodying the great man in red. He drives a red car, dresses year ‘round in red, green and […]
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
DOING GOOD Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Providing the gift of remembrance portraits to parents experiencing the death of a baby WRITTEN BY DAVE SCHLENKER The first time I heard about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep was in 2009 while in photo school. The professor was encouraging the class — college […]
Forgiveness, A Life’s Sentence
WRITTEN BY: R.J. JENKINS ILLUSTRATION BY: JOSHUA JACOBS Forgiveness, A Life’s Sentence …in which a life-long lover of books—and especially, sentences—responds to ChatGPT’s answers to his questions about books—and especially, sentences The promptThis sentence appears in Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner: “I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of […]
Dec. 2025 Issue
December 2025 Issue Ho, ho, ho—yes, we still believe. The December issue of The Marion Mosaic has arrived, filled with stories that celebrate the season and the community. This month, we explore the Hooves and Harmony with a great cause, “Divertimentos & Dressage,” we showcase holiday style with our iconic “Little Black Dress” fashion feature, […]
Confessions of a Wedding Photographer
LITTLE MAN, BIG MOUTH Confessions of a Wedding Photographer (and Recovering Best Man) WRITTEN BY DAVE SCHLENKER After witnessing countless wedding toasts go sideways — including his own — a seasoned photographer offers tips for keeping your speech off the blooper reel In addition to writing about cat vomit and ear hair, I also am […]
Mosaic Set | December, 2025 | Ecliff Farrar
CULTURE ›› MOSAIC SET Mosaic Set: December 2025 Ecliff Farrar WRITTEN BY JOSHUA JACOBS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSI MILLER VIDEO BY PALMA VIDEO PRODUCTION From local restaurants and the Downtown Square to the crowds at Levitt AMP, Ecliff Farrar’s presence is woven into Ocala’s soundtrack. His voice—smooth, spiced-buttery, and unpretentiously soulful—lends each performance a warmth that […]
Small Business Profile – Horse Country Chiropractic
NOTABLE ›› SMALL BUSINESS POWER Each month Small Business Power celebrates the innovation, resilience, and impact of entrepreneurs whose work shapes the heart of our community. This month we spotlight: WRITTEN BY: CHRIS CAHILL Horse Country Clinic of Chiropractic Photos courtesy of Horse Country Clinic of Chiropractic Every great love story has a spark. For […]
Artist Seen: November 2025 – Roseprimevere
Photo by Lizzie Steger Roseprimevere: Resilience and Abstraction ARTIST SEEN PROFILE | NOV. 2025 A social worker and a painter, Magnolia Art Xchange resident artist Roseprimevere is making a splash on canvases and in Ocala. Main medium(s) you work in: My main medium is acrylic on canvas. I also experiment with fluid art (paint pouring). […]