Shelf Life
Shelf Life BY: BARBARA FITOS “THIS IS A HOME WHERE LEARNING HAPPENS.” These were the words of the lovely woman who purchased my Orlando condo for herself and her daughter, which I sold when given the opportunity to return home to Ocala. She had focused on the wealth of books that filled my home. That […]
Mel Fiorentino: Modern Renaissance
ARTIST SEEN Mel Fiorentino: Modern Renaissance ARTIST SEEN PROFILE | APR. 2026 How has living in Marion County (or Central Florida) influenced your work? I moved here from NY in 1990. It was difficult in the beginning because there was nothing cultural going on, but being able to have Jack Thursby as a mentor made […]
Mosaic Set | April 2026
CULTURE ›› MOSAIC SET Mosaic Set: April 2026 Becky Baby WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOSHUA JACOBS VIDEO BY PALMA PRODUCTIONS After years of balancing music with everyday life, Becky has stepped fully into her calling. https://youtu.be/f–69htcbFM Ocala native, Becky Baby has always felt at home here in Central Florida. After a period living in Gainesville […]
Rose Derkay
ARTIST SEEN Rose Derkay: Luminescent Lenscraft ARTIST SEEN PROFILE | MAR. 2026 How has your style evolved over the years? Over the past years my photography has grown from eager editorial newbie to grateful fine art photographer. In the past 8 years my focus has been on developing macro photography and editing skills, fine tuning […]
Spoken Word by Abigail Prince
WORD | JANUARY 2026 The written word is one thing. Hearing it is another. Each month we invite you to both. An Earth Song WRITTEN BY: LANGSTON HUGHES PERFORMED BY: ABIGAIL PRINCE PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JOSHUA JACOBS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDYBJyq0ERc It’s an earth song,— And I’ve been waiting long for an earth song. It’s a spring song,— And […]
Shelby Lauren’s Set
CULTURE ›› MOSAIC SET Mosaic Set: March 2026 Shelby Lauren WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOSHUA JACOBS VIDEO BY PALMA PRODUCTIONS Rerouted by the pandemic but grounded in lifelong performance, Shelby Lauren writes with the kind of honesty that can’t be manufactured. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NqlVpkQnmo&list=RD2NqlVpkQnmo&start_radio=1 For Shelby Lauren, the stage was never a distant dream, it was home. […]
Jordan Shapot
ARTIST SEEN Jordan Shapot: Bold Expression at Work ARTIST SEEN PROFILE | FEBRUARY 2026 HOW DO YOU HANDLE CREATIVE BLOCKS??Creative blocks come for us all. One thing I like to do is experiment with new mediums or techniques with an outlook based in curiosity, not perfectionism. Another way is writing about the creative block that […]
Romantasy in February
Romantasy in February BY: BARBARA FITOS February—the season of love and the month we honor the legacy of Black history. What better way to begin than with “romantasy”—the newest subgenre combining fantasy and romance. “Romantic fantasy,” coined in 2008, became wildly and virally popular on social media through such authors as Sarah J. Maas […]
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 […]
Pod: January, 2026 – Hotrod Hangout
CULTURE >>> PODS Hotrod Hangout An all-vehicles-welcome conversation fueled by builds, stories, and pure obsession with cars CAST / MEMBERS Matt (host) and Ashley (cohost) HOW OFTEN/WHEN DO YOU DROP NEW EPISODES? Every Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO HIT “RECORD” ON YOUR CONVERSATIONS INSTEAD OF JUST KEEPING THEM AMONG FRIENDS? […]
Bookmarked: January 2026
Bookmarked: Turning the Page Together BY: BARBARA FITOS How one local book club — and many others — remind us that reading is better when shared. It’s a NEW YEAR…may the year ahead bring the promise of joy, peace, and love …and of course, BOOKS! And hoping your holiday season was filled with countless blessings […]
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. […]
Bookmarked: December 2025
Bookmarked: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever BY: BARBARA FITOS A beloved story that shaped a family’s holidays – and inspired a community “THE HERDMAN’S WEREABSOLUTELY THE WORSTKIDS IN THE HISTORY OFTHE WORLD.” So begins the beloved Christmas novel by children’s author Barbara Robinson. Originally published in 1972, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is the story […]
Artist Seen: December, 2025 – Kaylee Bovaird
Kaylee Bovaird: Patterning Art out of Life ARTIST SEEN PROFILE | DEC. 2025 PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JOSHUA JACOBS Little artist backgroundBorn and raised ocala native, bartender at Mutiny, mom of two. Who or what first inspired you to create? I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to create. I think as a child and […]
Word: December 2025 – Marina Witt
WORD | DECEMBER 2025 The written word is one thing. Hearing it is another. Each month we invite you to both. To Weather is to be Human WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY: MARINA ROSE WITT PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO BY: JOSHUA JACOBS https://youtu.be/vbxEX0IXSLs?si=KDbKM8VB_TE8lbhm Sun shines with the ones thatweather through the storms.growth comes with waterthat is produced […]
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 […]
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). […]
Word: November 2025 – A Toast!
The written word is one thing. Hearing it is another. Each month we invite you to both. WORD: November, 2025 Raising a glass has never been so fun. We asked a handful of community members to share toasts on video, offering inspiration for your own gatherings this entertaining season. Whether heartfelt, humorous, or a little […]
Mosaic Set | November, 2025 | Joshua Jacobs
CULTURE ›› MOSAIC SET Mosaic Set: November 2025 Joshua Jacobs WRITTEN BY JOSHUA JACOBS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSI MILLER VIDEO BY PALMA PRODUCTIONS Through Feverdreams, Joshua Jacobs explores the edges of emotion, turning fleeting moments and unspoken feelings into sound. https://youtu.be/JEStcS7g9A8?si=U8GAmU_wQcCxPvd1 I’ve always chased the kind of sound that feels like a gut punch—honest, raw, and […]