All photograpy by Toni Smailagic | @ToniSmailagic

2022

CoRK Open Studios 2022 - Event in Jacksonville, FL showcasing 70+ artist studios in the CoRK Arts District warehouses. This is the only time of the year when the doors are open for the public to see the art spaces & not just meet the artists, but buy their work directly from them.

Images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

Duvalfolx vol 10

DuvalFolx is the only dance party in NE Florida that centers Black / Trans / and Queer folks - created by Geexella in 2018. To celebrate Halloween, on October 28th, 2022 we headed to Archetype with DJ’s, Lunaxcel, and Geexella providing the soundtrack throughout the evening.

It’s the most joyous event I cover, on a consistent basis. The images don’t do the energy you feel justice!

If you’re a BIPOC Queer / Trans DJ that’s interested in working on future events, send an email over to geexella@gmail.com

Photography by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

Viva la fiesta 2022

Viva La Fiesta took place at James Weldon Johnson Park on 10/15/22 (the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month). Put on by YaYa Productions - marking it their 4th year of an INCREDIBLE (& only) Hispanic Festival in the middle of Downtown Jacksonville. Headliner this year was merengue group, Fulanito!

All images are by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

Jax Pride 2022!

The River City Pride 2022 Festival took place on Oct 2, 2022 in Riverside Park in Jacksonville - and with the cancelation of the Pride Parade the day before (due to Hurricane Ian), people showed up in droves to make sure they celebrate with twice as much energy to make up for the lost day.

All images are by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

Taco & tequila festival

The Taco & Tequila Festival took place on 9/24 + 9/25/22 in Riverside Park and was the second year that the festival took place (previously under the Acosta Bridge). When they said festival, they meant FESTIVAL. Full music lineup with multiple stages, food & tequila bars, and live artist installations were just a few highlights, but the overall satisfaction rating from the crowd was an all-time high (minus the long wait to get in - which is where VIP tickets were truly worth their price).

All images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

Duvalfolx vol 9

DuvalFolx is the only dance party in NE Florida that centers Black / Trans / and Queer folks - created by Geexella in 2018. To celebrate the 4 year anniversary, on June 4th, 2022 we headed back to the Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens with DJ’s Enerji, Lunaxcel, and Geexella providing the soundtrack throughout the evening.

It’s the most joyous event I cover, on a consistent basis. The images don’t do the energy you feel justice!

Next DuvalFolx will be announced soon - but if you’re a BIPOC Queer / Trans DJ that’s interested in working on future events, send an email over to geexella@gmail.com

Photography by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

June Art Walk - Street Style

Downtown Jacksonville takes place on the first Wednesday of every month - with the three primary hubs being : James Weldon Johnson Park, Vystar Breezeway, and The Jessie duPont Center.

All images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

Jazz fest 2022

Jazz Fest 2022 in Downtown Jacksonville took place on May 27th - 29th with this year’s headliners including : Patti Labelle, Robert Glasper, Kem, Herbie Hancock, Ledisi, +++

An estimated 60k+ people were in attendance - rain or shine!

Images below are taken by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax & @rakimism of rakimism.com (noted by the website link on the image)

Mighty Oak & Makers music festival

Never thought I’d see the day for the Cummer Museum to put on a music festival with over 15 bands throughout the gardens! This took place on 4/30/22 and spanned all day and I had a chance to cover it for the second half of the showcase with music artist Cory Driscoll, Mr Al Pete, L.O.V.E Culture, Karos Creature Club, +++ || as well as silent disco by Hush Hush (the main reason I go to 5 Points on a weekend - Root Down Sat & Sun night).

All images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

Downtown Jacksonville River Jams 2022 - Boyz ii Men

The free month-long concert series put on by @dtjax takes place every Thursday during the month of April at the Riverfront Plaza (the old Landing site) from 5-10pm. On 4/14, the headliner was @boyziimen, with opening acts @mralpete & @thekatzdownstairz Without a doubt, the most people I’ve seen in that space to date - so much so, that people even lined up on the Main Street Bridge to be able to see the concert.

Don't forget - the PEOPLE make the city what it is. We have a lot of flaws in Jacksonville, but when those are put to the side for just a few hours, you get an event as beautiful as this one. Bravo to everyone involved in making it happen!

The next concert is Thursday, 4/21 with headliner, country singer, Carly Pearce!

All images taken by Toni Smailagic | Cre8Jax

“Bits & Pieces” listening party - hosted by Cre8jax

The sold-out listening party for “Bits & Pieces” - the new album by Ebony Payne-English, in collaboration with Ulysses Owens Jr. - took place on 4/1/22 at The Walrus in Murray Hill, hosted by me (Cre8Jax)!

A truly incredible night of community engagement and fulfilling conversations that wouldn’t have been possible without our title sponsor - The Jessie Ball duPont Center!

DJ Geexella kept the music going throughout the entire evening and THE E. Mackey (owner of Blvck Spades) was in attendance grabbing video! Ebony and Ulysses played and discussed 5 songs from the new album, and Ebony performed 1 live. The album is a juxtaposition of Ebony’s poetry and a full jazz band via Ulysses (who produced the album). The full album is released on May 8th, but the single “Whole & Complete” is out now!

All images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

Winterland Music Festival IV- 2022

Visual recap of day 1 of the 2-day Winterland Music Festival held at Riverfront Plaza in Downtown Jacksonville on 2/26/22 & 2/27/22.

All images by Toni Smailagic || Cre8Jax

Exhibit opening - ‘Black circuit - legend of the black cowboy’

Visual recap of the ‘Soul Circuit - Legend of the Black Cowboy’ exhibition, which took place on 2/18/22 at The Lark in Downtown Jacksonville. Soundtrack for the night was provided by DJ Papi Disco

Featuring works by artists Malcolm Jackson, Jordan Walter, Dustin Harewood, Toni Smailagic, +++

The next public opening to The Lark to the see the exhibit is on Wednesday, March 2nd from 5-9pm during Downtown Jacksonville’s monthly event, Art Walk. Soundtrack that night will be provided by DJ NickFresh!

*Limited edition prints of current & unseen works will be available on that night!

All event images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

jwj’s 1st hip hop festival

All images by Toni Smailagic | Cre8Jax

The inaugural Hip Hop Festival at James Weldon Johnson Park took place on 2/19/22 (Downtown Jacksonville). There must have been something in the air this past weekend, because EVERYONE I ran into at any event was in a great mood, and no exception at the Hip Hop Festival. From all the dancers and cyphers, to panel discussions and of course, the headliners LOVE Culture - there’s no way you went and thought it was boring.

I’m very excited to see what they come up with next year!

Art Walk - Feb 2022

Downtown Jacksonville Art Walk takes place every first Wednesday of the month and takes place between 3 main hubs; James Weldon Johnson Park, the Vystar Breezeway, and Jessie duPont Center. Along the way stops happen everywhere from The Lark gallery to Ruby Beach Brewing.

My focus when documenting the night is usually based around street-style, and this month delivered! It definitely helped that a fashion show (and fashion flash mob) was taking place in JWJ Park, while also having a newly curated show at The Lark.

All images by Toni Smailagic of Cre8Jax

Cre8jax beer release

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

The newest downtown bar, Ruby Beach Brewing, released an official Cre8Jax beer on the night of Art Walk (1/5/22) in Downtown Jacksonville; A grapefruit / blood orange lager!

The event primarily took place in their incredible outside courtyard and will had complimentary bites from Eat Happy Jax food truck.

The incomparable DJ Lunaxcel provided the soundtrack throughout the evening and absolutely KILLED it!

A huge thank you to True for helping sell the Cre8Jax coffee-table books all evening, which can still be purchased > here

THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY FOR SHOWING UP AND SHOWING OUT! Truly, couldn’t imagine a better start to the year

Porchfest 2021

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

One of the easiest events to promote in Jacksonville is the annual Porchfest celebration that happens annually (besides 2020 for obvious reasons) and it FINALLY came back - with a small twist. Porchfest is generally a magnificent way of getting introduced to the Historic Springfield neighborhood in Jacksonville, where it turns into a type of massive block party, except specific porches are picked where musicians are scheduled to perform. Thousands of people (local & national guests!) show up to see 25+ bands perform, food and drinks everywhere, and a true dose of southern hospitality. The Twist - we basically had a monsoon come in during Saturday’s festivities, what was supposed to be an all day event, turned into house parties during the day (pictures below show a few from the drag show house that Dale Stoudt (AMAZING realtor) hosted in order to raise funds for JASMYN, and a few performances at Underbelly that night (which I didn’t get a chance to cover).

The leader of SPAR, Kelly Rich, and her team scrambled and got back at least a dozen of the bands for Sunday, and made it Porchfest 2.0, which brought out a ton of people, and I was able to cover the nighttime portion with Mama Blue and LPT performing. (pictured below). I highly suggest keeping in touch and putting Porchfest 2022 on your calendar as soon as the date is announced!

Viva La Fiesta - 2 Day Hispanic Festival!

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

The FIRST 2-day Hispanic Festival, Viva La Fiesta, took place on Oct 16+17 at James Weldon Johnson Park (& it was FREE)! Put on by Yanira Cardona, owner of YaYa Production, making it her third Viva La Fiesta! With over 5K people in attendance on both days, Oscarito (from Grupo Mania) on Saturday as the headliner, and LPT with their new album release on Sunday! A ton of performers in between, Latin foods & drinks, a TON of dancing from everyone in the crowd and just an overall perfect weekend. It even rained for a bit on Saturday, and as you can tell in the pictures, it did not slow down people from dancing to the DJ. Bravo!

Return of Downtown Art Walk - 2021!

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

Downtown Jacksonville Art Walk FINALLY came back this past Wednesday
after a 19 month break and, per usual, I was out with the camera
capturing my favorite night in downtown (the only time I see it truly
alive)!

Art Walk takes place on the first Wednesday of each month from 5-9pm.
The three hubs were James Weldon Johnson Park, Moving the Margins at
the Jessie duPont Center, and the Vystar breezeway - with all the
businesses along the way open. A ton of live music options, food,
boutiques, artwork, vendors and just a contagious energy in the city.

River City Pride - 2021!

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

40 pictures to recap River City Pride that took place in Riverside (Jacksonville, FL) on October 2nd, 2021. One of the only days of the year when you’ll see EVERY kind of person under the sun. There’s no way you attended (or have attended past Jax Prides) and not left with just a glimmer of hope for the kids growing up in the city!

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Denver Broncos!

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

The first home game of the season took place on Sunday, 9/19/2021 at 1pm.

If you’re new to Jax, or looking for a REAL way of seeing the Jax community, one of my personal recommendations is having a tailgate experience, followed by one of the bigger Jags games in person. Personally, the first home game is always the winner, just because morale is so high in the city and the energy is unmatched! Win or lose, Jaguar fans are die-hard and continue supporting the team and the games throughout their ups/downs.

DuvalFolx Vol 9 - at the Cummer!

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

DuvalFolx is a party created by Geexella taking place in Jacksonville. It centers queer people of color, but welcomes all as long as rules are followed :

Ask Pronuns | Don’t Touch People | No Sexism | No Racism | No Ableism | No Transphobia | No Ageism | No Homophobia | No Fathobia

The 9th party took place at the Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens - specifically in the garden!

Black Lives Matter Protest / March

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

In response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery (amongst COUNTLESS others over the years), protests erupted all over the world and brought out record breaking numbers in our city (over 10,000 on 6/6/2020. I had a chance to cover two of them so far (in downtown), and am now collecting funds to donate to Jax Community Action Committee (JCAC) and activist, April Nubian. There are MANY others on the forefronts that you can also donate to, locally and nationally. These are the ones I’ve had direct relation with and have seen the work they’ve been putting in and deserves to be funded.

Two of my pictures from the protest are now being sold >> here << and are shown below. 100% of all proceeds will be split evenly between the two entities mentioned above. If you’d like to donate to them directly, Cashapp JCAC at $LMSAMPSON (enter For JCAC in title), or April at $freemysisters2020.

Winterland III - Music Festival 2020

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

Winterland came back for a THIRD year this year, taking place from Feb 7-9th, 2020 all over 5 Points. Spreading from Riverside Park to Rain Dogs, I finally saw the a glimpse into what the future of 5 Points could potentially look like. It was the most random mix of people - whether the style was goth, hip hop, hard core rock, or a tech kids visiting town. Thousands showed up, and rightfully so. Between the vendors, panel discussions, music shows around the clock - this was absolutely worth spending a weekend in 5 Points for. Some of my favorite shots throughout the weekend.

Prom - Happy Endings New Beginnings

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

The second year of the Prom party, put together by Tenny Rudolph, Anh Pham and Khalil Osborne, happened on Sunday December 30th, 2019, and it was MAGICAL. DJ / Emcee Geexella kept the music alive throughout CoRK, while the younger generation of creatives took over the dance floor. It was a mixture of 70s - current dance music, with an emphasis on 70’s - 90’s styled prom attire.

It’s insanely energizing seeing how many younger (mainly early 20’s) creatives are in the city and willing to step out and be free for a night. Whether you came out to network, dance, or just observe, there’s absolutely no way you didn’t leave happier than how you arrived.

DuvalFolx Vol 7 & Art Walk - December

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

** My focus this month was on selling my books at Art Walk, so most of the images seen here are from DuvalFolx, which happened after Art Walk. To purchase a book :: CLICK

DuvalFolx is a party created by Geexella taking place in Jacksonville. It centers queer people of color, but welcomes all as long as rules are followed :

Ask Pronuns | Don’t Touch People | No Sexism | No Racism | No Ableism | No Transphobia | No Ageism | No Homophobia | No Fathobia

The 7th party took place at 1904 and was based on “Come Act Up On HIV” where free HIV testing was provided by JASMYN. People were able to register to vote, or even buy one of my books :)

Florida / Georgia - 2019

All images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic of @Cre8Jax

The annual Florida / Georgia weekend kicked off on Friday, November 1st and ended the morning of Sunday the 3rd. As a long time Jacksonville resident, I’ve only heard stories of the weekend, but never actually made it out until this weekend. The stories are TAME in comparison to the actual weekend. From the tailgates and RV City, to the country concerts and football rallies - nothing lacked energy. Regardless of how hyped you wanted to be, you could find something that appeals to you. Go slower with the private tailgates and the yacht parties, or find yourself in the middle of a college crowd in the front of the stadium with DJ’s and dancing shoulder to shoulder.

Thank you to the City of Jacksonville for bringing me out for the weekend. Definitely an experience I’ll NEVER forget!

River City Pride 2019

All images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic of @Cre8Jax

*If reposting, please credit @Cre8Jax . For licensing of images, please contact me directly.

River City Pride in Jacksonville this year took place on Saturday, October 5th in Riverside (5 Points). If you attended, there’s absolutely NO way you went home without a higher regard for the communal effort in Jacksonville to make something like this as fun as it was!

Cummer Museum - The Summer Series

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

The Summer Series at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens ran for 12 Friday's and was free to the public from 4 to 9pm. The team brought me on for 10 of those Friday's to document the people enjoying the museum ... and it was BEAUTIFUL. After going through all the images, I picked my favorite ones (a lot based on personal style) and have them up! See you if find yourself in the mix!

This is all leading up to this Friday's book release campaign! I've documented HUNDREDS of events in the city over 3 years, and compiled it into an almost 300 page book going up for pre-sale on Friday.

DuvalFolx Vol 6 : 1 Year Anniversary Party

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

DuvalFolx is a party created by Geexella taking place in Jacksonville. It centers queer people of color, but welcomes all as long as rules are followed :

Ask Pronuns | Don’t Touch People | No Sexism | No Racism | No Ableism | No Transphobia | No Ageism | No Homophobia | No Fathobia

The 6th party took place in the back of Spliffs in downtown and it didn’t take long before we hit max capacity! NickFresh was the DJ and kept the party moving, while Geexella hosted / danced / mingled throughout the night. A special thank you to CalliMarieBakes for the anniversary cake (pictured)

Freedom Fest at Jax Beach 2019!

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

Freedom Fest at Jacksonville Beach took place on Saturday, July 13th 2019, and headlined by The Band Be Easy! If you’ve ever made it out to any of the summer beach festivals, you know what to expect. A ton of vendors, people, dancing, music and just a good vibe throughout the night.

Restaurant Orsay - 4th of July BBQ - 10th Anniversary!

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

The annual 4th of July BBQ took place at Restaurant Orsay and I had a chance to document it for a second year. A scout for Gerber really should be in attendance, as the babies are the highlight for me! As always, it’s a beautiful array of people, food, music, and just a good energy. Orsay is easily top three restaurants, if not the best, so if you haven’t experienced it yet, I would HIGHLY suggest a visit before the summer is over!

Brick and Beam - Grand Opening!

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

Brick and Beam is a GORGEOUS new venue space in Springfield, that was formerly The Pearl dance club. The grand opening celebration took place on Saturday 6/29/19 and to no surprise, a completely sold out event! Every detail of the event was taken care. Regardless of where in the two-story building you were, food / drinks / music and a good crowd awaited. The rooftop patio has a beautiful view of downtown and got the perfect breeze the further the night fell. Not to mention, DJ NICKFRESH was providing the music on the main dance floor inside the building.

Bravo to them and congratulations on a new endeavor. I won’t be surprised if you caught me here more often!

DuvalFolx Vol 5 : Family Reunion

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

DuvalFolx is a party created by Geexella about a year ago in Jacksonville. It centers queer people of color, but welcomes all as long as rules are followed :

Ask Pronuns | Don’t Touch People | No Sexism | No Racism | No Ableism | No Transphobia | No Ageism | No Homophobia | No Fathobia

The 5th party took place at 1904 in downtown and centered the music artists who have been elevating the city over the past year. It’s the first time musicians were the focus, and wasn’t dance party specific. An incredible turnout and insane amount of talent passed through the doors and on the stage. The one year anniversary party is coming up, so stay in touch to find out the details!

Arab Fest 2019 - The People

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

Jacksonville had it’s first Arab Fest on Sunday, June 9th under the Fuller Warren Bridge where Riverside Arts Market takes place - and it was AMAZING. Such a great turnout and so many different cultures came out to eat, drink, sing, and dance together. I hope they continue this and make it an annual festival. Something more people should experience!

The First Springfield Pride - The People

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

The first Springfield Pride took place on June 8th, 2019 and took place on Main St where a collective of shops and bars got together and opened their doors to the public to celebrate Pride!

Art Walk - June 2019 - The People

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

Downtown Jacksonville Art Walk took place on June 5th, 2019 and per usual, my focus was on streetstyle / the unique / and the happiest. It just happened to be one of Jax favorite creator’s, Yanira Cardona, and we ended the night at Art Walk After Dark with DJ Mas Appeal in the back of Spliffs / 1904

Art Republic : Tech Expansion

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

On May 22nd, 2019, the team at Art Republic Global took the stage at The Cummer Museum in Riverside to present their tech expansion plans for the year, and on-going future. I, personally, haven’t seen the Cummer in that light before. Digital as well as living art juxtaposed throughout the rooms, with the innovators of the tech and art world mingling amongst each other. Perfectly executed and well done on Jessica Santiago’s part, the CEO / Founder of Art Republic. The new digital commerce platform will be launched this fall, and plenty of new projects are in the works. If you’re interested in making Jacksonville a smart (tech) city, I highly suggest paying attention.

Music Scene on a Saturday in the Urban Core

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

Saturday, May 18th, was heavily influenced by music, split between 4 events I ended up attending.

The first of three pictured throughout this post is “33 Rotations” which was held at Cory Driscoll’s house and included performances and art by 11 different artists in the city. Moving from one space to the next between three intervals of music performances & film (living room, back house designed by Crystal Floyd, and the backyard). An incredibly talented group of attendees, as well as performers were present. My pictures here were mainly based on people experiencing the event, vs the performances.

The second event, “Waves”, was held at Justice Pub downtown and the portion of it I got to attend was L.O.V.E. Culture (DOPE rap group) with Geexella as the DJ. Now THAT group can get the crowd going. I love listening to their recorded work, but they’re definitely one to witness in person.

The third event took place at Shantytown in Springfield, and was celebrating the birthdays of three people everyone in the nightlife and art scene should know; Jihan Grant, DJ Mas Appeal, and DJ Monsta. The vibe was more reggae / afrobeat / and latin infused and was the perfect way to wrap up the night.

Don’t tell me you’re bored while living in the city!

Art Walk - May 2019 - The People

All images by Toni Smailagic || www.ToniSmailagic.com / @Cre8Jax @ToniSmailagic

Art Walk takes place on the first Wednesday of every month, and this May Art Walk has been one of my favorites to date. The sunshine really brought out the best moods in everyone, and that included in how people dressed (my favorite thing to look for :)).

The grand opening of The Living Room - pop-up installation also took place during Art Walk by Stronger Than Stigma (and will be up throughout the month of May) located at 211 N Laura St. and will host a series of events throughout the month that focuses on mental health.

The after party for Art Walk was held at the STRATA clothing warehouse for the More Cowbell album release party - put together by WeRise! Incredible turnout on at all three mentioned!

DuvalFolx Party - Vol 4

All images by Toni Smailagic - IG @Cre8Jax / @ToniSmailagic

DuvalFolx Vol 4 happened on April 20th 2019 at CoRK Arts Distrcit. Brought to you by Geexella - DJ and organizer of the event.

The concept was born out of a need for a dance party that wasn’t restricted to gender norms / sexualities / etc. , but still centered around queer PoC (but still being open to everyone who respects the space). She’s created a Utopia of sorts in the city, and if this third installment is indicative of what’s to come in the future, history is about to be made. Ages ranged from 18 to 40, and came in every way / shape / form, with only one goal - to DANCE.

Duval GEMS presented by We Rise Movement

All images by Toni Smailagic / @ToniSmailagic of @Cre8Jax

4/11/19 - The We Rise Movement presents the first ever showcase of Duval's underground up and coming female artists! Over 20 performers with a wide range of styles including hip hop, R&B, and more will come together on April 11th to celebrate Duval's hidden GEMS!

(first image is of @Indy_Music )

Downtown Jacksonville Art Walk - April 2019 - The People

All images by Toni Smailagic - IG @Cre8Jax / @ToniSmailagic

Downtown Jacksonville Art Walk in springtime never disappoints! The daylight savings time change finally allowed me to bring the camera back out to catch my favorite dressed / most interesting / and happiest of the night.

Special shoutout to MOCA for providing the perfect backdrop for pictures.

ROOTS Weekend in Jacksonville!

All images by Toni Smailagic - IG @Cre8Jax / @ToniSmailagic

ROOTS Weekend: Jacksonville brought together artists and cultural workers, organizers and activists to engage in deep dialogue, make and witness art, and learn from one another. It was condensed version of ROOTS Week, their signature gathering. They brought artists, organizers, and cultural workers together to share ideas and inspiration through performance, visual art, workshops, dialogues, and good conversations.

In addition to the programming, Erin Kendrick’s new exhibit, “Oh, Snap” at Riverside Fine Arts also took place that same weekend, where we relocated to end the first night of the workshops.

ROOTS Weekends deepen our collective understanding of the work of social change by celebrating artists and organizers who are working within communities to develop creative solutions to long-standing issues.

Void 100th Issue Party + 904 Pop-Up

All images by Toni Smailagic - IG @Cre8Jax / @ToniSmailagic

Void Magazine’s 100th Issue Party was held at Surfer the Bar in Jax Beach, and the 904 Pop-Up was held at 8103 Clothing, a mile down from the Jax Beach bars, on Feb 16th, 2019. Both events held an incredible amount of energy, and really brought together a lot of creators from all over the city. Huge shoutout to 97.9 KissFM for keeping the energy flowing at Surfer!

I’m not in Jax Beach for events often, but these two were absolutely worth attending. The next 904 Pop-Up (which is a market for creators), is on March 23 (6-11pm) + 24th (12-5pm) and will have a lot of familiar faces, for those in the art scene in the urban core.

“Burn After Reading”- Closing Reception at Space 42

All images by Toni Smailagic - IG @Cre8Jax / @ToniSmailagic

The closing reception of “Burn After Reading” happened on the night of January 12th at Space 42, a gallery space that’s quickly expanding and gaining the recognition it deserves in Riverside.

Artist, Jason Tetlak, created 3d paintings with encrypted messages that showed themselves once the light switched to red. This is also one of those rare closing receptions that’s more interesting than the opening, as all the pieces that were not sold, were to be burned (hence, Burn After Reading). As the fire emerges in the back of Space 42, the audience members were each given a ticket stub. Before the burning of each painting, a ticket was called and the audience member was welcome to come up and save the painting by spinning a wheel and following the instructions on the wheel (ranging from an open bidding, paying whatever cash is in your pocket, to doing a physical activity). All but two paintings ended up being saved, in an interesting way. A lot of members leaving with a piece of art for free or a fraction of the cost of the actual pieces.

I look forward to seeing what ideas are sparked locally from those that were in attendance. Until then, follow up with Space 42 as they have some incredibly exciting events popping up this year.

(A special birthday celebration happened throughout the night to one of the biggest supporters of our arts community, Heather Moore. Happy Birthday to you <3 )

DuvalFolx Party - Vol 3

All images by Toni Smailagic - IG @Cre8Jax / @ToniSmailagic

DuvalFolx Vol 3 happened on December 15th, 2018 in the back of 1904, downtown Jacksonville. Brought to you by Geexella - DJ and organizer of the event.

The concept was born out of a need for a dance party that wasn’t restricted to gender norms / sexualities / etc. , but still centered around queer PoC (but still being open to everyone who respects the space). She’s created a Utopia of sorts in the city, and if this third installment is indicative of what’s to come in the future, history is about to be made. Ages ranged from 18 to 40, and came in every way / shape / form, with only one goal - to DANCE.

I look forward to continuing documenting the development of this cultural shift.

Color Me Kona 2018

All images by Toni Smailagic / Instagram : @Cre8Jax + @ToniSmailagic .

“Color Me Kona” took place at the Kona Skatepark in Arlington on Saturday, Dec 15th. It’s the second year of an INCREDIBLE fundraiser for the Kid’s Mural Project (ran by Nicole Holderbaum).

Last year’s event was in my top three events of the year, and this one is on that same list for this year. My focus this year was more on streetstyle / people watching, vs. the actual coloring / skating / performances that took place. It’s a visual feast for anyone in my field, and am looking forward to seeing how other’s interpreted the event through their lenses.

Radiance - The R&B Warehouse Party

All images by Toni Smailagić.

Radiance took place on 11/30 at the infamous 600 King St. in Riverside. Hosted by Cleanse Entertainment. With performances by Tenny Rudolph + Bubby the Great + CultureKai + Kodamilo + Nasyae

Art Republic presents “Reometry - Digital Art Exhibition”

Reometry Digital Art Exhibition by REO ( was held at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center on Nov 10th, 2018 presented by Art Republic.

The entire venue was turned into an immersive digital art space. Music, drinks and food were flowing all night while the crowd walked through and interacted with the digital art pockets across the room.

Huge thank you to the liquor sponsor : Glenfiddich / and Chef Tom leading the team from Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails on the culinary side. Bravo to the team!

River City Pride 2018

All images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic of @Cre8Jax

*If reposting, please credit @Cre8Jax . For licensing of images, please contact me directly.

River City Pride in Jacksonville this year took place on Saturday, October 6th in Riverside (5 Points). If you attended, there’s absolutely NO way you went home without a higher regard for the communal effort in Jacksonville to make something like this as fun as it was!

Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center Opening

On September 12th, 2018, the new Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center opened it’s doors for it’s first reception - and with Ryan Ali having something to do with it, you know opera singers, ballerinas, jazz musicians, and yoga were just the smallest touches seen throughout the night. This is the first time I’ve seen a medical center that resembled more of an upscale gallery than anything else. There is exquisite art work found across every floor of the building, and most produced by our very own Jacksonville talent. To top it off, the event was of course catered by Moxie - headed by the incomparable Chef Tom Gray.

All images are shot by Toni Smailagic / @ToniSmailagic / @Cre8Jax

Bravo to the team behind the night!

State of the Arts - 2018

The annual State of the Arts held by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville took place on September 13th, 2018 at The Cathedral District in Downtown Jacksonville. Hundreds of thought provoking conversations happened throughout a full day of events, with a multitude of breakout sessions discussing everything from tourism in the city, to gentrification and how public art can be used to engage a community, and not overwrite it.

The keynote speaker this year was Barbara Goldstein. Not just her own art work that engages with a community, but even mentioning examples I have never heard of like the Conflict Kitchen in Pittsburgh, that only serves food from countries the United States is in conflict with. Where community members can come and sit and talk to local people (ex. from Palestine) and break bread and actually listen to their stories.

This was also Patrick Fisher and Tony Allegretti’s last State of the Arts events, and will surely be missed in the future ones to come.

All images by Toni Smailagic / @ToniSmailagic / @Cre8jax

Niki Dawson Album Release

All images by Toni Smailagic / @ToniSmailagic of @cre8jax

Hosted by Yhang Quintero in Riverside, Niki Dawson's album, Janus Killed Hera, finally came out and we had the absolute pleasure of hearing her perform it live! INCREDIBLY dope voice and stage presence, and just an overall energy when she steps into a room. If you're an r&b / soul fan, I couldn't recommend it enough. As she started her second song, I already pulled out my phone and saved the album.

Not to mention, one of my favorite bands, Stank Sauce, opened up and DJ Mas Appeal was spinning all night throughout the sets. Dos Vatos Tacos was set up and serving tacos all night (the jackfruit with the guava hot sauce was the winner for me). Manifest Distilling and Marlyn & Barrel kept the thirst quenched as well.

Overall - an incredibly dope party that brought some of my favorite Jacksonville creatives together for a night - many who were just now being introduced to Niki Dawson. Bravo! 

To hear the album on Spotify >> link

Duvalfolx - Vol 1  

All images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic of Cre8Jax

Duvalfolx : First party of it's kind brought to you by Geexella. Directly from the DJ herself :: "I want to have a dance party. NO CHECK IT A REAL DANCE PARTY. I want you to be free. I want you to have fun. I want NO TRANSPHOBIA. NO HOMOPHOBIA. Ask people for pronouns. Don’t bother or TOUCH folx that wanna be left alone. Let’s JUST DANCE!"

I STRONGLY suggest you follow them for volume 2 - because this was like entering into a movie scene. BRAVO! 

Images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic

The annual 4th of July cookout that takes place at Restaurant Orsay was the perfect Independence Day afternoon preluding to the fireworks show in downtown. Hundreds of people, live music, unlimited food and signature cocktails and beer by Intuition! Good vibes and diverse crowds!

Images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic

The 42nd Annual Arts Awards by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville happened on 5/5/18 at the Everbank Field! We saluted artists / patrons / and admirers from the city and really showcased how much value the arts bring to the community. 

Absolutely beautiful event with The Chris Thomas band playing on the inside (for the after party) and Geexella and Willie Evans Jr. DJing on the outside! Light projections, food, dancing, positive energy flowed throughout the night!

All images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic / @Cre8Jax

The annual Jacksonville Public Art Week happened on April 1st - 7th!
The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville brought me along to document as many events as I could and these are the highlights of my favorite images throughout the week!

From walking public art tours throughout downtown, Phoenix Arts District and with Art Republic, to kids/community mural and mosaic projects all across the eastside & northside, Downtown Jacksonville Art Walk and wrapping it up with a celebration in Hemming Park.

We have such a long way to go, but I am incredibly proud of the different people and organizations in the Jacksonville creative / cultural scene are doing to improve and beautify the city!

Always remember "Only the boring get bored"! Get out and get involved!

All images by Toni Smailagic || IG @ToniSmailagic & @Cre8Jax

The Phoenix Rising Festival was a 2 day festival (March 24th & 25th) at the Phoenix Arts District in Springfield! The districts spreads across several warehouses and makes up 100,000sq ft of space! 

On Saturday (24th), the main two attractions were the Bobby K fashion show and a dance party following immediately after! (which - both were full of energy and just a badass impression on the city!). Bobby has a shop in Murray Hill (Bobbyk Boutique) that has the FRESHEST take on a boutique in the city. 

Dozens of muralists (mainly from Northeast Florida) have been working on these INCREDIBLE murals surrounding the warehouses and many of them were there on Sunday (25th) working on the walls! Sunday was a community block party and invited out families and their pets to enjoy watching the process of the artists, while also shopping with local vendors that were set up in the main alley in between the two main warehouses. 

Funds collected are being used to continue developing a community event space, cafe, restaurant, gallery, live/work artist studios, workshops, and classes for all ages in varying art forms. I've posted about it several times over the past 1-2 years, and the amount of progress that has happened so far is REMARKABLE! For more information, the link to Phoenix is in the second paragraph above!

All images by Toni Smailagic | IG @ToniSmailagic | IG @Cre8Jax

Art Walk happens in Downtown Jacksonville the first Wednesday of the month. My focus is always on the people - best dressed + most interesting + the happiest

All images by Toni Smailagic - Instagram : @ToniSmailagic + @Cre8Jax

"Color Me Kona : The World's Largest Coloring Book Party" took place on Nov 18th, 2017 at Kona Skatepark (the world's oldest operating skatepark) . The event is exactly what it sounds like - a MASSIVE coloring party at Kona Skatepark. The founder of the organization, Nicole Holderbraum, uses this event as a fundraiser to the Jax Kid's Mural Project so that the program can continue to serve Title 1 schools and underprivileged youth in Jacksonville. The admission was "pay what you can" or donating 2 or more children's books, which would be given as gifts to the children who work with the organization.

Of all the events I've been to this year, this is EASILY in the top 3 things to do in Jacksonville. I hope that next year when you see it come up again, that you strongly consider going. It's colorful, energetic, diverse, inclusive, and just an absolute place of happiness. The entire park had a Neverland effect and allowed you to escape reality, even for just a few hours.

For ways to get involved with the organization or to volunteer at future events, please join this Facebook >> page <<

All images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic + @Cre8Jax 

Art Republic was back for their second year in Jacksonville and I had a chance to document the two weeks of activities with them! Most people learned about AR over the past year because of the dozen or so murals that came up around the urban core. This year continued, not just with mural installations, but with a techism piece, a fashion show, and a lecture series. 

The most fascinating part was really the interactions between the artists and the residents of Jacksonville. Learning their background stories as artists, as well as how they drew conclusions on what they would leave as a permanent impression on Jacksonville and how much thought went into choosing everything from the colors to the placement. Many of the artists, that had time left over, explored Jacksonville and dove into the history of Northeast Florida vowing to make this an annual trip.

A huge thank you goes to Jessica Santiago and the AR team for making this happen, as well as the artists I personally had a chance to talk to from the techism piece : Krista Kim, Miguel Chevalier, Fabian Forban, and REO, and the fashion show : Alex Vinash (designer) 

* To note - These are not all the images, but a narrowed down version of a few per event. These are also not images not of the murals, which are finishing up now. There will be a separate post with pictures / addresses of those *

Locations pictured in order : 927 Events , 100 N. Laura (9th floor), MOCA, Hotel Palms , Prime Osborn Convention Center

Images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic

I'm just here to remind you that the theory that being in Jacksonville equates to boredom is absolutely false. "Only the boring get bored" 

Just one Saturday night 10/21/17 consisted of :

- Bobby K opened his new boutique in Murray Hill - which is EXQUISITE! The pieces he chose to carry in the store are local or directly from designers in the country. It's literally the store that I've been waiting for to hit Jacksonville. If Urban Outfitters was authentic - THIS would be it.

- Malcolm Jackson + team closed off their show at Space 42, "Candy : Land of Donks" and the turnout was amazing! It's always refreshing seeing mixtures of generations under the same roof with the common denominator being art! If you missed the opening, there were two new donks in the space and the energy and music was ON all night!

- Dustin Harewood + Hiromi Moneyhun 's show was at Bold Bean on Hendricks and seemed to be the meeting place and the start of everyone's night. Dustin + Hiromi are easily one of the favorites in Jacksonville, across the board, and the turnout was proof. 

All images by Toni Smailagic

Bellwether's soft opening was nothing short of spectacular! In the gorgeous 100 N Laura building in downtown (which some of you may remember from the Jacksonville Magazine party that was held there last year). From the same group of people that brought us Black Sheep, Orsay, and BLK SHP at Intuition Ale - the consistency in quality was expected, and delivered. The happy hour is bound to be one of the best in downtown, and having an outside patio area, it's a guarantee that you'll be catching us here on the regular this summer.

Images taken on Saturday, March 11th, 2017 by Toni Smailagic at the Concours d'Elegance - Amelia Island

Images by Toni Smailagic / IG @ToniSmailagic

An amendment to extend Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance to include the lesbian, gay, bi and transgender community passed City Council by a vote of 12 - 6 at its Tuesday night meeting. Mayor Lenny Curry returned the bill without signing it or vetoing it, making it law.