Best Bets: Art exhibits, museum offerings top list of things to do this weekend in Ocala
Glimpses of India
The Marion Cultural Alliance presents a unique and immersive experience of the arts, music and traditions of India by local artist Dr. Sheni Meghani at the Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala, from July 1-9. Workshops, lectures and demonstrations enable the audience to enjoy a multi-sensory experience of a rich and storied culture. Free and open to the public. For details, visit www.mcaocala.org or call 352-369-1500.
Ongoing:
'A Floral Retrospective'
This exhibit of Gregory Dirr's work is up through Dec. 9 at the Clerk’s Office in Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. Free and open to the public. Boca Raton-based Dirr is described in an Ocala city news release as "an interdisciplinary visual artist, creating work as a cathartic response to his surroundings with a focus on environmental conservation." The clerk's office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. More at www.gregorydirr.com, 352-629- 8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
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Spy Science Exhibit at Discovery Center
Discover the history, science and even the Hollywood connections within the spy industry with this new exhibit, which takes visitors inside the world of espionage. The exhibit is up at the Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala, through Sept. 17. Admission is $8 per person and $28 per group of four. The center is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 352-401-3900 or visit www.mydiscoverycenter.org
Ocala Summer Hunter/Jumper Horse Show
The World Equestrian Center, 1750 NW 80th Ave., Ocala, hosts the USEF sanctioned hunter/jumper competitions every weekend through Aug. 14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://worldequestriancenter.com/event
'Journey to My Soul: Landscapes of My Mind'
This art exhibit from Kelley Batson-Howard is up at the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration building, 828 NE Eighth Ave., and the Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center, 830 NE Eighth Ave., through Sept. 13. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. According to a city news release, Batson-Howard is "a contemporary painter creating abstract works" who moved to Central Florida in 1988. More at www.Kbatsonart.com, 352-629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
'Squares Without Stitches'
This exhibit is up at the Barbara Gaskin Washington Adult Activity Center, 210 NW 12th Ave., Ocala, through Jan. 12. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free and open to the public. In 2021, during the annual Festival at Fort King at the Fort King National Historic Landmark, the City of Ocala’s Cultural Arts and Sciences Division hosted a booth for the Ocala Calligraphy Guild. "While waiting for their hand-lettering pieces to dry before adding flower embellishments, attendees were encouraged to help create a community quilt by drawing on a 6-ft. by 9-ft. canvas using fabric markers," the city said in a news release. "Using nature-inspired stencils and the creativity of a few free-hand artists, participants took a modern approach to quilting by filling the fabric with a grid of colors." More at www.ocalafl.org/recpark, 352-368-5517, and @OcalaRecPark on Facebook.
Summer Kids Film Series
The Marion Theatre, 50 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala, is hosting a Summer Film Series for kids each Wednesday-Friday through Aug. 5. Showtimes are 10 and 11 a.m. Films include "Shrek," "Aladdin," "Madagascar," "How to Train Your Dragon," "Where the Wild Things Are" and "Sing 2." Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children 12/under and include a summer Snack Pack. For showtimes, titles and to purchase tickets online, visit www.reillyartscenter.com/summer-kids-film-series or call 352-820-3049.
Summer Spotlight Exhibition
“Town and Country” is the theme for the Visual Artists’ Society Summer Spotlight, showcasing the work of local and regional artists in a variety of mediums. The exhibit is up at the College of Central Florida Webber Gallery, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala, through July 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 352-854-2322, ext. 1552 or visit www.cf.edu
Photographs by Steven Benson
The Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, presents “Invented Observations: Photographs by Steven Benson,” on exhibit through Nov. 6 in the Balcony Gallery for Florida Arts. Benson is a professor at Daytona State College and is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Midwest Fellowship. His work has been displayed in numerous collections, including the Museum of Fine Art Houston, Detroit Institute of Arts and Museet for Fotokunst in Denmark. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit www.AppletonMuseum.org
'Finding Beauty'
This exhibit features costumes, set photos, interactive experiences and sketches, along with a plethora of fabrics and video of the costume design process. These objects, from the Appleton Museum’s permanent collection, inspired the art and design for the Ocala Civic Theatre’s recent production of "Beauty and the Beast." This exhibit runs through the winter of 2022. The museum is at 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. For additional details and admission fees, visit www.appletonmuseum.org
'Encounter' by Tom Hundersmarck
An abstract and landscape painter based in Gainesville, Hundersmarck began painting as a child and has worked extensively as a psychologist with combat veterans. The exhibit is free and open to the public through July 19 at Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Suite 600, Ocala. For more information, contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts and Sciences Division at 352-629-8447 or visit www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Entertainment offerings in Ocala, Florida include art, museum exhibits
