Life: the Untold Story of Charles Adrian Pillars
Folio Weekly has called Dr. Wayne Wood "The Most Interesting Man in Jacksonville." Widely regarded as one of the foremost chroniclers of Northeast Florida’s history and architecture, he has also been called “the undisputed godfather of preservation in Jacksonville.” He returns to the Library this April to tell the remarkable story of Charles Adrian Pillars, the sculptor who created the statue “Life” in Jacksonville’s Memorial Park located in the historic Riverside Avondale neighborhood.
Attend the History Chat
Dr. Wayne Wood joins us from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21 at the Willow Branch Library. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow the presentation, with books available for sale on site.
Register for this History Chat
About Our Guest Speaker
Dr. Wayne W. Wood, An author, historian, artist, and educator, Wayne is founder of Riverside Avondale Preservation, the Riverside Arts Market, and Friends of Hemming Park (now James Weldon Johnson Park). Wood is the Historian-at-Large for the Jacksonville History Center.
Wood has published nineteen books on Northeast Florida, and his best-known book is the classic, Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage: Landmarks for the Future, a local all-time bestseller. He is also the author of LIFE: The Untold Story of Charles Adrian Pillars, the definitive biography of the sculptor who created the iconic statue in Memorial Park.
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- Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman by Jeffreen M. Hayes
- From Clay to Bronze: A Studio Guide to Figurative Sculpture by Tuck Langland
- Modeling the Head in Clay by Bruno Lucchesi
- Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues that Made History by Alex Von Tunzelmann
- Coral Castle: The Mystery of Ed Leedskalnin and His American Stonehenge by Rusty McClure
- Sculpture in Stone by Cami
- Modelling and Sculpting the Human Figure by Edouard Lanteri
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As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of independence, this statewide series invites audiences to look beyond familiar narratives and reconsider Florida’s place in the American story. Led by historians, scholars, artists, and cultural practitioners, the programs explore overlooked Revolutionary histories, the development of democracy in Florida, Indigenous knowledge, and the cultural traditions that carry memory across generations.
Join us at Southeast Library for:
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The 14th Colony: The American Revolution's Best Kept Secret
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Democracy in Florida: A Work in Progress
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Music, Memory, and Seminole Life in Florida
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What Is It About This Man? The Enduring Relevance of Abraham Lincoln
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Telling Florida Food Stories
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Register for all Florida Reflections Events
Acknowledgement: Florida Reflections was developed by Florida Humanities and is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250–a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Funding is provided in part through the Thomas M. & Irene B. Kirbo Charitable Foundation, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Community Foundation for Brevard. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or its partners.
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