MandarinCC-2026Festival-Program-123247

2026 MANDARIN ART FESTIVAL

PRESENTED & HOSTED BY THE MANDARIN COMMUNITY CLUB SINCE 1968!

APRIL 4

SATURDAY • 10AM - 5PM APRIL 5 SUNDAY • 10AM - 4PM

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

April 2026

Happy April and an early spring! Its time for the Mandarin Art Festival!

The Mandarin Community welcomes you to the Annual Mandarin Art Festival! Established in 1968 the Art Festival has become an annual tradition for many who eagerly await the chance to stroll the artist booths, check out the locally sourced products in the Green Market, taste the wide variety of foods offered at the Food Court, catch some live music and entertainment, all while connecting with family, friends, neighbors and all who visit this warm and welcoming event held in the heart of Mandarin!

The Mandarin we see today would simply not exist without the stewardship of the Festival founder and host organization Mandarin Community Club along with the dedicated volunteers who make it their business to advocate for this special part of Jacksonville for over 100 years. We look forward to the future and continuing to preserve the unique character of Mandarin so rich in history and natural beauty while integrating into the fabric of today.

Looking back on that 100+ year history, maintaining and growing the tradition of the Mandarin Art Festival for almost 60 years is one of our greatest success stories. This event brings together one and all for a Festival experience unlike any other surrounded by hundred plus year old, moss draped oaks of historic Mandarin Road.

Enjoy the many talented artist exhibitors as you make your selections from the original art, grab some sweet treats from the Bake Sale, enjoy the music and make new friends. Support the aspriring artists in the Childrens Art Show and the expanded Green Market. There is truly something for everyone at this Festival!

Welcome to the Mandarin Art Festival and have a fun and unique experience!

Mark Waterman President, Mandarin Community Club

COMMUNITY CLUB Mandarin

WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR 2026 MANDARIN ART FESTIVAL SPONSORS

Presented by the Mandarin Community Club, a local non-profit organization. The annual Mandarin Art Festival is a vital funding source for the Club’s preservation, education and beautification work in the Mandarin community, including the maintenance of the three historic properties under its ownership and care.

To make a tax-deductible contribution in support of the Mandarin Art Festival and the Mandarin Community Club, visit www.mandarinartfestival.org.

ABOUT THE MANDARIN COMMUNITY CLUB

Mandarin Community Club, Inc. is an independent, not-for-profit organization open to all, especially those who live, work, and play in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville, Florida. The Club is dedicated to the preservation and beautification of Mandarin; to providing educational forums; to enhancing the cultural and recreational life of the area, and to maintaining its three historic properties.

Hosting informative programs, free and open to the public, is a significant component of the Club’s mission. Events have included candidate forums, public information meetings related to zoning issues, educational workshops on topics such as weather and storm preparation, and presentations by organizations such as St. Johns Riverkeeper, whose work impacts the surrounding community. The Club also hosts an annual membership meeting and holiday event for its membership and their guests.

Considerable energy is given to preservation and beautification endeavors that positively impact the neighborhood. Notable projects in which the Club has played a role include the Mandarin Parkway, in which 19 medians south of I-295 were landscaped, and the Parkway 2000 project, designed to provide tree-lined medians and sidewalks along San Jose Boulevard from Kori Road to Interstate 295.

The Club owns and maintains three historic properties: the 1911 Mandarin Post Office and General Store, the Billard Commemorative Park, and the 1872 Mandarin School founded by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which serves as the Club’s primary facility and is actively utilized by area homeowner associations, civic organizations, school, church, educational and cultural groups, and for private parties. The Mandarin Post Office and General Store is currently leased to the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society for historical tours and education purposes. An additional structure, the St. Joseph’s Mission Schoolhouse for African American Children, was purchased by the Community Club in honor of its 90th anniversary and donated to the City of Jacksonville to be operated as a museum by the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society at Walter Jones Historical Park.

Throughout its history, Mandarin Community Club has been recognized for its efforts to maintain and preserve the area’s remarkable historic assets and character. The City of Jacksonville honored the Club in 1999 for outstanding contributions to historic preservation. In 2006, the Club received the Mayor's Neighborhood Organization Award and in 2008, the Jacksonville Pride Neighborhood Award of Excellence for the planning and development of the Billard Commemorative Park. The Club, along with the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society, Councilman Matt Schellenberg, and the City of Jacksonville Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services were presented the "Great Save Award" in 2015 for their combined efforts to preserve, for the public’s benefit, the last remaining one-room schoolhouse in Duval County.

To learn more about Club membership and ways you can get involved, visit the Club Table while at the Festival or our website at www.mandarincommunityclub.org

MANDARIN COMMUNITY CLUB

2026 OFFICERS & BOARD

President: Mark Waterman

Vice President: Brett Nolan

Treasurer: Pat Adams

Secretary: Emily Lisska

Wanda Bosworth

Melissa Chorpening

Patty Everett

Tony Fry

Bernie Gross

Jim Hill

Tommy Kartsonis

Past Club Presidents

John Meux

Will Miller

Julia Portnoy

Susie Scott

Julia Short

Kelley Swain

The Mandarin Community Club would like to recognize all of those who served as the Club president since its establishment in 1923. The passion and dedication of these past presidents helped with the beautification and preservation of the Mandarin community and our historic structures.

Walter Jones (1923)

George Dismore (1920s)

Earl Paxton (1930s)

Holmes Lamar (1930s)

Leslie B. Jones (1930s)

Joseph McMath (1940s)

Glen Calmes (1948)

Walter Arrowsmith (1950s)

Phillip Stockton May, Sr. (1950s)

Gay C. Livingston, Jr. (1950s)

Joe Caldwell (1950s)

Reuben Bowden (1950s)

Edward Lorimer (1950s)

Guy Dodd (1950s)

Louis Bates (1950s)

Theodore Flynn (1960s)

T.Z. Cason (1964)

Frank N. Dunlap (1969)

Edward P. Westberry (1971)

William K. Mouro (1972)

Wilson L. Smith (1973-76)

James M. Barker IV (1977)

Richard C. Davis (1978)

Chad Taylor (1979)

Carolyn MacDonald (1980)

Mel K. Arthur (1981)

Harry Gilean (1982)

Jeffrey P. Anderson (1983)

Lucinda Halsema (1984)

Mary Ann Southwell (1985-86)

Carrie Cullum Gobelman (1987)

Jessie Mayberry (1987-88)

Tracey I. Arpen, Jr. (1989-90)

George Koury (1991)

Carl D. Davis (1992)

Emily Rutherford Lisska (1993-95)

Michael Garvin (1996)

William H. Jeter, Jr. (1997-98)

Sheryl Biermann (1999)

Ruth Daniel (1999-2001)

William P. Bosworth (2002)

Bruce Scott (2003)

Dan Copeland (2004)

Ruth Daniel (2005)

Wanda Bosworth (2006)

Susie Scott (2011-12)

Emily Rutherford Lisska (2013-14)

Susie Scott (2015-17)

Emily Rutherford Lisska (2017-18)

Susie Scott (2019-23)

ABOUT THE MANDARIN ART FESTIVAL

One of the most outstanding achievements of the Mandarin Community Club is the annual Mandarin Art Festival, an Easter weekend tradition. Founded in 1968 by Judge Edward Westberry and a group of local artists, the Festival is the longest running event of its kind in Northeast Florida and draws a multi-generational crowd. A high-quality juried fine art event, the Mandarin Art Festival provides a venue for more than 100 locally and nationally known artists working in various mediums to display and sell their work. Thousands of visitors return year after year to support their favorite artists or to see the array of creations by artists new to the Festival.

As a complement to the participating professional artists, the Festival also includes a Children’s Art Show featuring the work of local elementary and middle school students. A Green Market of locally made consumable products, food vendors, children’s activities, a traditional bake sale, a chance drawing for prizes donated by neighborhood small businesses, and live music further contribute to the vibrant, family-friendly atmosphere of the two-day event.

The Mandarin Art Festival serves as a vital funding source for the Mandarin Community Club's preservation, education, and beautification work in the Mandarin community.

2026 MANDARIN ART FESTIVAL

Abdullah, Maureen / Jewelry / Ludlow, MA

Allen, Jill / Mixed Media / Dunedin, FL

Arboleda, Juan / Functional / Merritt Island, FL

Arenberg, Emily / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Barber, David / Jewelry / Elalaka, MT

Barham, George / Functional / Jacksonville, FL

Becker, Billy And Susan / Functional / Franklin, TN

Bell, Mary / Painting / Raleigh, NC

Berger, Pauletta / Functional / Yulee, FL

Bernardin, Shengzhu / Functional / Torrington, CT

Biond, Jim & Lia / Jewelry / Jacksonville, FL

Boglo-Price, Lara / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Bone, Maria Szax / Painting / North Port, FL

Booras, Christine / Sculpture / Jacksonville, FL

Bower, Kelly / Functional / Flemming Island, FL

Brandow, Douglas/Lisa / Jewelry / Port Orange, FL

Bullard, Tim / Functional / Jacksonville, FL

Cantrell, Dale / Functional / Danville, IN

Cheer, John / Sculpture / Allentown, PA

Cheng, John / Painting / Orlando, FL

Childers, Jami / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Clauser, Carla / Jewelry / Miami, FL

Cohen, Heather / Functional / Mocksville, NC

Cornell, Michael / Functional / Citrus Springs, FL

Dalley, Darin / Functional / Saint Augustine, FL

Durant, Barbara / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Ellis-Behnke, Rutledge And Juliet / Functional / Myrtle Beach, SC

Emmons, Jerry / Functional / Ellerslie, GA

Farish, Connie Bennett / Jewelry / Shelby, AL

Fenstermaker, Robby / Jewelry / Jacksonville, FL

Ferrell, Stephen / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Fox, Magda/Michael / Functional / Milton, FL

Gates, Debbie / Jewelry / Mt. Pleasant, SC

Gloekler, Virginia / Jewelry / Ormond Beach, FL

Goad, Dan / Painting / St Simons, GA

Gonzalez, Monica / Func (Wood) / Palm Coast, FL

Green, Christina / Functional / Orlando, FL

Greenhill, Emma / Painting / Fleming Island, FL

Griffin, Michelle / Functional / Green Cove Springs, FL

Gundrum, Denna / Sculpture / Jacksonville, FL

Hagstrom, Debbie / Mixed Media / Ocala, FL

Haijin, Sun / Painting / Oxford, FL

Hellmann, Erin / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Holt, Robin / Jewelry / Tallahssee, FL

Hong Mao, Leo / Painting / Dublin, OH

Hoover, Kristina / Mixed Media / Bryceville, FL

Hornbaker, Scott / Functional / Saint Marys, GA

Jan, Lindahl / Functional / Cresent Beach, FL

Johnson, Tiffany / Painting / Saint Johns, FL

Joyce, Hadi / Photography / Yulee, FL

Kasten, Eric / Jewelry / Ponte Vedra, FL

Kerrigan, Paul / Mixed Media / Jacksonville, FL

Koester, Kelly / Jewelry / Elloree, SC

Kowal, Daniel / Mixed Media / Palm Coast, FL

FESTIVAL PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Kraker, Jesse / Photography / Jacksonville Beach, FL

Lee, Juan / Jewelry / Rowland Heights, CA

Lee, Mary / Jewelry / Tallahassee, FL

Lee, Tonitralachrondra / Mixed Media / New Orleans, LA

Lehoop, Georgie / Painting / St. Clair, PA

Lundgren, Glenda And Eric / Jewelry / Holly Hill, FL

Marquis, Leanne & Andy / Jewelry / Conesus, NY

Matula, Joey / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Mccollum, Richard / Functional / Fort Pierce, FL

Mccullough, Don / Sculpture / Kissimmee, FL

Mcmullen, Willam And Amy / Mixed Media / Springhill, FL

Messina, Christine / Jewelry / Jacksonville, FL

Mignone, Peter / Mixed Media / Atlantic Beach, FL

Miller, Simone / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Mitchell/Williams, Tony/Bo / Functional / Eagle Springs, NC

Montano, Jae / Painting / Cumming, GA

Nagel, Ronni / Functional / Jacksonville, FL

Nakashio, Masako / Mixed Media / Panama City, FL

Nelson, Jeffrey / Functional / New Windsor, NY

Nelson, Michael / Functional / New Symrna Beach, FL

Orgunov, Sergei / Painting / Orange Park, FL

Pererva, Irina / Sculpture / Palm Coast, FL

Peterson, Ben / Sculpture / New Port Richey, FL

Priyadarshini, Priyanka / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Raba, Shawn/April / Functional / Ridgeway, SC

Ratte, Brian And Kara / Mixed Media / Jacksonville, FL

Rowland, Ashley / Mixed Media / Greeneville, TN

Russell, Shannon Maureen / Jewelry / Atlantic Beach, FL

Santilli, Kassie / Jewelry / Carolina Beach, NC

Schlitzkus, Skip / Painting / Wilmington, NC

Schwartz, Jenny & Brandon / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Shine, Patrick / Functional / Jacksonville, FL

Smith, Noel / Painting / Gainesville, FL

Steele, Joshua / Photography / Des Moines, IA

Strom, Ian / Functional / Matthews, NC

Sumner, Ronald / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Sun, Shuai / Functional / Torrington, CT

Thiele, Michael / Functional / Flagstaff, AZ

Tiburzio, Ryan/Malia / Jewelry / Gainesville, FL

Tona, Nesti / Painting / Jacksonville, FL

Tortorelli, George / Functional / Gainesville, FL

Trifoso, Diana / Functional / Wadesboro, SC

Urbano, Marco / Functional / Jacksonville, FL

Uzcategui, Mary / Jewelry / Titusville, FL

Veros, Carolyn / Painting / St. Augustine, FL

Wallin, Laura / Mixed Media / Jacksonville, FL

Wender, Andrew / Functional / Englewood, FL

Wertz, Robert / Sculpture / Mechanicsburg, PA

Wilkinson, Lori / Functional / Dade City, FL

Wilkinson, Drew / Mixed Media / Jacksonville Beach, FL

Zah, Eugene / Mixed Media / Columbia, SC

* As of March 25, 2026

Be sure to visit the Festival’s Green Market in Billard Park for locally produced and locally sourced products made by artisans from throughout Northeast Florida!

The Flying Bird Nest

Just Plumerias

Queen Bee Co.

Agota Greek Gourmet

Guanabana Ice Pops

Daves Rub A Dub Dub

Summa Salts

Magnolia Artisan Soaps

K's Got You Covered

Little Black Box

Essential Candy

Milled by Miller

* As of March 17, 2026

A special thank you to artist Julie C. Fetzer for providing the original artwork for our festival t-shirt designs. Purchase your Mandarin Art Festival t-shirt at the Club Table and see more of Julie’s work on display and on sale in the Historic Mandarin Store and Post Office and at www.juliecfetzer.art.

Treat yourself to lunch from one of our local culinary artists!

Cousins Maine Lobster

The Sour Filly

The Empanada Lady

El Gaucho Grill

Mexican Cuisine El Agave Azul

Alstons Chicken

Gran Arepa

Frank's Hot Dog Cart

2026 MANDARIN ART FESTIVAL COMMITTEE

The Mandarin Community Club would like to introduce and thank the Mandarin Art Festival Committee for their months of preparation and planning and to acknowledge the dozens of additional volunteers who work to make the Festival possible. We could not have an event without you!

Supervisor: Susie Scott

Show Manager: Noel Michael

Pat Adams

Wanda Bosworth

Melissa Chorpening

Nancy Eastman

Jim Hill

Jose Gonzalez

Bernie Gross

Doris Hastings

Glade Holloway

Emily Lisska

Laura & Will Miller

Ellen Milligan

Elizabeth Meux

John Meux

Brett Nolan

Julia Portnoy

Kelley Swain

Mark Waterman

Tom Wine

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to our friends and community partners for their support!

Chik-Fil- A Mandarin

City of Jacksonville Dept of Parks, Recreation

& Community Development

Kessler Creative

Mandarin Masonic Lodge

Monarch Landscape

Rotary Club of Mandarin

Under the Oaks Music Jam at Walter Jones

Park

Boy Scout Troop 110

Church of Our Saviour

MEET THE SHOW JUDGES

Diane L. Bradley is an award-winning artist who received her BS in Art Education from the State Univ. of N.Y. at New Paltz and Master’s degree from Nazareth College, Rochester, NY. She taught Middle School and High School art, in every medium, for 30 years. Upon retiring to St. Augustine, Diane joined the St. Augustine Art Assoc. exhibiting and selling her work, teaching children & adult art classes, serving as President of the Board of Directors for 17 years and managing the Association’s Annual Festival of Art for ten years. She has extensive experience in jurying shows. She is a member of the Jacksonville Watercolor Society and served on the Flagler College Visual & Performing Arts Board for several years. In 2013, Diane received the ROWITA (Recognizing Outstanding Women in the Arts) Award, given by the St. Johns County Cultural Council.

Brenda Mauney Councill is an internationally acclaimed artist specializing in largescale murals, sculpture, and public art. With a 50-year, award-winning career, she has completed monumental projects worldwide, including The Largest Contemporary Painted Dome in the Southeast and the Ohio Women’s Monument for the Ohio Statehouse.

Her work has been featured by Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, PBS/UNC-TV, and major network affiliates. Notable commissions include major installations at Appalachian State University, Presbyterian College, the Indian Institute of Technology (Mumbai), and the City of Roanoke, VA. Museums and institutions such as the Hickory Museum of Art and the North Carolina Museum of Art have recognized her contributions, including the dedication of her life-size bronze sculpture of Elliott Daingerfield. Councill’s career began at age seven with a museum exhibition in Jacksonville, Florida, leading to national media attention and early public commissions in Jacksonville including award-winning drawings and paintings of Historic Mandarin. Her bronze sculpture of Harriet Beecher Stowe was recently installed at the Walter Jones Historical Park in Mandarin and a second bronze of Stowe will be installed at the Stowe Center in Hartford, Conn. This is the first life-size sculpture of the famous author in the U.S.A. Councill later opened a New York studio and exhibited widely, with work supported by institutions including The Smithsonian, The National Arts Club, and major corporate and private collectors worldwide. For more information, visit www.councill.net

Our Children’s Art Show judge is renowned artist Pablo Rivera. Mr. Rivera is an accomplished photographer, drawer, watercolorist, and sculptor. He has exhibited in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, California, and Florida. In the greater Jacksonville area, he has exhibited with the St. Augustine Art Association, The Museum of Contemporary Art of Jacksonville, The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, and The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach to name a few. He has been a guest judge for both the Children’s Art Show and the Mandarin Art Festival in years past, and now serving as the Children's Art Show primary judge.

PRIZE DRAWING DONORS

The 2026 Mandarin Art Festival Committee and the Mandarin Community Club wish to thank our generous DONORS and SPONSORS without whose support this long standing Mandarin tradition could not continue! WE THANK YOU! The proceeds of this event benefit the non-profit Mandarin Community Club and the maintenance of its historic properties

Anonymous Donor Lego Sets

Beach Diner Mandarin

Bella Vista Italian Restaurant

Blue Bamboo Canton Bistro

Broudy’s Fine Wine & Spirits

Bundt Cakes

Carrabba's Mandarin

Chili's Mandarin

Clara's Tidbits

Coffee Perks

Coopers Hawk

Crumbl Cookies

Dawn Martin (massage Bartram Spa)

Dick's Sporting Goods

Echo Home Furnishings

EggBred

Elegant Nails & Spa

European Street Café

First Watch Mandarin

For Your Eyes Only Salon & Spa

Fresh Market

Gators Dockside St. Johns

H&H Bagels

House Italian Cuisine

Jacksonville Symphony

Julington Creek Fish Camp

Mane Event

Maple Street Biscuit Company

& ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Metro Diner - Mandarin

Miller Ale House - Mandarin

Miss Cruffin

Moon Dog Pie

Noura Café Lakewood

Painting With a Twist

Picassos

Piel Med Spa

Portnoy Family

Prime Car Wash

Small Cakes Jax

Sushila's Beauty Care

Sweet Petes Candy

The Capital Grille

The Poppin' Box

The Restaurant Store

Tobacco Cove

Trader Joe's

V Pizza

Whit's Frozen Custard

Whole Foods

* as of March 18, 2026

Please accept our appreciation and gratitude for ALL donations, gift certificates and items that were donated for the Prixe Drawing that may not appear on this list. We are truly grateful.

Special THANK YOU to the Mandarin Community Club Board members that donated & Art Festival Committee members & volunteers. Special THANKS to Julia Portnoy and Brett Nolan for their efforts above and beyond!

ART FESTIVAL

Easter Weekend

March 27 & 28, 2027

Eric Gillis is the local franchise owner/operator for both the Chick-fil-A Mandarin and South Mandarin locations. He has called Mandarin home since the late 1980's and opened the first Chick-fil-A location in Mandarin in 2015. He and his wife Naomi and their 5 children love living in the Mandarin community and enjoy visiting the Mandarin Art Festival every year.

Dessert NEW

Powerade + Icedream

Froste d S oda: Ice dre am handspun with your choice of fountain beverage

Float: choice of fountain beverage, ma de spe ci al with a swirl of Ice dre am.