The Avenue - The Independent Florida Alligator

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

‘Horse of a Different Color’ highlights diversity through dance

By Loren Miranda | Feb. 18, 2023

This experimental approach is the foundation of Dance Alive’s most proximal performance, “Horse of a Different Color.” Displayed at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 18, the experimental ballet will take viewers on a journey to a different realm where anything is possible.

Local business owner David Arrighi is closing Thornebrook Gallery after 40 years of business. Arrighi opened Thornebrook Gallery in 1991, three weeks after he graduated from UF with a degree in printmaking.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

Thornebrook Gallery enters final days in business after 4 decades

By Lauren Whiddon | Feb. 17, 2023

Arrighi opened the Thornebrook Gallery in 1991, three weeks after he graduated from UF with a degree in printmaking. He considers himself lucky because he’s been able to do what he loves every day for the past 40 years.

THE AVENUE

Truth or Drink: Gainesville singles prove love is blind

By Loren Miranda | Feb. 13, 2023

With Valentine’s Day looming around the bend, over 100 Gainesville singles lined up to get into the High Dive’s newest event Friday night: “Truth or Drink”— because, why not?

THE AVENUE

Civic Media Center’s Queer and Trans Flea creates safe space for local artists

By Gracey Davis | Feb. 13, 2023

Over 20 LGBTQ local artists gathered Friday to share and sell their creations at the CMC during the Queer and Trans Valentines Arts and Crafts Flea Market.

THE AVENUE

The Avenue Roundtable: Valentine’s Day event picks

By Avenue Staff | Feb. 13, 2023

From parties for singles to activities for couples, our staff picks are guaranteed to have something for everyone. Get lost in love or find your new boo with these curated recommendations.

THE AVENUE | MOVIES AND TV

Cinema Verde hosts 14th annual environmental film festival

By Lauren Whiddon | Feb. 13, 2023

From Feb. 9-14, Cinema Verde is hosting the 14th annual Environmental Film and Arts Festival. This is the third year the festival is being held virtually. The festival features 70 films, Q&A sessions with filmmakers and live-streamed discussions with directors.

THE AVENUE

Celebrate Black History Month with these Black-owned businesses

By Loren Miranda | Feb. 13, 2023

The Avenue compiled a list of talented local Black-owned artisanries and businesses to support this February (and every month after that).

THE AVENUE | MUSIC

Gainesville musician aims to raise funds for Zimbabwe through new EP

By Amanda Rubio | Feb. 9, 2023

“WORK TO DO” was released in conjunction with a GoFundMe campaign run by Schachter to raise funds for Katehwe’s family and SOS Children’s Village Zimbabwe, a nonprofit that provides support for orphaned children in Zimbabwe.

Poets speak at the Historic Thomas Center for the Black History Month Celebration of Black Love, Art and Poetry Friday, Feb. 3, 2023.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

Gainesville community gathers to celebrate Black love through poetry, art and music

By Lauren Whiddon | Feb. 7, 2023

Friday, the Bailey Learning and Arts Collective hosted the Black History Month Celebration of Black Love, Art and Poetry at the Historic Thomas Center, located at 302 NE 6th Ave. It was a night of poetry, open mics, visual art and music provided by DJ Double A.

Habitat for Humanity sits outside the High Dive during the Original Gainesville Food Truck Rally Saturday, Feb. 3, 2023.

THE AVENUE | FOOD

Original Gainesville Food Truck Rally makes charity taste delicious

By Loren Miranda | Feb. 7, 2023

Presented by Glory Days and the High Dive, the Original Gainesville Food Truck Rally celebrated its 10th anniversary Saturday. The completely free event at 210 SW 2nd Ave. gathers various savory local food trucks in one place.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Sobriety movement aided by alternative herbal joints, mocktails

By Xenia Teju | Feb. 6, 2023

Jade and Pearl, owned by 80-year-old self-described hippie Gloria Star, pioneered the natural product and smoking alternatives industry from her headquarters in Hawthorne, a city of 1,500 residents about 16 miles east of Gainesville.

THE AVENUE | MOVIES AND TV

Rate and Review: ‘Skinamarink’ is most immersive film in recent history

By Kyle Bumpers | Feb. 3, 2023

Ball’s debut feature-length film took low budget to the extreme. “Skinamarink” turned a budget of $15,000 into more than $1.5 million in earnings at the box office.

THE AVENUE | MOVIES AND TV

Oscar nominations for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ thrill East Asian community

By Zarin Ismail | Feb. 3, 2023

"Everything Everywhere All at Once," A24 movie secured 11 Oscar nominations Jan. 23, including four for actors of Asian descent and one for its Asian director.

Palm Tree Terrace’s Little Free Library houses a wide range of books for the community to share Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.

THE AVENUE

Free library boxes spring up in Gainesville

By Gracey Davis | Jan. 30, 2023

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that works with local community members from over 100 countries to provide free and easy access to literature using sharing boxes. The program follows a “take a book, share a book” mentality, with individuals being expected to donate an item of their own in exchange for whatever they take.

Festival-goers stop by Jill Clark’s booth to read from the children's poetry books she wrote Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.

THE AVENUE

Gainesville celebrates 4th annual Sunshine State Book Festival

By Amanda Rubio | Jan. 30, 2023

The Sunshine State Book Festival united readers and writers Jan. 28 at Trinity United Methodist Church, located at 4000 NW 53rd Ave. Authors from Gainesville and other cities across the nation stood by tables inside the church awaiting the opportunity to promote, sell or sign their books for the next local bookworm that came their way.

Attendees of the launch party watch the members of the podcast Girlish get mic’ed up for the live panel recording Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.

THE AVENUE

Spotify partners with Curia on the Drag to create free podcasting studio

By Loren Miranda | Jan. 30, 2023

Anchor.fm, Spotify’s free podcast-hosting platform, launched its second pop-up podcast studio Jan. 26 as part of its Making Space program. Dedicated to “democratiz[ing] audio” by offering the resource to anyone interested, the program aims to invest in minority- and local-owned businesses for future pop-ups.

THE AVENUE | NIGHTLIFE

Human jukebox ‘Gator Ron’ rocks Gainesville stages

By Aidan Bush | Jan. 30, 2023

Better known by fans as “Gator Ron,” the retired Alachua County Public Schools teacher has recently risen to local stardom for his karaoke performances, attracting crowds of young adults and elders alike at multiple venues he frequents every Wednesday.

Susan Tedeschi, lead singer of Tedeschi Trucks, sings beside her husband Derek Trucks during their opening song in the Phillips Center Sunday, Jan. 23, 2023.

THE AVENUE | MUSIC

Tedeschi Trucks Band takes the stage at the Phillips Center

By Gracey Davis | Jan. 25, 2023

Audience members young and old filled the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Sunday, singing, dancing and clapping along as the Tedeschi Trucks Band performed songs from their ninth studio album.

THE AVENUE | MUSIC

Gainesville artist ‘The Housing Crisis’ releases first album

By Lauren Whiddon | Jan. 25, 2023

Dylan O’Bryan, who since 2020 has performed as The Housing Crisis, released his first album, “Astral Apartments.” Monday. The album sonically and thematically blends the euphoria and anxiety that O’Bryan feels when he plays.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

Wrestling play ‘The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity’ to debut at The Hippodrome

By Lauren Whiddon | Jan. 25, 2023

“The Elaborate Entry of Chad Deity" is a dramatic comedy that follows a group of professional wrestlers and their experiences with capitalism, masculinity and how racial stereotypes are exploited in America. The play will run at the Hippodrome from Jan. 25 to Feb. 12.