Plan your next visit!
All Florence Arts & Museums will be closed:
Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day
Thursday, June 19 for Juneteenth
Friday, July 4 for Independence Day

Paper and Photo Preservation Workshop
Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern: Paper and Photo Preservation Workshop
Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern is hosting a presentation and workshop on Saturday, July 12th, 2025, at 10:00am at Pope’s Tavern Museum, 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL. This is one of a series of workshops at Pope’s Tavern that will explore history and archaeology.
This workshop will introduce participants to basic conservation techniques for treasured family heirlooms made of paper such as books, photographs, and letters. Included will be storage best practice techniques and damage mitigation advice. The workshop will also include a basic tutorial on identifying and dating paper items. After the workshop, Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern will continue its excavation of Test Unit 7.
Kara Long is currently the Director of Collections and Gallery Experience at the Cook Museum of Natural Science in Decatur, AL. She has worked within the museum field for the past twenty years in Jackson, MS; Louisville, KY; and Lake Tahoe, NV. She previously held the position of Site Director at Pond Spring, The General Joe Wheeler Home in Hillsboro, AL before joining the staff of the Cook Museum. Over the past ten years, she has taught Collections Management courses as an adjunct at both the University of North Alabama and Athens State University. Kara is an avid reader and loves anything historical fiction. She has a great blackberry cobbler recipe that she would be willing to share if asked and has no shame in admitting she spoils her nieces and nephews rotten.
The program is free and is sponsored by the City of Florence Department of Arts and Museums, with support from the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area. Pope’s Tavern Museum is a museum dedicated to the early (1800-1870) history of Florence and Lauderdale County. Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern is a free, public archaeology program that has been documenting the history of the site since 2022. Pope’s Tavern is located at 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL and is open, Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 256-760-6439 for more information.

Exhibit Reception
Mostly Blues 2025 Invitational Exhibit
Exhibit: July 13 - August 28
Reception: Sunday, July 13 @ 1:00pm
Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts is pleased to present Mostly Blues, an annual soulful exhibition of paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures and mixed media works by regional artists that visually interpret and pay homage to the power of music. While invited artists from Colbert, Franklin, and Lauderdale counties have diverse interpretations—whether depicting a scene from the W.C. Handy Music Festival or literally painting in ‘blues’—all works have a common musical theme that celebrate this area’s ties to the music world.
The Mostly Blues exhibit was started in 1994 to honor Florence native W.C. Handy, “Father of the Blues”. Since then, the music-themed display has become a popular summer highlight! The KDAC again looks forward to this opportunity to exhibit the soulful collection of art by well-known and established area artists—as well as new, up-and-coming artists. This visual homage to the power of music will open on July 13 and remain on display through August 28, 2025.

African American Neighborhoods of Florence: North Florence
Please join Florence Arts and Museums and community members coordinated by Ms. Anita Smith Cobb for a presentation on the history of North Florence on Sunday, July 13th from 2:00-3:00 pm at the Coach Harvest Mitchell Gymnasium at Burrell Slater School, 610 West College Street. A group of African American citizens from different North Florence neighborhoods have collaborated with Florence Arts and Museums to record their history. Interviews, photographs, newspaper clippings, art and memories tell the story of these neighborhoods, which include Woodland Road; Chisholm Drive; Napier Heights; and Norwood Park. The project is compiled into an hour-long presentation. This presentation follows Ms. Anita Smith Cobb’s completion of the “East End” and “Stewart Spring” projects, the latter of which is available on our website, www.florencealmuseums.com.
This program is sponsored by the City of Florence Department of Arts and Museums and the Alabama Humanities Alliance. This event will be free to the public. Call 256-760-6379 for more information.

STEAM Camp
Florence Arts and Museums is thrilled to partner with the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library to launch a STEAM Camp for students ages 11-18 from Monday, July 14th through Friday, July 18th, 2025. The camp will be divided into two groups based on age:
Group 1: ages 11-14, 9:00-12:30 pm UPDATE, 4/22/25: GROUP 1 IS AT CAPACITY. IF YOU WISH TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITLIST, CALL (256) 760-6379 or email connect@florencealmuseums.com.
Group 2: ages 14-18, 1:00-4:30 pm
This camp will offer students the chance to develop projects focused on claymation, graphic design, printmaking, and historical artifacts.
The cost of this program will be $25 per student due at the time of registration.
Classes will be limited to 16 students per age group.

Ceramics Hand-building Workshop | with Aaron Benson
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Carriage House Studio at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
Join us for a ceramics hand-building workshop with Aaron Benson, UNA Chair of Visual Arts and Design, Associate Professor and Director of Ceramic and Sculpture. 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 2nd and learn more about clay by building and glazing your own work in this one-day class!
Aaron Tennessee Benson has a combined twenty-years of experience working in clay. He received his MFA in Ceramics from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He has been an intern at Anderson Ranch Art Center in Colorado and a long-term resident and MJD Fellow at Archie Bray Foundation in Montana. Benson’s work has been published, collected, and exhibited both nationally and internationally. His current body of work uses traditional ceramic handbuilding methods to create large scale public works.
WHEN: 9 am- 3 pm, Saturday, August 2nd
WHERE: Kennedy-Douglass Art Center
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:
9 am- Noon: Introduction, design, and hand-build
Noon-1:00 pm: Lunch Break (while clay dries)
1:00- 3:00 pm: Glaze and place in kiln.
Art pick-up: August 15th between 9-4 pm.
WORKSHOP FEE: $95 (includes Instruction & materials)

Ceramics Hand-building Workshop with Aaron Benson
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Carriage House Studio at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
Join us for a ceramics hand-building workshop with Aaron Benson, UNA Chair of Visual Arts and Design, Associate Professor and Director of Ceramic and Sculpture. Join us 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 2nd and learn more about clay by building and glazing your own work in this one-day class! Registration is limited, so sign-up soon!
Aaron Tennessee Benson has a combined twenty-years of experience working in clay. He received his MFA in Ceramics from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He has been an intern at Anderson Ranch Art Center in Colorado and a long-term resident and MJD Fellow at Archie Bray Foundation in Montana. Benson’s work has been published, collected, and exhibited both nationally and internationally. His current body of work uses traditional ceramic handbuilding methods to create large scale public works.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:
9 am- Noon: Introduction, design, and hand-build
Noon-1:00 pm: Lunch Break (while clay dries)
1:00- 3:00 pm: Glaze and place in kiln.
Art pick-up: Aug. 10, between 1-4 pm.
WORKSHOP FEE: $95 (includes Instruction & materials)
REGISTRATION COMING SOON






Holding on to Past and Present Memories | an exhibit of fiber art by Lukuise Swanigan
The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts is pleased to present a fiber exhibition, “Holding on to Past & Present Memories” by Mississippi artist Lukuise Swanigan beginning July 6, 2025, and continuing through August 21, 2025. A reception will be held on Sun., July 13, 1-4 p.m. in conjunction with the opening of the “Mostly Blues Invitational” exhibit. Please join us at 2:30 p.m. that afternoon for a ‘Meet & Greet’ opportunity with Lukuise and learn more about her fiber art and her creative process!
Born in Aberdeen, MS and residing in Columbus, MS, Lukuise Swanigan is a self -taught artist inspired by nature and childhood memories. Before making the decision to become an artist, Swanigan attended Ashworth Community College for floral design, a craft which she continued even after graduating. In 2009, she had a vision and found ways to create art using wrapped fabric. She honed her craft until she decided to start appearing at art shows in 2018.
Her process begins with a sketch. From there she transfers the image to her canvas and begins the process of wrapping printed cotton fabric in vibrant colors into art. The time it takes to complete a piece can take from one week to months, depending on the amount of detail. Swanigan has been a member of Fine Art America since 2019.
Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts tours are free and open to the public Monday-Friday from 9-4, and on Sunday from 1-4. The KD Art Center is located at 217 E. Tuscaloosa St., Florence, AL and can be reached by calling (256) 760-6379.

Open Mic Night
Tuesday, June 24 Open Mic at 6:30 p.m. at Southall, 209 E Tuscaloosa, Florence, AL.
Featured Poet: Dorthea Rikard
Ms. Rikard spent her adult life in northwest Alabama. She has published Voices from the Backyard by our local 7 Points Press. She has written poetry all her life and looks forward to sharing her poems with the variety of poets in the Shoals area she is honored to be among.
The writing prompt for June is Union. This is the season of weddings, but union implies many other couplings, connections, groupings may come to mind. Let your imagination run wild!

Camp KD 2025 | Week 3
Welcome back to Camp KD - a place for your child to make art, make friends, learn and have fun!
Week 3 will be June 23 – June 27.
Students in grades 7-8 will meet from 9am – Noon.
Each class will be limited to 18 students with 1 teachers and 1 volunteer.
Tuition is $50 for week. All supplies provided.
The Deadline to apply is May 19th.
Click the APPLICATION button to download and print a Camp KD application. You can also call Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts (256-760-6379) and have an application sent to your home. Or just stop by the art center!
Please fill out the application and submit with tuition by mail or in person to:
Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
217 E. Tuscaloosa St.
Florence, AL 35630
Please make checks payable to Kennedy-Douglass Volunteers.
We look forward to a fun summer of creativity!
If you have any questions, feel free to email
or call 256-760-6379


Summer Solstice Ceremony
Come celebrate and receive the blessings of the
Summer Solstice 2025
With the CORE Center and Friends of the Mound on
Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 5:37 am sunrise
Please be at the Mound no later than 5:15 am and come with an
Open Mind and Loving Heart and wear white (not required).
If the weather is bad, the ceremony will be held at the CORE Center, 503 W State St # 1 Muscle Shoals, AL. For more information call Dr. Deborah Carter at 256-386-9804 or The CORE Center at 256-314-4542.

Camp KD 2025 | Week 2
Welcome back to Camp KD - a place for your child to make art, make friends, learn and have fun!
Week 2 will be June 9 – June 13.
Students in grades 1-3 will meet from 9am – 11am.
Students in grades 4-6 will meet from Noon – 2pm.
Each class will be limited to 18 students with 2 teachers and 2 volunteers.
Tuition is $50 for week. All supplies provided.
The Deadline to apply is May 19th.
Click the APPLICATION button to download and print a Camp KD application. You can also call Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts (256-760-6379) and have an application sent to your home. Or just stop by the art center!
Please fill out the application and submit with tuition by mail or in person to:
Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
217 E. Tuscaloosa St.
Florence, AL 35630
Please make checks payable to Kennedy-Douglass Volunteers.
We look forward to a fun summer of creativity!
If you have any questions, feel free to email
or call 256-760-6379

Pope's Tavern Archaeology Day
Pope’s Tavern Museum will host its third annual ARCHAEOLOGY DAY on Saturday, June 7th 2025 from 9am until 2pm.
Archaeology Day will give anyone interested an opportunity to learn more about archaeology at an active archaeological site. Everyone is welcome participate in excavating, sifting, and processing artifacts. Several supporting organizations will be present, including the Muscle Shoals Chapter of the Alabama Archaeological Society, TVA Cultural Resources, Florence Parks and Recreation, along with staff from the Moundville Archaeological Park. In addition, we will be hosting the following activities alongside the archaeological stations:
Artifact Drawing Learn how to sketch artifacts like the ones found at Pope’s Tavern. All materials provided.
Plant Identification 101. Learn how to identify, harvest respectfully, and use plants. Learn how plants were used in the past for medicine and in foods.
Blacksmith Demonstration. Watch a demonstration about how blacksmiths create metal tools.
Flintknapping Learn how projectile points, arrowheads and tools are made from chert.
This will be a FREE and FUN event for the entire family! Florence Arts and Museums will be facilitating this event along with volunteers from the Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern project. Pope’s Tavern is located at 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL and is open, Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 256-760-6379 for more information.

Camp KD 2025 | Week 1
Welcome back to Camp KD - a place for your child to make art, make friends, learn and have fun!
Week 1 will be June 2 – June 6.
Students in grades 1-3 will meet from 9am – 11am.
Students in grades 4-6 will meet from Noon – 2pm.
Each class will be limited to 18 students with 2 teachers and 2 volunteers.
Tuition is $50 for week. All supplies provided.
The Deadline to apply is May 19th.
Click the APPLICATION button to download and print a Camp KD application. You can also call Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts (256-760-6379) and have an application sent to your home. Or just stop by the art center!
Please fill out the application and submit with tuition by mail or in person to:
Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
217 E. Tuscaloosa St.
Florence, AL 35630
Please make checks payable to Kennedy-Douglass Volunteers.
We look forward to a fun summer of creativity!
If you have any questions, feel free to email
or call 256-760-6379

Junior Archaeology Camp
The Pope’s Tavern Museum will host a JUNIOR ARCHAEOLOGY CAMP for students ages 10-18 from Monday, June 2nd through Friday, June 6th, 2025. The camp will be divided into two groups based on age:
Group 1: ages 10-12, 9:00am-11:30 am
Group 2: ages 13-18, 1:00pm-3:30 pm
The camp will introduce students to the concepts of archaeology through hands-on investigation and research. Students will learn how to research, plan, excavate, and process artifacts at Pope’s Tavern Museum. Archaeology can help students grasp concepts relating to mathematics, history, geology, chemistry, social science, and more; this camp will use archaeological processes for teaching the methods of archaeology and the history of the Pope’s Tavern site. Hands-on activities that relate to these subjects, including mapping, excavation, sketching, interpretation, and artifact processing, will make up the majority of the camp. Applications are available online at www.florencealmuseums.com/jrarchcamp , and at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts, starting April 7th, 2025.
Registration for the program is $25 per student. Registration is non-refundable. This program is sponsored by the City of Florence Department of Arts and Museums. Pope’s Tavern is located at 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL and is open, Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 256-760-6379 for more information.

Ceramic Hand-Building Workshop | with Aaron Benson
Ceramics Hand-building workshop with Aaron Benson
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Carriage House Studio at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
Join us for a ceramics hand-building workshop with Aaron Benson, UNA Chair of Visual Arts and Design, Associate Professor and Director of Ceramic and Sculpture. Join us 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 31st and learn more about clay by building and glazing your own work in this one-day class! Registration is limited, so sign-up soon!
Aaron Tennessee Benson has a combined twenty-years of experience working in clay. He received his MFA in Ceramics from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He has been an intern at Anderson Ranch Art Center in Colorado and a long-term resident and MJD Fellow at Archie Bray Foundation in Montana. Benson’s work has been published, collected, and exhibited both nationally and internationally. His current body of work uses traditional ceramic handbuilding methods to create large scale public works.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:
9 am- Noon: Introduction, design, and hand-build
Noon-1:00 pm: Lunch Break (while clay dries)
1:00- 3:00 pm: Glaze and place in kiln.
Art pick-up: June 4th, between 1-4 pm.
WORKSHOP FEE: $95 (includes Instruction & materials)

Open Mic Night
Melissa Morphew will be the May poet for Open Mic Night. She is from Lawrenceburg, TN but currently resides in Huntsville, AL. Her work has been featured in The Georgia Review, Shenandoah, Parnassus: Poetry in Review, and Prairie Schooner. You don’t want to miss the magical realism of Morphew pieces.
The poet, Gray Jacobik, writes of Morphew's poems: "... a passion for the medium [language] and a deep knowledge of its possibilities, has joined with the practical skill required to make merry and make sorrowful, take us to bed and to bounty, to the odd and the familiar, to worlds-upon-worlds, and to do so beautifully, lavishly, intricately, and interestingly."
The writing prompt for Tuesday, May 27th at 6:30 is on Honeybees.

Closed for Memorial Day
Florence Arts & Museums will be closed on May 26th for Memorial Day.
Have a safe and fun weekend!

Arts Alive 2025
ARTS ALIVE 2025
May 17-18 at Wilson Park in Downtown Florence
The annual Arts Alive juried fine arts and crafts festival is located in downtown Florence, Alabama. The festival takes place in Wilson Park and at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts and features quality national, regional and local artists and crafters. Admission is free so bring the family and stroll through the park as you meet artists, find one-of-a-kind treasures to add to your collection, and enjoy good food.
The festival showcases artists specializing in painting, stained glass, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, fiber art, woodwork, photography, and much more. Arts Alive T-shirts and posters will be available for purchase in the park and online (www.alabamaartsalive.com). The Arts Alive juried gallery exhibition is in Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts right across the street from Wilson Park and is open the same hours as the festival.
Gallery exhibit will be open to the public from May 17th through June 26th at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts.
ARTS ALIVE 2025 GARDEN PARTY
Saturday, May 17th at 5:30PM
Join us in the Kennedy-Douglass Sculpture Garden for an evening of celebration! Enjoy catering from Jill’s Sweet Memories, visit with artists and friends, and honor the 2025 Arts Alive winners.
Arts Alive is an annual fund-raising event for the Kennedy-Douglass Volunteers. Your support during the festival, gallery exhibit, and garden party will benefit our community through Art Education Grants!
Tickets for the Garden Party are $50 each and are limited, so book yours by Saturday, May 10th by clicking the link below, OR purchase in person at the Kennedy-Douglass Art Center, 217 E. Tuscaloosa St..
For further details, call (256) 760-6379

Photographing the Music Industry in the Shoals | with photographer Dick Cooper
Join the Quad Cities Photo Club in welcoming May’s guest speaker and photographer, Dick Cooper, as he shares a presentation on “Photographing the Music Industry in the Shoals.”
From the Civil Rights Movement to the local music scene, Dick Cooper has worked in many capacities during his career as a photographer. To learn more, visit https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/dick-cooper/
This event will be held in the Southall House next door to the KD Art Center, 217 E. Tuscaloosa St. Quad Cities Photo Club meeting and events are free and open to the public. All are welcome!

Tea on the Terrace
The Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House is thrilled to invite you to a special event filled with conversation and refreshments. On Sunday, May 4th, at 4 PM, join us for “Tea on the Terrace,” an afternoon English tea.
Enjoy the English tea tradition while immersing themselves in the history of Alabama’s only Frank Lloyd Wright designed home. The afternoon will feature guided tours of the Rosenbaum House along with a selection of tea-time refreshments, including finger sandwiches, scones, and small cakes.
This event continues the tradition established by Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum, who were known for hosting and providing entertainment. The Florence Arts and Museums, along with the Rosenbaum House staff, are proud to uphold this legacy by providing engaging experiences for our guests.
This program brought to you by Florence Arts and Museums. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased by clicking the link below.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House is located 601 Riverview Dr, Florence, AL, and is open for tours Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 256-718-5050 for more information.


Open Mic Night
Our featured poet this month is Alan May visiting us from Knoxville, TN. He will have several poetry books available for purchase. I've attached reviews of his latest book, Derelict Days in That Derelict Town: New and Uncollected Poems.
Additionally, the writing prompt for April is: What One Sees in the Sky
Alan May grew up in Florence, Alabama. He holds a BA from the University of North Alabama and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Alabama. He has published four books of poetry. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The Hollins Critic, The Idaho Review, The New York Quarterly, The New Orleans Review, The Hong Kong Review, and others. He has been an editor for The Black Warrior Review and The Chapbook, and he is currently poetry editor for The Tennes-Sierran. He hosts The Beat, a poetry podcast produced by Knox County Public Library.
Derelict Days in That Derelict Town: New and Uncollected Poems is wide-ranging and far-reaching. The book covers the subjects of rural life, romantic love, early death, gun violence, fathers/forefathers, myths, legends, and real and imaginary monsters. Buy this book and experience what Cintia Santana (author of The Disordered Alphabet) calls "a quirky, at times lonely, playful, and wondrous ride of the imagination."

Project Threadways Symposium: Mt. Willing Quilters
The Jule Museum at Auburn University Presents
Museum in Motion: Sew Their Names
The Jule Museum at Auburn University, in partnership with Project Threadways, Florence Arts and Museums and the Mt. Willing Quilters of Lowndes County Community Life Center, presents Sew Their Names, an exhibition and community art project dedicated to commemorating the names and legacies of enslaved members of antebellum Baptist churches in Alabama.
Sew Their Names Exhibition: April 8-April 26, 2025
Southall at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
209 East Tuscaloosa Street
Florence, Alabama 35630
Open Monday-Friday 9:00-4:00; Sunday 1:00-4:00
Free Admission
The Sew Their Names exhibition features commemorative quilts made by Southern quiltmakers, Wini McQueen, Yvonne Wells, Charlie Lucas and Mercedes Braxton alongside historical information about the antebellum Hopewell Church in Lowndes County. Additionally, the Mt. Willing Quilters will host a free workshop where community members can contribute to the project through continuing to help stitch the names of enslaved people whose names are listed in the archives of Samford University or connected to their own family history.
Sew Their Names Workshop: Friday, April 25, 5:00-6:30pm
Free and Open to the Public
Join the Mt. Willing Quilters of Lowndes County Community Life Center and learn about their commemorative art project and exhibition, Sew Their Names. Through storytelling, song and sewing, quilters from Mt. Willing will share their history and lead participants through a workshop to help stitch the names of enslaved people across Alabama. No experience necessary; free and open to the public.
About Sew Their Names: The history of Sew Their Names stems from Hopewell Church, an antebellum Baptist church that was constructed in the 1840s in Mt. Willing, Alabama and the entwined histories of Black and White descendants. In particular, the exhibition tells the story of a group of Black quilters, who, in the wake of the activism spurred by the death of George Floyd in 2020, began stitching the names of enslaved persons found in the archives of the Alabama Baptist Church at Samford University. This simple act has now turned into a larger exhibition and community art project to commemorate the erased and forgotten lives of enslaved people across the state of Alabama.
About Museum in Motion: As part of Auburn University’s mission as a public land-grant institution to improve the lives of the people of Alabama, Museum in Motion is a community outreach initiative from The Jule Museum that connects and builds community through arts-centered exhibitions, programming and educational engagement.
Museum in Motion partners with communities and organizations across the state of Alabama to elevate the artistry and culture of Alabama, build vital social connections and increase access to the arts. Initially conceived as part of a Tiger Giving Day initiative in 2020, Museum in Motion has
grown to include pop-up engagements at farmers’ markets and festivals, long-term engagements with regional partners and community-focused exhibitions. Find out more here: https://jcsm.auburn.edu/museum-in-motion/

Storytime at the Museum
Storytime at the Museum
Pope's Tavern
Florence Arts & Museums continues its “Storytime at the Museum” series on Friday, April 25th, 3:30pm at Pope's Tavern Museum. Join us for a read-along, followed by a hands-on activity.
Our Museum Educator will share with us Kid Scientist: Archaeologists on a Dig written by Sue Fleiss and illustrated by Mia Powell. Discover the world of archaeology through the story of four children who go an archaeological dig at Angkor Wat. Afterward, we will explore archaeology in our own backyards with a hands-on activity! This event is free and recommended for children ages 5-8, but all are welcome.
Pope's Tavern is located at 203 Hermitage Drive in Florence, AL 35630. Weather permitting, Storytime will take place outside the museum on the porch. In case of rain, Storytime will be moved inside.
Pope's Tavern is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-4. For questions about Florence Arts & Museums events and programming, call our office at 256-760-6379.

Archaeology at Pope's Tavern: Blacksmithing Demonstration
Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern is hosting a blacksmithing demonstration on Saturday, April 5th, 2025, at 10:00am at Pope’s Tavern Museum, 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL. This is one of a series of workshops at Pope’s Tavern that will explore history and archaeology.
Members of the Athens Forge will be on hand to demonstrate different blacksmithing techniques, including the creation of hand forged steel tools and implements. The demonstration will focus on how items recovered through archaeological testing at Pope’s Tavern may have been made. The program will be held in the yard at Pope’s Tavern; please bring a lawn chair if you’d like a seat.
The Athens Forge, a member of the Alabama Forge Council (www.alaforge.org), is a group of both amateur and professional individuals dedicated to preserving and promoting the knowledge and skills of the blacksmithing craft.
The program is free and is sponsored by the City of Florence Department of Arts and Museums. Pope’s Tavern Museum is a museum dedicated to the early (1800-1870) history of Florence and Lauderdale County. Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern is a free, public archaeology program that has been documenting the history of the site since 2022. Pope’s Tavern is located at 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL and is open, Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 256-760-6439 for more information.

Cultivate Your Creativity | Art Journal Retreat
Cultivate Your Creativity: A Retreat to help your creative side thrive and flourish.
April 4 - 6, 2025
Southall House at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts
How do you stay creatively motivated? How do you keep from feeling stale or stuck? This retreat is designed to help you find ways to continue to grow as a creative person. You'll learn tried and true practices...and more importantly how to modify them to work for you. But this is not just theory or lectures, it's a hands-on working retreat. When you leave you'll have a plan and resources to keep you thriving.
Monica Yother, your guide for the retreat, is an artist and graphic designer who has worked as a full time creative for over 37 years. She has led team building events for businesses as well as taught a variety of art classes in her studio in Huntsville.
Visit Eventbrite to register.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cultivate-your-creativity-tickets-1134559701609

Artistic Renderings of Youth 2025
2025 ARTISTIC RENDERINGS OF YOUTH
Exhibit Dates: March 24 - April 2
Reception: April 2nd, 5:30-8:30pm
Artistic Renderings of Youth - AROY- is a juried exhibit of work by 7th through 12th grade artists from Colbert, Franklin, and Lauderdale counties. Founded by Florence art educator, Jerry Foster, Artistic Renderings of Youth provides an opportunity for the community to discover the young artistic talent in our area. The competition is coordinated by middle school and high school art teachers to give students a chance to exhibit their artwork and receive recognition for their talent.
As a juried exhibition, students have the opportunity to receive awards such as the Jerry Foster Avante Garde Award, the Ronnie Riner Memorial Drawing Award, and scholarships from the University of North Alabama’s Visual Arts Department and School of the Arts. Ribbons are awarded in three grade divisions: Division 1, 7th and 8th grades; Division 2, 9th and 10th grades; and Division 3, 11th and 12th grades.
The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts is free and open to the public Monday - Friday from 9-4 and on Sundays from 1-4. The art center is located at 217 E. Tuscaloosa St. Florence, AL and can be reached by calling 256-760-6379

Cherokee Genealogy Seminar
Cherokee Genealogy Seminar
On Saturday, March 29, 2025, the Florence Indian Mound Museum will host a Cherokee Genealogy Seminar. The seminar will be divided into two parts. The first part is a public presentation titled “the Basics of Cherokee Genealogy” from 10:00am to 11:30am. This presentation will examine how Cherokee genealogical research can separate fact from fiction. Participants will learn about getting started, tribal enrollment protocol, and the resources available for documenting a Cherokee ancestor. This presentation is free and open to the public.
The second part of the seminar is a 30-minute consultation session with a Cherokee genealogist, starting at 12:30. A consultation is an opportunity to discuss your research with a professional - what you already know, and what you want to know - and hear their advice about the next steps. The sessions are timed and you are required to fill out a Cherokee Genealogy Questionnaire form and a Lineage chart, which will be emailed to each registrant. The consultation costs $25 and registration can be found here: https://www.florencealmuseums.com/cherokee.
This program is free and is sponsored by the City of Florence Department of Arts and Museums and the Alabama Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association. The Florence Indian Mound Museum is located at 1028 S. Court St. Florence, AL, and is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 256-760-6427 for more information. Visit www.florencealmuseums.com for more details.
END

Open Mic Night
Open Mic Night
John Tyler Young will be the March Poet for open mic night. He is from Florence and has been published by 7 Points Press. He will have books for sale at Open Mic. You don't want to miss his open-eyed, unflinching observations of life in the 21st century.
The writing prompt for Wednesday, March 26 at 6:30 is On Being a Woman or Your Favorite Object. These items are not related for Open Mic, although for many in our world, sadly, they are. Feel free to write one about each prompt. Men, I encourage you men to put yourself in a woman's shoes and write from her perspective.
Thanks to all who attended the soul-connecting February Open Mic. And thanks to Florence Arts & Museums for allowing us that special viewing of the Underground Railroad: Dark to Light photography exhibit.

Alabama Plant Series: Soap Making Workshop
Soap Making Workshop, led by Summer McCreless
Plants have been used for many purposes by people living in Alabama, including for use in soap recipes. This workshop will allow participants to learn about historic and homemade soap making and the evolution of that process. Over time, soap has been used medicinally with specific herbal combinations to bring the user to a more centered and healthy state. Today, soaps are used for cleansing the body and enjoying the infusion of native plants through the senses. Participants will get a small bar of soap to take home.
This workshop will be led by Summer McCreless, owner of Mothering Herbs and a second generation herbalist. Summer has been practicing herbalism for over 17 years, teaching herbal education and plant identification and uses in North Alabama. She has over 30 years of experience and education in plant identification in the United States.
Tickets for this event are available on Eventbrite, here: https://tinyurl.com/253nm3fa
This program is free and hosted by Florence Arts and Museums. This workshop is made possible by support from the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area. Pope’s Tavern Museum open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am until 4pm, and is located at 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL 35630. For questions, call : (256) 760-6379 or email: connect@florencealmuseums.com.

Open Art Workshop | with Kayla McKinney
Open Art Workshop with Kayla McKinney
Do you have an art project that you just can’t seem to finish? Do you need motivation? Ideas? Guidance? Then this Open Art Workshop is for you! Don’t miss this opportunity to find inspiration and motivation to help you complete an unfinished art project OR start a brand new one!
Join art educator, Kayla McKinney on Saturday, March 22nd from 10:00-1:00 for an Open Art Workshop at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts. Kayla has 16 years of experience teaching art and knows the key to curing your “artist’s block”! Bring any materials with you that you may want. We will also have a wide variety of other materials available to use, including papers, pencils, rulers, erasers, markers, color pencils, pastels, modge podge, , air dry clay, and more.
Workshop Details:
Saturday, March 22nd
10:00-1:00 with a 30-minute break.
Fee: $15
Minimum age: 16

2025 Spring Equinox Ceremony
2025 Spring Equinox Ceremony
Come celebrate and receive the blessings of the
Spring Equinox 2025
With the CORE Center and Friends of the Mound on
Thursday March 20th, 2025 at sunrise 6:54 a.m.
Please be at the Mound no later than 6:30 a.m. come with an Open and Loving Heart and wear white.
For more information call
Dr. Deborah Carter @ 256-386-9804 or the CORE Center 256-314-4542. If the weather is bad the ceremony will be held at the CORE Center.

Art Adventures | The Art of Trash
There has been a change! The 3rd and last installment of Art Adventures 2025 will no longer focus on the life and art of Ansel Adams. Our new topic is The Art of the Trash.
Whether its called “Ready-made”, Recycled Art, Trash Art, or Trashion, they are all created from discarded materials. Join us Sunday, March 16th from 2-4pm at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts as local Art Educator, Elizabeth Renault leads an exploration in The Art of the Trash and works created by famous trash artists.

Archaeology at Pope's Tavern: Soil Analysis Workshop
Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern: Soil Analysis Workshop
Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern is hosting a presentation and workshop on Saturday, March 15th, 2025, at 10:00am at Pope’s Tavern Museum, 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL. This is one of a series of workshops at Pope’s Tavern that will explore history and archaeology.
Brett Hughes, soil scientist, will talk about common soil types in the North Alabama region, and the forces and processes that created them. The workshop will be an interactive way to learn more about the ground beneath our feet!
Hughes is a soil scientist that has mapped for the National Forests in Eastern Oregon, the Natural Resources Conservation Service from Alaska to South Carolina, and now privately throughout Middle Tennessee. He studies landforms and the soils beneath them so we understand our ecosystems and know how to properly manage them. This workshop will be a brief overview on how that is accomplished in the field. With LOTS of time for Q&A for all things soil. After the workshop, Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern will continue its excavation of Test Unit 6.
The program is free and is sponsored by the City of Florence Department of Arts and Museums, with support from the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area. Pope’s Tavern Museum is a museum dedicated to the early (1800-1870) history of Florence and Lauderdale County. Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern is a free, public archaeology program that has been documenting the history of the site since 2022. Pope’s Tavern is located at 203 Hermitage Drive, Florence, AL and is open, Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 256-760-6439 for more information.

Storytime at the Museum
Storytime at the Museum
at the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House
Florence Arts & Museums will celebrate National Reading Month with “Storytime at the Museum” on Friday, March 14th, 3:30pm at the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House. Join us for a read-along, followed by a hands-on activity. National Reading Month is celebrated every March as a time to encourage people of all ages to discover – or rediscover – the joy of reading.
Our Museum Educator will share with us Shape of the World: A Portrait of Frank Lloyd Wright, written by K.L Going and illustrated by Lauren Striner. Discover how a young Frank Lloyd Wright drew inspiration from shapes in nature to one day become America’s most famous architect. Afterward, we will explore shapes too with a hands-on building block activity! This event is free and recommended for children ages 5-8, but all are welcome.
The Rosenbaum House is located at 601 Riverview Dr. in Florence, AL 35630. Parking is across the street. Weather permitting, Storytime will take place outside the museum on the Terrace. In case of rain, Storytime will be moved inside.
For tours, the Rosenbaum House is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-4 and Sunday from 1-4. For questions about Florence Arts & Museums events and programming, feel free to call our office at 256-760-6379.