You can’t talk about the artist community in Jacksonville without talking to Crystal Floyd. Not only for her incredible assemblage, terrariums, and environmental storytelling signature to her body of work, but also for being a quiet, behind the scenes community organizer and supporter of Jacksonville’s creative community. Need the perfect artist for a project, Crystal will connect you. You may think she does this as part of her role as the Studio Director of Cork Arts District, the warehouse teeming with working artist studios at the COrner of Roselle and King streets in Riverside, but its more likely that she holds this role because of her reputation as an admired artist and position in the local art community for at least the last 25 years.

Jim Draper is a Florida-based visual artist, educator, and writer whose work closely observes the natural world. His multidisciplinary practice—spanning painting, drawing, photography, video, and text—is grounded in what he calls “Radical Naturalism,” treating direct engagement with landscape as both method and philosophy.

Rooted the Southeastern US, Draper’s work emerges from time spent in the field—walking, paddling, and documenting environments like the Suwannee River and coastal marshes. His projects translate these experiences into visual narratives that explore ecology, history, and perception. 

Draper has taught at the University of North Florida, Florida State College at Jacksonville, and Flagler College, and has contributed to artist-run spaces, public art, and environmental advocacy.

Since 2014, he has incorporated writing into his practice as a parallel medium for exploring the natural world. Draper lives and works in Florida.