Forbidden fruit

On April 20, Florida will become one of 22 states to limit what federal food assistance dollars will buy. Among the new items on ban: soda, energy drinks, candy and prepared desserts. The view from under the MAHA umbrella is mostly positive, with supporters praising it as a necessary shift away from unhealthy and ultra-processed foods known to accelerate or even cause illness. But some food access advocates worry the change creates additional stigma for SNAP recipients and will lead to confusion and higher prices while making life more difficult for those already unable to afford small indulgences. We break down both perspectives and discuss how the changes will be felt on the First Coast.

Guests:

• Gina Plata-Nino, SNAP director at the Food Research & Action Center
• Chloe Kuhn, director, Riverside Arts Market, and marketing director, Riverside Avondale Preservation

Moment in Time

A new exhibit at the Cummer Museum dials back the clock to a pre-digital era of photography, where all photos were precious and, today, offer rare portals to a bygone era. Moment in Time, A Legacy of Photographs is composed of 115 photos dating back the invention of the medium in the 1830s and includes artists who defined the craft, ranging from Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson to Julia Margaret Cameron, Walker Evans, Paul Strand and Helen Levitt. We discuss the images in the Bank of America photo collection as well as the ongoing exhibit, Art in Bloom, which showcases contemporary and legacy works on a floral theme.

Guest: Holly Keris, J. Wayne & Delores Barr Weaver chief curator, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

Body Awareness at The 5 & Dime

Seeing and being seen are the themes at the core of this dark comedy. Set during "Body Awareness” Week on a Vermont college campus, the titular play follows the arrival of a controversial photographer known for his nude portraits of women. The play continually redirects the audience’s “gaze” and ultimately challenges the characters’ perception of art, family and identity. The local staging at The 5 & Dime opens Friday and runs through April 18, with a community conversation on April 12 that includes a panel on neurodiversity.

Guests:  

• AJ Heekin, director, Body Awareness at The 5 & Dime
• Cynthia Riegler, actor playing Phyllis
• Erin Barnes, actor playing Joyce
• Tyler Lewis Wardle, actor playing Jared