Hope House is an old building on the Fort King grounds that has been completely rehabilitated and renovated to serve as a community gathering space, and a place to display art year-round.
The house has artwork integrated throughout the building, including a room which displays slow stitching, and offers space to practice this meditative and mindful practice using fabric and fabric and hand stitching.
A collaborative floor covering with a variety of painted sunflowers was created by a group of step dancers. They plan to offer a variety of small group arts classes, creative writing, slowing stitching, drumming circles, and other activities. Art is integrated into every room of Hope House! The “hope” for Hope House is that the arts will be integrated into the campus and activities of Fort King Presbyterian Church for generations to come! The renovation was a community effort, and the results are stunning as seen in the photos below! Thanks to Susan Jensen and Joann Ohlman.
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 Annette George (floutist and harpist), Gloria Powell (of St. Paul AMEC) and Susan Jensen. Photo courtesy of Daniel Banks.
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 The Hope House is the brainchild of Joanne Cornell-Ohlman! Photo courtesy of Daniel Banks.
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Alan Youngblood shares his manatee photos with Margaret Spontak and Kim Dinkins.
What a beautiful ARTober Fest evening at the first Hope for the Ocklawaha artist talk at Ft. King Presbyterian HOPE House!
Alan Youngblood shared his experiences as an underwater photographer at Silver Springs, and as a photojournalist covering the Rodman Dam’s destructive impact on the Ocklawaha River.
Community members viewed art celebrating the Ocklawaha’s fish and wildlife, and met other contributing artists including Karen Chadwick and Mark Emery.
Grab a lawn chair or blanket, and join us next week (Oct. 10) as Ocala native and internationally known cinematographer/photographer Mark Emery shares his phenomenal experiences! Light snacks provided.
WHEN: October 10– tours begin at 5 p.m., talk at 6:00.
WHERE: Ft. King Presbyterian HOPE House (the little house just north of the sanctuary; park in main church lot, and follow sidewalk back to the playground area). 13 NE 36th Ave, 34470
Thanks to Marion Cultural Alliance, Free the Ocklawaha Coalition for Everyone, Margaret Spontak, and all of our featured artists!
https://www.freetheocklawaha.com/
https://mcaocala.org/artober-fest/
https://www.freetheocklawaha.com/
https://mcaocala.org/artober-fest/
 Chris Berryhill and Jo Ann Parramore greet long-time friend Mark Emery at the HOPE House Hope for the Ocklawaha artist talks.
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 Margaret Spontak, creator of the Hope for the Ocklawaha exhibit and talks, shares Anne MacKay’s watercolor of long-abandoned barge canal bridge columns in the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross-Florida Greenway.
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