Doris Susan White McNeill grew up appreciating cultures and stories, as her Navy father was transferred to many places. She was born in Naples, Italy and has lived in Norway, North Carolina, Virginia, Hawaii, and Florida. She graduated from Fletcher High School, Jacksonville University (BA English Literature; minor in Music), and Florida State University (MA Literature). Doris taught English, dual-enrollment Humanities and AP Art History at Fletcher High School for nearly 40 years and was honored as Fletcher’s Teacher of the Year twice during her tenure. She often traveled with students during spring breaks, helping them experience culture and often brought arts and culture experiences into her classroom.
After Doris retired from DCPS, she began teaching Humanities at Florida State College at Jacksonville and most recently is substitute teaching AP Art History at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and preparing students for their AP exams on May 14.
Doris lives in Jacksonville Beach with her husband Charlie, daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. She proudly serves on the Board of Directors of the Beaches Museum.
Willie Evans Jr. is a Jacksonville-based hip-hop artist and multimedia innovator whose 25-year career spans music, film, and installation art. He pioneered the “video-chop,” a visual sampling technique that blends hip-hop, film, and emerging technology into immersive storytelling experiences.
Darren Dailey has been shaping The Jacksonville Children’s Chorus into a world-class organization since 2006. Under his artistic leadership, The Chorus has grown to serve over 1,000 First Coast children annually with five core performance choirs, multiple satellite rehearsal locations, and outreach throughout the region. A nationally recognized clinician and conductor, Mr. Dailey has served as guest conductor in Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center and the ACDA Honor Choir in Seattle. He has presented workshops for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, Organization of Kodály Educators, American Choral Directors Association, and Music Educator’s National Conference. He is the 2014 recipient of the Reinhold Foundation Outstanding Executive Director Award and currently serves on the Jacksonville University Linda Berry Stein College of Fine Arts Advisory Board. Mr. Dailey was honored in 2017 by Galaxy Music to create a Choral Series specifically for children’s voices. In 2019, Mr. Dailey was honored with the distinguished Alumni Merit Award by Westminster Choir College. The Jacksonville Children’s Chorus, under Darren Dailey’s direction, achieved significant recognition in 2022, winning the American Prize for Choral Performance. Furthermore, in the same year, the ensemble was bestowed with the David C. Brotemarkle Award for their outstanding presentation of ‘Songs of the Sunshine State.’ In 2025, Dailey once again received national recognition with a second-place award in The American Prize Dale Warland Award in Choral Conducting. Mr. Dailey received a Bachelor of Music Education degree with a concentration in Voice from Westminster Choir College and a Master of Music Education in Choral Conducting from Appalachian State University’s Hayes School of Music.
The LOL JAX Film Festival is a community-focused comedy film festival that celebrates local filmmakers, stand-up comedians, musicians, artists, and entrepreneurs. The festival’s name stands for “Love Our Locals” while “Laughing Out Loud,” reflecting its mission to highlight artistic talent from or affiliated with the Jacksonville area. Monique Madrid, Festival Director, built this grassroots event 10 years ago in 2016 to bring people together to honor creativity, storytelling, and positive impact. The festival also champions arts education and mentorship by actively involving students and emerging creatives through volunteer opportunities, workshops, and hands-on experience in filmmaking and performance.
“It’s more than a festival. It’s an atmosphere for creatives to network, inspire, collaborate, sharpen their skills, and invest into each other. Implementing this hub for artists to feel seen and heard has helped retain talent in Jacksonville.” —Monique Madrid, Festival Director
GFWC Jacksonville Beaches Woman’s Club is a nonprofit organization under the umbrella of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. GFWC is an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. The objectives of this club shall be a common goal of caring for others, concern for the community, to promote friendship among members, to engage in philanthropic and educational endeavors and to participate in Federation activities.
This award, named after one of the original founders of the
Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, honors an individual
dedicated to ensuring that arts and culture are woven into
the fabric of everyday life in the community.
Kandice Knecole Clark is a Jacksonville-born placemaker, curator, and cultural leader whose work has helped shape the city’s evolving arts landscape while expanding access to creative experiences for new audiences. Since 2015, Clark has built initiatives that connect artists, neighborhoods, and community through innovative cultural programming.
She is the founder and curator of The Petite Jax, a legacy project for Downtown Vision, Inc. that brings together emerging artists, established creatives, collectors, and community members, many of whom may be entering a dedicated art space for the first time. Through dozens of curated exhibitions and activations across Downtown Jacksonville, Clark has featured more than 100 artists alongside musicians, poets, and local creatives. The Petite Jax currently operates in her gallery on Adams Street and 41 Duval.
Clark is also the founder of Black Mural Map, a digital archive launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to document and celebrate Black public art throughout Jacksonville. The project highlights dozens of murals across the city while preserving the legacy of works that no longer exist.
For 2+ years, Clark served the Riverside Avondale community as a creative placemaking specialist, guiding public art initiatives, programming, and artist partnerships that helped reshape the neighborhood’s reputation as a growing arts destination.
Guided by a belief in authenticity and creative versatility, she approaches her work with the philosophy that when people are encouraged to show up fully as themselves, stronger and more vibrant communities are created. She will present her work at the National Placemaking Week in Detroit this year.
