In Jacksonville, Florida, one name stands out when it comes to historic preservation: Dr. Wayne Wood. A lifelong advocate for safeguarding the city’s architectural gems, Wood has dedicated decades of his life to preserving Jacksonville’s history for future generations.
Wood’s road into historical preservation wasn’t born overnight. After moving to Jacksonville in 1971, he became concerned that the city was gradually losing many of its beautiful historic buildings, particularly in his neighborhood of Riverside. In 1974, he founded Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP), which has grown to be one of the largest neighborhood preservation groups in the Southeast.
Over the past fifty years, he has published eighteen books and is now widely regarded as one of the foremost chroniclers of Northeast Florida’s history and architecture. His best-known book is the classic, Jacksonville’s Architectural Heritage: Landmarks for the Future, recently updated in an award-winning new edition to commemorate the city’s Bicentennial year. Wayne has been called “the undisputed godfather of preservation in Jacksonville.”
“We try to create something new every week,” says Wayne. “It is important to getthe most out of every day, and it is important to have fun. If something is not fun,then we probably won’t do it.”
In addition to being an author, historian, artist, and retired optometrist, Wayne was also a founder of the Riverside Arts Market (RAM). Located under the canopy of the Fuller Warren Bridge, RAM attracts thousands of visitors every Saturday. Wayne is involved in many other civic projects, including serving as the Historian-at-Large for the Jacksonville History Center and a founder of Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park.
Along the way, Wayne found a kindred spirit in his wife, artist Lana Shuttleworth. Lana, herself an advocate for history and preservation, joined Wayne in his efforts to protect Jacksonville’s architectural heritage. As self-proclaimed “arts agitators,” Wayne and Lana have formed a powerful team dedicated to preserving the city’s historic landmarks.
Lana is one of Jacksonville’s most innovative artists, and she has used her talents to inspire other artists and to educate the public about the importance of art.
Through her artwork and lectures, Lana is a champion of recycling. Her highly original art uses common plastic castoff materials, particularly traffic safety cones, to create lavish landscapes and sculptural figures that challenge the viewer’s comprehension. The Los Angeles Times said that in her work “you find yourself looking at these everyday plastic objects in a whole new way.”
After establishing herself as a highly regarded artist in Los Angeles for thirteen years, Lana returned to her hometown of Jacksonville in 2013. Her studio is in the CoRK Arts District. She has garnered national media attention with reviews in the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, ArtScene, Florida Times-Union, Orange County Register, Art Daily, and nationwide Associated Press articles.
Wayne and Lana give generously of their time to numerous nonprofits, and they regularly host house concerts, featuring acclaimed musicians and with the proceeds going to support various charities. Wayne is currently working on a new book about the famed South Florida architect, Kenneth Treister, who, at age 95, is among the only living architects who worked with Frank Lloyd Wright. Lana currently has a show of her work titled “Structural Flow: The Resonance of Stella and Wood” at Touche Gallery on Herschel Street.
