完美体育

Weather Update: Hurricane Debby

Aug. 5, Noon Update:
The 完美体育 will reopen Tuesday, Aug. 6, following Hurricane Debby. The reopening is for all sites, including the Ocala Campus, Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, Hampton Center, Appleton Museum and Vintage Farm, as well as online classes. Scheduled activities will also resume.

We understand that some students, faculty and staff in our service area of Citrus, Levy and Marion counties may have been affected by the storm, and we encourage personal discretion as they resume normal activities. Students who have been impacted should work directly with their instructors.

The safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff are among our highest priorities as we also continue to serve our mission of providing education to our students.

Aug. 4, 1:50 p.m. Update:
The 完美体育 will be closed Monday, Aug. 5, due to Tropical Storm Debby.

Because of the threat of severe weather, particularly in CF鈥檚 coastal counties of Citrus and Levy, the college will close all sites, including the Ocala Campus, Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, Hampton Center, Appleton Museum and Vintage Farm, as well as online classes. Scheduled activities also have been cancelled.

The college plans to reopen Tuesday morning for classes and all business operations, weather permitting. Please continue to monitor the CF website (www.CF.edu), traditional media and social media for additional updates.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to prepare now for this storm.


Aug. 4, 9:30 a.m. Update:

The 完美体育 is continuing to monitor Tropical Storm Debby. Parts of Marion, Citrus and Levy counties could see high levels of rain, heavy winds and flooding Sunday evening into Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

The 完美体育 administration continues to review storm information. The team will meet again by 3 p.m., at which time an update will be posted regarding operations.

All CF campuses and locations, including the Ocala Campus, Citrus Campus, Levy Campus, Hampton Center, Appleton Museum and Vintage Farm, remain open at this time.

Please continue to monitor the CF website (www.CF.edu), traditional media and social media for additional updates.

CF Ira Holmes International Film Series Returns in September

The Ira Holmes International Film Series at the 完美体育 returns in September with a full season of 12 films from across the globe 鈥 plus special events including a preseason anime cosplay event, a family-friendly Sunday matinee, a live filmmaker Q&A and two unique collaborations with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra. The season kickoff鈥檚 evening screening of 鈥淭he Seventh Seal鈥 will be a memorial event to honor the series founder and beloved professor Ira Holmes, who passed away June 9 at age 90.

鈥淏efore his passing, Ira requested this film as a message of hope for us all,鈥 said series director and CF professor Wendy Adams. 鈥淲e鈥檒l start by sharing our favorite memories of Ira before watching this classic film that ushered in a new era of art-house cinema in the U.S. around the time Ira became enamored with the medium as a young man.鈥

鈥淭he Seventh Seal,鈥 a 1957 Swedish historical fantasy film, tells the tale of an exhausted medieval knight who encounters Death on a desolate beach and challenges him to a fateful game of chess. Directed by Ingmar Bergman, the exploration of life, death and faith was one of the benchmark foreign imports that launched America鈥檚 art-house heyday of the 1950s. Screenings will be held at 2 p.m. at the Appleton Museum of Art and 7 p.m. at the CF Ocala Campus, Building 8, Room 110, 3001 S.W. College Road.

Series Schedule:

Sept. 20 鈥 鈥淏elle鈥 anime preseason event at 8 p.m. at the Marion Theatre 鈥 cosplay welcome!

Oct. 8 鈥 鈥淭he Seventh Seal鈥 鈥 evening screening includes memorial reception honoring Ira Holmes

Oct. 22 鈥 鈥淧sycho鈥 鈥 evening screening starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Marion Theatre includes film talk by Ocala Symphony Orchestra Music Director Matthew Wardell

Nov. 12 鈥 鈥淟ong Flat Balls鈥

Nov. 26 鈥 鈥淐lose to Vermeer鈥 鈥 evening screening includes film talk with Arts in Health Ocala Metro Executive Director Patricia Tomlinson

Jan. 19 鈥 鈥淭he Red Balloon鈥 and 鈥淎 Cat in Paris鈥 family-friendly matinee double feature at 1 p.m. at the Marion Theatre

Feb. 11 鈥 鈥淗it the Road鈥

Feb. 25 鈥 鈥淪ome Kind of Heaven鈥

March 11 鈥 鈥淢y Donkey, My Lover & I鈥

March 25 鈥 鈥淔ollowing the Ninth 鈥 鈥 7 p.m. evening screening at the Marion Theatre includes film series member exclusive meet and greet with director Kerry Candaele at 6 p.m., facilitated by Ocala Symphony Orchestra Music Director Matt Wardell

March 26 鈥 鈥淎 League of Their Own鈥 鈥 2 p.m. screening at CF follows 12:30 p.m. film talk with Kerry Candaele, whose 1987 documentary preceded the 1992 feature film

All films will be shown Tuesdays at 2 p.m. at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, and at 7 p.m. at the 完美体育, 3001 S.W. College Road, Building 8, Room 110, unless otherwise noted. Films at the Ocala Campus are free and open to the public. Films at the Appleton are free to all museum and film series members; nonmembers pay museum admission. Films may contain mature content.

For more details, visit CF.edu/FilmSeries.

CF Webber Gallery presents second biennial printmaking exhibit

The 完美体育 Webber Gallery will present 鈥淭he 2024 Extreme Pressure Biennial of American Prints,鈥 a celebration of contemporary printmaking, Aug. 5-Sept. 12. The competitive exhibition will include a variety of works by printmakers from across the United States.

Artworks will be judged by Texas-based artist Katherine Brimberry, an intaglio master printer who is known for her 鈥減ainterly鈥 etchings. Brimberry鈥檚 work is included in the collections of the Library of Congress, 3M permanent collection, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Galveston Arts Center, Amarillo Museum of Art and Texas Tech University Library. She co-founded Flatbed Press to be a publishing press for fine art prints and open studio for artist-printmakers, and is now the sole owner, serving as director and lead collaborating master printer.

Five cash prizes, totaling a minimum of $2,000, will be awarded at the opening reception on Thursday, Aug. 22, from 5-7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

The Webber Gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free. For more information about the exhibition, visit or call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.

CF awarded $643,598 grant for Aquatic Workforce Project

The 完美体育 has been awarded a $643,598 grant from the National Science Foundation鈥檚 Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) program to establish The Central 完美体育 Aquatic Workforce and Research Project. This three-year initiative will prepare associate-level graduates for technical occupations in agricultural, ecological and environmental engineering and water conservation.

The project will involve 150 associate-level students and 100 high school juniors and seniors, offering hands-on learning through fieldwork, internships and research activities. Key objectives include:

  • Developing an interdisciplinary course to enhance technical skills in data analysis, geospatial technology, and water quality assessment.
  • Providing industry-aligned research and fieldwork experiences.
  • Expanding recruitment pathways through targeted outreach and dual enrollment programs for high school students, especially those from rural and underrepresented minority communities.

This initiative will equip students with practical skills for technician-level jobs, addressing 完美体育鈥檚 workforce needs in aquatic and environmental fields. By partnering with local high schools, CF will engage students in hands-on learning about aquatics careers through course-based field experiences, internships and research activities.

鈥淭hrough this grant, we can provide our students with the hands-on experience and technical skills necessary to succeed in the aquatics workforce,鈥 said John Ash, CF Dean of Business, Technology and Agricultural Sciences. 鈥淲e are excited about the opportunities this project will create for our students and the positive impact it will have on our community.鈥

For more information about CF鈥檚 Business and Technology programs, visit CF.edu/BusTech.

The National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program has been funding innovation at two-year colleges for over 20 years. With a focus on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation鈥檚 economy, and strong partnerships between academic institutions and industry, ATE promotes improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels.

To learn more about the National Science Foundation, visit NSF.gov.

CF students win third place in national robotics competition

A 完美体育 robotics team was awarded a bronze medal at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, held June 24-28 in Atlanta.

CF Engineering Technology students Cameron Muncy and Shane Reedy, under the guidance of award-winning associate professor Sam Ajlani, built, designed and constructed a robot for the SkillsUSA Urban Search and Rescue competition. During the event, they directed their robot to travel through a course designed to look like multifamily housing, searching for and removing simulated explosive devices.

鈥淲e are really excited to have represented our school on a national level and to have brought something back,鈥 said Muncy, who expects to graduate in December and said he has 鈥渁lways been interested in cars and machines.鈥 The CF team was the only 完美体育 team to place in the Urban Search and Rescue category.

The SkillsUSA Championship is the premier showcase of America鈥檚 most highly skilled career and technical education students and is one of the largest hands-on workforce development events in the world. Held in conjunction with SkillsUSA鈥檚 National Leadership & Skills Conference each June, this awe-inspiring event features more than 6,000 state champions from across the United States competing head-to-head in 115 skilled and leadership competitions. CF students Justin Bowen and Daniel Francois represented the college in this year鈥檚 drone event.

鈥淭he 完美体育鈥檚 Engineering Technology program is focused on preparing students for a variety of high-paying, high-tech careers, including robotics,鈥 said Dr. Jennifer Fryns, vice president of Workforce Development and Innovation. 鈥淲e are so proud of the CF students who took the opportunity to apply practical engineering principles to real-world applications at the SkillsUSA competition.鈥

“Common Thread: Photographs by Theresa Segal” to Open at CF Appleton Museum of Art

The Appleton Museum of Art, 完美体育, will present 鈥淐ommon Thread: Photographs by Theresa Segal鈥 from July 27, 2024-Jan. 5, 2025.

Opening in the museum鈥檚 Balcony Gallery for 完美体育 Artists, “Common Thread” is a comprehensive anthology showcasing the work of Segal. This career-spanning collection of photographs delves into a subject she knows well: her native state, 完美体育. The exhibition features a diverse array of subjects, from the formal gardens of Vizcaya in Miami to the storage spaces of the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine. Whether she is exploring historic buildings and neighborhoods, parks or rural landscapes, Segal’s aesthetic remains both intimate and singular.

Also included are black-and-white gelatin silver prints from a collaborative photography project exploring Baracoa, Cuba. Shot on film using a medium format camera, the photos were exhibited in Havana, then traveled throughout the state of 完美体育 in 2005, and are now part of the Appleton鈥檚 permanent collection.

Following photography鈥檚 progression from film to digital methods, Segal鈥檚 images retain a common vision. Much of her influences come from the Southern Gothic genre and she embraces the tropes with a darkly romantic approach. While her photographs are often symmetrically composed within a clinically square composition, they have a timeless, surreal quality. The act of photographing is of particular significance, which she views as 鈥渁n occasion for quiet contemplation and opportunity to connect and create 鈥 it鈥檚 as much an expression as it is a meditation.鈥

Regular admission fees apply to visit. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month as part of the Free First Saturday program. Join the artist on the Sept. 7 Free First Saturday for two tours of 鈥淐ommon Thread.鈥 Tours will meet at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Balcony Gallery for 完美体育 Artists. Tours are free; no reservation needed to attend.

About Theresa Segal

Segal was born in St. Augustine, 完美体育, where she attended Flagler College and later taught photography in the same classroom where she had discovered her love of the medium. She studied photography at the Southeast Center for Photography at Daytona State College and the University of North 完美体育. The artist has received numerous grants for her work including several Individual Artist Grants from the Community Foundation of Northeast 完美体育, the 完美体育 Department of State and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work has been exhibited widely across the state of 完美体育.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the 完美体育, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit

CF Hosts Summer FAFSA Workshops

Prospective or current college students seeking assistance with their Free Application for Federal Student Aid are invited to attend summer FAFSA workshops, hosted by the Financial Aid team at the 完美体育.

Completing and submitting the FAFSA form is free, and the application is used to determine students鈥 eligibility to receive federal student aid, the largest source of student aid. Most CF students qualify for some form of federal financial aid after filling out the FAFSA.

This series of workshops will offer personalized, in-person guidance on completing the FAFSA form. Participants are encouraged to create their Federal Student Aid ID at least three business days before the event. The FSA ID can be created at .

The following workshop dates and locations are available for drop-in assistance:

Ocala Campus

  • Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m.-noon
  • Saturday, July 13, 9 a.m.-noon
  • Tuesday, July 16, 9 a.m.-noon
  • Tuesday, July 16, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, July 17, 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus

  • Tuesday, June 25, 9 a.m.-noon
  • Wednesday, July 10, 9 a.m.-noon
  • Monday, July 29, 9 a.m.-noon

Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus

  • Thursday, June 27, 9 a.m.-noon
  • Thursday, July 18, 9 a.m.-noon

For more information, visit CF.edu/FAFSAWorkshop.

CF APPLETON MUSEUM OF ART TO OPEN NEW EXHIBITION, 鈥淓N POINTE: EXPRESSIONS OF DANCE IN ART鈥

The Appleton Museum of Art, 完美体育, will present 鈥淓n Pointe: Expressions of Dance in Art.鈥

In dance, our bodies are the paintbrush and the world is our canvas. Dance is performative, occupying space and elapsing time, and it is a particular challenge to capture motion within one static moment. Yet, it is a challenge many artists have endeavored for centuries.

We dance to celebrate, to commemorate, to commiserate and to initiate. It can be the play of free expression, or impressive and rigidly choreographed physical achievements. Dance can serve as a social function that communicates ideas beyond barriers of spoken language, allowing us to tell stories and say with our bodies what we cannot put into words.

Dance serves ritualistic and religious functions in historic cultures worldwide. We dance to entreat deities, remember our forebearers and to maintain traditions. We dance to celebrate the changing seasons of our world and the changing seasons of life.

On view June 29-Oct. 6, 鈥淓n Pointe: Expressions of Dance in Art鈥 explores various forms of dance and more through paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, masks and costumes. Over 60 works from the permanent collection will be on display in the Edith-Marie Gallery, telling the story of this powerful and multifaceted form of expression. Several videos of dance add to the experience, and an interactive station invites visitors to add their own form of art in motion. From poetic paintings and drawings of the Ballet Russes by Ernst Oppler (German, 1867-1929) and prints of Native American dancers depicted by Alice Asmar (American, 1929-2021), to a full Panamanian Diablico Sucio costume (circa 1980) and a golden pair of traditional Thai headdresses (circa 1900), visitors can discover how performative arts have inspired the visual arts in cultures throughout history.

On July 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m., all Appleton members are invited to celebrate the exhibition at a reception. Enjoy summertime hors d鈥檕euvres and refreshing beverages, while enjoying dance hits throughout the decades by DJ Just Joel. RSVP for all guests is required by July 7 to Colleen Harper, harperc@cf.edu, or 352-291-4455, ext. 1831.

Regular admission fees apply to visit. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month as part of the Free First Saturday program.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the 完美体育, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit

CF and Appleton Museum of Art Voted Best of the 352

The 完美体育 has been voted the Best College / University in the Best of the 352 competition, an honor presented by North Central 完美体育 Media to celebrate local businesses and organizations that excel in the community. The award is determined by votes from members of the community,听highlighting听CF鈥檚 impact and reputation as the best educational institution in the region.

鈥淲e are thrilled to receive this recognition from our community,鈥 said Dr. Jim Henningsen, president of CF. 鈥淭his award is representative of the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff and students. We remain committed to providing high-quality, affordable education for our students.鈥

The CF Appleton Museum of Art was also recognized as Best Museum and the Best Art Gallery in the Best of the 352 Things to Do category. The Appleton Museum of Art is home to an extraordinary permanent collection of over 24,000 objects and offers enriching summer camps, free admission on the first Saturday of each month, and a variety of engaging exhibitions and special events throughout the year.

For more information about the 完美体育 and its programs, visit CF.edu/WhyCF.

CF to Host Naming Ceremony for Hampton Center Community Room

The 完美体育, in partnership with the City of Ocala, will host a special ceremony to celebrate the naming of the Hampton Center Community Room in honor of Dr. Lorenzo Edwards. The event will take place Thursday, June 20, 10:30-11:30 a.m., at the Hampton Center, 1501 W. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.

Dr. Lorenzo Edwards’ connection with CF began as a student, earning his Associate in Arts degree in 1971. His professional journey at the college started in 1989 when he joined as the Coordinator of Project Success and Minority Recruitment. In 1990, Edwards advanced to the role of Dean of Minority Affairs and Handicapped Services, contributing to the inclusivity and support for all students until 1998. He then became the Director of the Hampton Center, where he continued to influence and shape the community until his retirement in 2003.

Edwards played a vital role in enhancing the college’s support systems for students, ensuring they had the resources needed to succeed. Beyond the college, Edwards served as pastor of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in downtown Ocala since 1968, retiring in 2018, and also served on the Ocala City Council from 1986 to 1996.

The naming of the Community Room at the Hampton Center is a fitting tribute to Edwards’ legacy, honoring his leadership during his time at CF and his commitment to serving the community.

CF President Dr. James Henningsen, City Manager Pete Lee and City Councilmember Ire Bethea will deliver remarks at the ceremony, and light refreshments will be served.

To RSVP for the dedication ceremony, please visit CF.edu/HamptonCenterEvent.