Dear Beautiful People of Gainesville,
There is a very special place that needs your help. The Jam is a space where Gainesville culture, art and music come together to create the best of vibes. The City of Gainesville is planning on destroying this space to build more apartment buildings and retail space. There is a hearing tomorrow that will determine whether or not The Jam will be able to stay in business. Here is my story on how The Jam has changed my life as a student at the University of Florida:
Imagine confused freshman Kremi wandering into the abyss that is "Downtown Gainesville," quite a different world from Midtown. The Jam is the first place that I explored in the uncharted waters of Downtown. I experienced a lot of culture shock when I first moved to Gainesville, and given that I had only ever been to art schools, the Jam felt like home.
I'm a part of Swamp Records, and I know I am not alone in saying that the The Jam serves as a home for all of our musical events, such as the SGP Swamp Showcase. In addition, The Jam has also accommodated benefit concerts for Future Music Makers, a local non-profit organization that raises money to further music education in the Gainesville community. It is thanks to these experiences and events that I've realized my own burning passion for music, and The Jam has played a large role in that discovery.
Four years later, I am two days away from graduating, and I can't help but relive all of the beautifully infinite moments that I've experienced at The Jam. It devastates me to think that UF students in the future may not get to experience what I have in my short time in Gainesville. For what this blog post is worth, The Jam is more than a music venue, it's a safe space where musicians, artists, and people of all cultures are welcome to explore the endless benefits that can be experienced through Art.
If you can at all relate to this, I encourage you to attend the public hearing tomorrow at 6pm. More information can be found here.