‘It’s unexpected’
The Arts at The Canopy collective offers a new and unique opportunity for area artists.
Artist Jeffrey Moore poses with artwork on display at Arts at The Canopy on Northeast 8th Road in Ocala, Fla. on Thursday, July 9, 2026. Moore, who is currently the creative director at The Villages, is the founder and curator of the new gallery and cultural hub, with a grand opening planned for August 1 and 2, 2026. Moore said that 25 Florida-based artists have committed to exhibiting their work to showcase a diverse array of mediums. Arts at The Canopy is designed to be far more than a traditional gallery. It is an immersive, evolving creative campus where art is not only displayed—but experienced. The space brings together artists, collectors, and the community in a setting that celebrates creativity, connection, and discovery, according to a press release from Moore. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.
Standing outside The Arts at the Canopy campus after a tour on July 9, Jeffrey Moore, the founder, owner and resident artist, in response to this reporter’s comment of “Wow,” uttered a powerful phrase: “It’s unexpected.”
And, truly, that is what is in store for visitors to the new collective, located at 1703 NE 8th Road in Ocala. The venue is set for grand opening events on Aug. 1 and 2 and then will be open Wednesdays through Mondays.
Inside, guests will be treated to an amazing variety of artworks that range from Moore’s signature copper pieces to jewelry, pottery, watercolors, metalworks and even edible art.
Arts at The Canopy is designed to be more than a gallery. It will feature juried shows, seasonal installations and community events that blend art, music, food and conversation, Moore noted.
Walking into the space feels like going on an exploration as you wind past mounted art on nearly every wall and display cases bearing necklaces and earrings, an ornate pewter serving tray, fluted ceramic bowls and more.
In the center of the main showroom are mobile display panels upon which a featured monthly artist will be showcased.
To begin, that artist will be Moore, whose copper works are intriguing and eye-catching. Known globally for his mastery of copper repoussé and chasing, his work is “celebrated for its intricate hand-formed detail, richly textured surfaces and luminous finishes,” his website notes.
“I start with a flat sheet of copper. I have these tools that have little metal balls on the end. I take of the small ones and scratch it out on the surface and then I start using the different sizes of the balls to kind of form and sculpt. I go in and work it on one side, then flip it over and work on the other side. This is all just sculpting,” he said pointing to a large work featuring birds.
When asked how he achieves colors such as red in some works, he doesn’t hesitate to reply, “That took me years to figure out because copper doesn’t like to hold paint. So, it’s kind of like my secret solution.”
Moore also produces stunning artworks such as watercolors and jewelry, and metal sculptures like beautiful little Jenny wrens perched on a log.
On one display case seen during the tour, small gift boxes with tiny bows sat unopened. When asked what was inside, Moore lifted one lid to show a beautiful pendant.
“These are little potteries and then we shellack them. My neighbor fires them for me because I don’t have a kiln, but someone is donating a kiln and we’re going to put it out back and teach Raku out there. Nobody teaches Raku in Ocala,” he said.
Moore said there will be 22 other artists with works on display in the collective. While some of them had yet to bring in works for display during our tour, the pieces that were in place were absolutely beautiful.
“I bought this and turned this into what is it for me but, at the same time, I wanted to have a space where we can support local artists and I feel like a lot of these artists have a room in their house where they have a stack of art and they just do not know how to market themselves. I am the creative director for The Villages as well, so I have a marketing background and I can help the artists promote themselves and find venues for them outside of these walls as well to help spotlight their work,” Moore shared.
He said there have been extensive renovations all around the property, including structurally and cosmetically, with the landscaping and, for example, installing a walkway into the building that meets ADA requirements.
To the rear of the property is the Makers Cottage, where classes will be held.
“I wanted this to be a gallery experience and that to be a classroom experience,” Moore said of the separate spaces.
Yet to be completed is an area in between the two buildings that will become the Firefly Court.
“This is going to be a patio area with a pavilion over the top. It will give us an outdoor venue and overflow for when we have speaking engagements and receptions and things like that,” Moore said.
Of how the impressive effort came together, he said, in part, that he gets a lot of help from “My neighbors, I call them the ‘Golden Girls.’ They are in their 80s and they love to help me. They come down and help bring different things and help with the gardening and help me find vendors. They cleaned up the flowerbeds. We just re-did the fence,” he explained.
The featured artists rent their space and a portion of the revenue from sales goes to the collective. The artists also will commit some time to working at the collective to assist visitors. The artists who are already part of the collective may remain as long as they wish. As items sell, or at their whimsy, they can bring in new pieces to showcase.
“You might come back in six months and see a lot of different pieces,” Moore said.
“It’s amazing how much art there is in Ocala, and it’s really, really good,” he added. “But I feel like this is the only resident collective in Ocala right now.”
The Arts at The Canopy team includes curator Larry Zimmerman, Christine Carrington in marketing and Nancy Hart handling promotions.
Among the artists are Rhonda Waters, from The Villages, who uses an oxygen acetylene torch to create copper, brass and stainless-steel sculptures, such a signature piece that graces the front wall of the venue and which matches the tree in the Arts at the Canopy logo. According to her website, Waters has started to incorporate textured paintings into her metal sculptures, is exploring fused glass and incorporates Raku pottery in her work.
The other resident artists are Morgan Raines, Carmen Santiago, Kenneth DeMoliner, Lisa Eikenberry, Ronda Richley, Katherine Green, Nikki Welch, Jessica Clarke, Kathleen Sirois, Loretta Lynn Bell, Sharon Vickery, Jude Gonzalez, Teresa Cresap, Sharon Dolce Okeefe, Rose Derkay, Linda Reitz, Eddie Peters, Julie Andrews, Robert Ralph and Kendra Brazzel.
“I didn’t want artists competing against each other, so I tried to get a little bit of diversity and if I already selected one, I put the next person that wanted to come in with the same medium on a waiting list,” Moore said.
The area where Arts at The Canopy is located is becoming a sort of mecca for arts enthusiasts. The Jordan Shapot Art Studio and Gallery is a couple of blocks to the north while the 8th Avenue gallery is two blocks south.
“As Marion County’s local arts agency, Marion Cultural Alliance celebrates every organization that expands opportunities for artists and enriches our cultural community. Arts at the Canopy represents another exciting step in Ocala’s evolution as a destination where creativity, collaboration and the arts are valued as essential to our community’s quality of life and economic vitality,” said MCA Executive Director Jaye Baillie via email.
There will be grand opening events for Arts at The Canopy from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 1 and 2. Gallery hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The venue’s inaugural First Thursday Reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 3 will feature the works of Morgan Raines, who uses “a labor-intensive adaptation of the Renaissance-era sgraffito technique, he builds each piece through 20 to 30 layers of acrylic, then carves back into the surface to reveal color beneath.
The first class offered will be Build the Garden of Inspiration Mosaic Concrete Step Makeover. The seven-week course will run from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 5 to Oct. 24 and will be led by Moore. The class series will transform a concreate staircase into a mosaic work of art featuring inspiring words.
To learn more, go to artsatthecanopy.com
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