Douglas Anderson School of the Arts “Extravaganza” Brought an Evening of Resonance to Downtown Jacksonville
Annual student showcase demonstrated breadth and quality of a DA education
Dr. Huls with Mark Magyar, courtesy of Dr. Huls
March 4, 2026 — Jacksonville, Fla. — The Developing Artists (DA) Foundation and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts presented Extravaganza, the school's 39th annual showcase of students’ creative excellence, on February 21, 2026. The show was produced at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, a premier fine arts venue in Downtown Jacksonville.
Extravaganza featured performances from DA’s various departments — music, dance, theatre, film, creative writing and visual arts — along with a student art gallery presentation. This year's theme, “Resonance,” celebrated how the arts create a lasting impact within many people and communities. Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan and Jacksonville City Council District 6 Representative Michael Boylan served as honorary chairs. Dr. Victor Minke Huls, a class of 2011 graduate who is currently an associate principal cellist with the Florida Orchestra, was recognized as the 2026 “Shining Star.”
The two-hour show gave students across Douglas Anderson’s artistic disciplines the opportunity to present their talents on a professional stage, to a packed house of parents, arts patrons, community partners and fellow students. The program spanned numerous genres, time periods and cultural styles — from the grandeur of Beethoven’s “Concerto in C Minor, Op. 37” with Dr. Huls as guest conductor, to an intricately layered guitar performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“It was a tremendous honor to return to Douglas Anderson as the Shining Star alumnus and conduct in Extravaganza! The students played with vigor and enthusiasm, and lovingly supported their classmate Mark Magyar in his virtuosic piano performance. I’m deeply grateful to Mrs. Watson and Mr. Griffin for inviting me to conduct the Chamber Orchestra in this beautiful event,” said Dr. Huls.
Just as compelling was the celebration of new voices and interdisciplinary collaboration. Original compositions and creative writing performances stirred audiences alongside powerful dance theatre, jazz ensemble numbers, cinematic arts projects and musical theatre selections, reinforcing DA’s signature blend of traditional artistic skills with innovation and imagination.
“Douglas Anderson has become one of the country’s premier public arts high schools by providing each student with high academic standards, a broad and enriching arts curriculum, as well as an environment that promotes learning,” said Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Christopher S. Bernier, Ed.D.
The 40th annual Extravaganza will be held February 13, 2027 at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, with Michael Ward and Jennifer Glock serving as honorary chairs. Sponsorship and ticket information will be announced later this year.
“I’ve been a big supporter and proponent of Douglas Anderson for a number of years, because it expresses hope for the future of our young people in this city. There is such positive energy coming from the students’ performances, not only at the school but at their annual Extravaganza. With so much negativity and politics, both locally and nationally, it’s honestly so refreshing to see, hear, listen and acknowledge young people in this city who are being offered an opportunity — not only for their talent, but academia,” said Marilyn Carpenter, a patron of the Developing Artists Foundation.
To learn more about the Developing Artists Foundation and its work supporting Jacksonville’s next generation of artists, visit developingartistsfoundation.org.
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About the Developing Artists Foundation:
The DA Foundation, a nonprofit corporation created in 1987, is committed to supporting the arts with a priority of supporting Douglas Anderson School of the Arts’ (DA) critical art’s needs. As in most specialized arts schools the arts needs go far beyond what an individual parent-support group or the school district is able to fund, specifically in regard to the demanding arts departments’ needs; such as, master arts classes, collaborative partnerships, specialized arts equipment and projects, summer arts scholarships, arts teacher fellowships, arts events, public relations and arts programming. The DA Foundation is committed to providing critical funding necessary to ensure that the school is able to meet its mission of supporting arts in our community and providing DA students “cutting-edge” training and intensive arts study, as well as to ensure that DA’s arts programs meet the standards set by our nation’s top arts conservatories, art institutes and universities.
