This week on StJohnsCulture.com, we’ll explore the Things to Do tab which brings viewers to HistoricCoastCulture.com to browse our events calendar and discover St. Johns County artists, businesses, organizations, historic venues, and more.

Places To See

The Places to See tab takes you to Historic Coast Culture’s Venue Directory where you’ll find historic sites, museums and galleries, restaurants, and more around St. Johns County.

Events Calendar

The St. Johns Cultural Council partners with local cultural organizations to promote arts, culture, history, and heritage events and programming happening within St. Johns County. The search function of the Events Calendar allows visitors to sort events by location, date, and categories like Culinary, Visual Arts, and Literary Arts & Film. 

Organizations can promote events happening in St. Johns County on HistoricCoastCulture.com at no cost, simply by registering and creating an account.

The Waterworks

Since February 2022, the St. Johns Cultural Council has operated from The Waterworks to dramatically increase the community’s access to art, culture, history, and heritage programming and provide much-needed space for local organizations to host events. 

Constructed in 1898 as the pumping station for St. Augustine’s first water utility, The Waterworks remained in service until 1927. It was converted into a community center, making it one of the earliest adaptive use projects in the city's history, then evolved to become the Little Theatre of St. Augustine, a home for the St. Augustine Arts Club, and later the St. Augustine Garden Club. 

It was closed in 2005 out of safety concerns and underwent major restoration for many years. The Waterworks was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. 

The St. Johns Cultural Council continues to make improvements to the interior and manages the building to collaborate with community partners and provide high-quality programming year-round.

Live From The Waterworks

The St. Johns Cultural Council and Gamble Rogers Folk Festival kick off the winter season of Live From The Waterworks this Saturday with a SOLD-OUT show from Verlon Thompson with Aslyn & The Naysayers. 

A few General Admission tickets remain for the February 18th show featuring Acoustic Eidolon with Marianne Lerbs and the March 18th performance of Mary Flower with Mr. Aullie.

The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival is looking for awesome music-loving individuals to volunteer at this world-class event on April 14th to 16th:

• setup and teardown of stages
• directing parking
• working in kids' area
• backstage hospitality
• ticket gates
• merchandise sales
• other workstations during the event.

Volunteers are required to work a minimum of 6 hours, either in one shift with breaks, or a few shorter shifts.

Volunteers receive a 3-DAY FESTIVAL PASS and a volunteer T-SHIRT for no less than 6 hours of scheduled work. 

Iris DeMent to Headline 37th Annual
Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, April 14-16

The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival and the St. Johns Cultural Council have announced the headliners and ticket sales for the 27th annual event at the
St. Johns County Fairgrounds April 14-16.

Headliners include:

• Iris DeMent
• Bill and the Belles
• Robin & Linda Williams
• Annie & the Hot Club
• and more!

Click here to learn more about the festival and see this year's headliners with more performers to be announced!

Tickets for festival passes and camping passes are available now.

Coming Soon: Resilience Family Fest

St. Augustine Archival Society presents Resilience Family Fest as a celebration of St. Augustine's Black history and culture.

This 2nd annual event features musical performances, food trucks, historical reenactments, pop-up exhibits, arts and crafts activities, oral history interviews, and more. All are welcome to this free community event. 

This festival emerged from "Resilience: Black Heritage in St. Augustine," a collaborative project between cultural and academic institutions in 2021, and concluded in February 2022 with the same festival, attracting over 400 people. 

Resilience Family Festival will take place at the Soloman Calhoun Community Center on Saturday, February 18th from 12-4 PM. 

This Week's Recommended Events

St. Augustine Through the Lens of William Henry Jackson

As part of its 75th Diamond Anniversary programming, the Lightner Museum presents a new permanent exhibition, St. Augustine Through the Lens of William Henry Jackson. 

Following the Civil War, photographer William Henry Jackson (1843-1942) played a major role in shaping public perception of the American landscape. In the 1890s, Jackson was commissioned by Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railroad to produce a set of images to promote St. Augustine as a tourist destination. Today, Jackson’s photographs remain a remarkable record of turn-of-the-century life in this historic city, offering a striking portrait of Gilded Age St. Augustine. 

This exhibition is free to view with the purchase of admission to the Lightner Museum.

Join our Arts & Organizations Directory

Contact us at sjcc@historiccoastculture.com for assistance and inquiries.

Artist Opportunities & Funding

Auditions: Barnum

Flagler Playhouse is hosting auditions for Barnum, directed and choreographed by Terri Williams with musical direction by Jens Oliva on Sunday, January 22nd, and Monday, January 23rd at 6:30 PM. 

This show centers around the spectacle of the circus and encourages those of all talents- singers, actors, dancers, or circus performers to audition. 

Actors should prepare a one-minute vocal selection that shows off range and ability. Be prepared to perform any special tricks and do cold readings from the script. 

Tax Workshop for Arts Workers

Join SouthArts and Elaine Gorgan Luttrull as they host a virtual, informative tax workshop for creatives. 

This free workshop will review federal income tax basics for creative individuals, allowable deductions, and provide tips on saving interest on student loan payments and saving for retirement. This class will touch on 2023 tax form updates and conclude with tips for record keeping.

This virtual workshop will be held on January 26th at 11 AM EST.

Call to Artists: Faces & Figures

St. Augustine Art Association is accepting submissions for its February exhibit Faces & Figures. 

Artists should submit two original 2D or 3D works in any medium that detail the expressions of the human form through drawing studies, formal portraits, and other works that fit the theme of this juried show.

Applicants may submit the online application along with the $35 per piece jury fee by Monday, January 30th at 3 PM.

Funding Opportunity: Traditional Arts Touring Grants

SouthArts opens applications for its Traditional Arts Touring Grants with the goal to increase public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of Traditional Arts in the South. 

Traditional Arts include art forms that are indigenous to the region, reflect the traditions of migrant communities, and are maintained without formal instruction but rather taught through a mentor or apprenticeship.

Applicants must meet the requirements of a residency, two live educational components, at least one public presentation, and provide a 1:2 cash match. The online application for this project is due by February 15th at midnight.

Funding Opportunity: Professional Development & Artistic Planning Grant

SouthArts administers grants up to $1,000 to support artistic planning and professional development needs of Southern presenters, programmers, or curators. These grants can support staff travel expenses to conferences, festivals, exhibitions, workshops, or other professional development opportunities. 

Eligibility is limited to tax-exempt nonprofits, local, county, or state governments, or a federally-recognized tribal community within SouthArt's service area. Plans for the funds must be for new opportunities that relate to the applicant's work, provide a dollar-for-dollar cash match, and have a UEI. 

Online applications are accepted on a rolling deadline.

Auditions: Basically, Alabama

The Island Theatre in Fleming Island is hosting auditions for its new work, Basically, Alabama, directed by Abby Sampilo. Auditions for this show are on January 29th and 30th at 7 PM and the show runs April 21-30th.

Actors aged 16 and up are encouraged to bring a one-minute comedic monologue and be prepared to do cold readings from the script.

Lake Mary-Heathrow Festival of the Arts

Artist applications for the 36th Annual Lake Mary-Heathrow Festival of the Arts are now being accepted. This festival runs March 4 & 5 in Colonial Town Park, Lake Mary.

Both 2D and 3D artists are invited to this juried festival with awards totaling $10,000. There is also an arts show that does not compete for awards but allows artists to showcase their work.

Artists may submit their online application along with the $30 application fee by Tuesday, January 31st. 

Events from Historic Coast Culture

St. Johns Cultural Council Public Notices

Board Meetings and Office Hours

Our board meetings are open to the public and usually occur on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 5 PM. The next board meeting will be held on January 25th at The Waterworks, 184 San Marco Avenue.

Our offices are open at The Waterworks. Schedule an appointment or visit us Tuesdays through Thursdays 10 AM - 5 PM, and Fridays 10 AM - 3 PM. 

Contact us by email at sjcc@historiccoastculture.com.

The St. Johns Cultural Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local artists and arts organizations and to promoting St. Johns County as a premier destination for travelers interested in arts, culture, and heritage tourism.

The Cultural Council is funded through the generous support of our donors and in part by: