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New Interactive Mural Unveiled in Hastings
The St. Johns Cultural Council and Hastings Main Street have unveiled a new interactive mural in downtown Hastings by internationally acclaimed artist Kelsey Montague, offering residents and visitors a vibrant new way to engage with the region’s farming heritage. The interactive piece officially opened to the public on Friday, May 30, at 415 N. Main Street, and marks Montague’s first agricultural-themed work in Northeast Florida
Best known for her #WhatLiftsYou series and Taylor Swift’s iconic “wings” mural in Nashville, Montague brings her signature style to this historic farming town through a vibrant design featuring native crops, local wildlife, and a vegetable cart pulled by a real bicycle
This mural was made possible with community support and funding from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council. Click here to learn more.
RFQ: Public Art Master Plan
The St. Johns Cultural Council is seeking a consultant or a team of consultants to prepare a Public Art Master Plan that aligns with the vision and goals of St. Johns County.
The plan should engage visitors and residents, and inspire elected officials, business leaders, and the community to invest in and promote strategies outlined in the plan. Learn more.
Holiday Closures
The St. Johns Cultural Council and The Waterworks will be closed on Thursday, June 19th, in observance of Juneteenth.
Offices will also be closed from Monday, June 30th, through Monday, July 7th, for cleaning and the July 4th holiday. Staff will work remotely during these days.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Plein Air Social: Fort Mose
Join fellow plein air artists at the newly constructed Fort Mose replica on Saturday, June 14th from 9-11 AM.
Surfaces must be stamped before painting. Completed works are eligible for submission to an upcoming Art in Public Spaces exhibition.
St. Augustine Music Festival
Cathedral Basilica
Sparky & Rhonda Rucker
The Waterworks
Comedy Writing with an SNL Writer
Third Space Improv (virtual)
The Magnolia Season by Lenny Foster
Lightner Museum
FUNDING & ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES
Florida Legacy Arts Mural
The City of Sarasota Public Art Program is seeking an artist or artist team to design and install a large-scale mural at the corner of 10th Street and Osprey Avenue, on the exterior of a residential building adjacent to Gillespie Park. The budget is $45,000.
The mural must respond to the theme Florida Flora and Fauna, with a focus on local and native bird species. Artists are encouraged to propose nature-inspired, site-specific designs that thoughtfully incorporate the wall’s distinctive window layout and complement the surrounding neighborhood.
100 Voices of Florida
Writers, directors, and producers can receive up to $5,000 in unrestricted funds for their short film or script. 100 Voices of Florida also provides a meeting with industry professionals and one-on-one career coaching based on your needs.
2025 WOPHA Research Fellowship Program
The WOPHA Research Fellowship supports exemplary research by emerging and established writers examining themes related to women and non-binary voices in photography. It facilitates the creation of scholarly essays while supporting authors through access to mentorship, networking, and publication opportunities.
The fellowship, conducted remotely from September to December, includes round-trip airfare to and from Miami and a 15-day residency at The Betsy Hotel. Writers receive a $2,000 stipend and mentorship tailored to their interests.
Center for Contemporary Printmaking Residency
This residency provides space for artists to produce a body of work using traditional and innovative printmaking techniques at the Helen Frankenthaler Cottage in Norwalk, Connecticut, in the winter and summer seasons.
Sculpture on the Lawn 2026
The Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs and the Public Art Review Board invite artists to submit work – existing or conceptual – for the 11th annual Sculpture on the Lawn exhibition, an outdoor display featured at the entrance to the Orange County Administration Center in the heart of downtown Orlando where the works are visible to approximately 10,000 people daily.
Sculpture on the Lawn is open to experienced professional sculptors as well as students and emerging artists who specialize in the design, construction, and installation of outdoor sculptures. Up to four sculptures will be selected for display from January 2026 to January 2027. Selected artist will receive a $5,000 commission.
2026 Grand Canyon Artist in Residence
Each year, the Grand Canyon National Park selects three artists to live and work on the South Rim for 3-10 weeks while they create works that speak to climate resiliency, environmental sciences, natural and cultural histories, and historical interpretation and preservation. Inspiring and resourceful artists who engage contemporary, interactive, immersive, and/or socially engaged methods are called to make positive environmental and cultural impacts through their work.
2025 Liu Shiming Artist Grants
Designed to support the work of visual artists during the first decade of their careers, the Liu Shiming Artist Grants support the creation or completion of new projects that explore the interplay between traditional cultural or historical influences and contemporary artistic practice. Each year, up to five artists are selected to receive a $5,000 grant.
Ox-Bow Culinary Artist Residency
This unique two-part program is designed to support and elevate culinary artists working at the intersection of food and art. Participation is not limited to creators with traditional fine arts training, but open to anyone who identifies as having a creative practice that considers food material, whether as research, or as a conceptual, sculptural, performative, and/or event-based practice.
OUR MISSION:
To support local artists and arts organizations, and promote St. Johns County as a premier arts destination where the lives of both residents and visitors are enriched through art, culture, history, and heritage.
BOARD MEETINGS & 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 on June 25, 2025 at
The Waterworks, 184 San Marco Avenue.
Our offices are open at The Waterworks. You can schedule an appointment or visit us Tuesdays through Thursdays 10 AM to 5 PM, and Fridays 10 AM to 3 PM.
Contact us by email at sjcc@historiccoastculture.com.
This arts and culture newsletter is funded in part by the organizations listed below and through the generous support of our stakeholders.
