Sara Pedigo is a St. Augustine artist and Flagler College professor whose work has been exhibited in national and international galleries like Manifest Gallery, Arts on Douglas, and London’s National Portrait Gallery. Her artistic practice focuses on a search for contentment and pleasure in everyday surroundings stemming from a desire to generate gratitude for living. Pedigo says, “Collectively, my artworks serve as a testament to being both mentally and physically present in the world.” Light is highly influential to her work as it translates our perception of the world, giving color, form, and shape to our environment. Learn more about Sara and her work by visiting her artist profile.
NEA Announces Emergency Assistance for Homeowners & Renters
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) hasshared information of funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan which provides $21.6 billion to assist homeowners and renters experiencing housing insecurity. The NEA wants to ensure that artists and arts organizations are aware of the existing resources through the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, and how they can best be used to keep people in their homes. Arts practitioners and artists who have been experiencing housing instability, or are having trouble making rent or mortgage payments as a result of the coronavirus pandemic should know that they are not alone. Federal, state, and local governments are offering help with housing expenses and avoiding eviction. Click here to find relief options and more resources.
200th Anniversary Book Club Wednesday, August 18 & November 3
Join the St. Johns Cultural Council and the St. Johns County Public Library for a discussion of the book Mr. Flagler’s St. Augustine, Thomas Graham’s biography of one of America’s wealthiest men who spared no expense transforming the Nation’s Oldest City into a playground for America’s elite. This book club will be hosted via Zoom on Wednesday, August 18 at 6:30 PM. To register, email Harold George at hgeorge@sjcfl.us.
Join us via Zoom on Wednesday, November 3 for a discussion of Crossing the Creek: The Literary Friendship of Zora Neale Hurston and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Author Anna Lillios examines the productive and complex relationship between these two major literary figures whose friendship blossomed in St. Augustine. To register, contact Harold George via email at hgeorge@sjcfl.us.
5th Annual Sing Out Loud Festival Every weekend from September 10-26
Sing Out Loud returns to St. Augustine with more than one hundred live performances at multiple venues each weekend, making September the unofficial Month of Music in St. Johns County. Each year, the festival features free and ticketed concerts, plus artist workshops. The headlining acts of 2021 are TLC & Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Mayday Parade. Additional regional, national, and international acts will be announced soon!
Lightner Museum Exhibit Extended The Lightner Museum’s exhibit, St. Augustine in a New Light has recently been extended through September 20, 2021. Explore the work of American Impressionist painters who wintered in St. Augustine at the dawn of the 20th century. In the hands of American artists, Impressionism was subject to a variety of interpretations. While some painters adopted the modern subject matter, broken brushstrokes, fleeting atmospheric effects, and bright palette of the French Impressionists, others did not fully abandon their academic training. The advent of artist colonies fostered the growth of Impressionism as a movement and allowed artists to exchange ideas, collaborate, and experiment.
CERF+ COVID-19 Relief Grant Application Deadline Tuesday, August 31, 2021 The Artists Safety Net launched the fourth round of COVID-19 Relief Grants on August 10. The $1,000 grants are for artists working in craft disciplines who are facing dire circumstances due to food, housing, and/or medical insecurities as a result of the ongoing pandemic. . Priority will be given to Black, Indigenous, People of Color, as well as folk and traditional artists. Due to the magnitude of the pandemic, artists who have received a COVID-19 Relief Grant in a previous cycle are not eligible to receive another.
Atlantic Center for the Arts Artists-in-Residence Program Application Deadline Sunday, September 19, 2021 Atlantic Center for the Arts provides room and board for accepted artists, who will spend three weeks developing work with support from internationally renowned experts in visual arts, literature, music composition, and choreography. The next residency runs from February 13th through March 5th, 2022. Application fee is $25.
2021 Legacy Photo Contest Application Deadline Tuesday, August 31, 2021 Florida’s Birding and Photo Fest is accepting submissions of original bird, wildlife, or nature images for its annual Legacy Photo Contest. Applicants have a chance to win up to $750 from Hunt’s Photo & Video, plus additional People’s Choice prizes and a feature in the Festival’s 2022 promotions. The fee is $30 for up to two photos and $20 per additional entry. Applicants can submit up to five entries. Click here to learn more about the Young Birders Photo Contest, open to photographers under 18. Win up to $500 from Hunt’s Photo & Video and be featured on Florida Birding & Photo Fest’s social media page. Submit two color or black & white images for $10 and $5 for additional entries. Applicants can submit up to five entries.
ArtsFest 2022 Application Deadline Friday, October 1, 2021 The Arts Foundation for Martin County invites artists to apply to be an exhibitor at the 34th annual ArtsFest in Downtown Stuart, Florida. Since 1988, ArtsFest is a 2-day hometown celebration of local arts and culture, providing the area with exceptional fine art and craft exhibitors, culinary arts, hands-on activities for the family, and live musical and theatrical performances. The festival is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, February 12-13, 2022 from 10 AM to 5 PM. Application fee is $35.
IMAGES: Festival of the Arts Application Deadline Friday, October 15, 2021 The 46th Annual IMAGES: A Festival of the Arts will be held at Riverside Park in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The event attracts over 48,000 art enthusiasts and has one of the best Patron’s Programs in the Southeast with 240 members who spend over $200,000 each year on art purchases at the Festival. In addition, $28,300 in prize money is awarded. The festival is scheduled from Friday through Sunday, January 28-30, 2022. Application fee is $40.
Kookaburra’s August Makers MarketKookaburra BeachsideSaturday, August 14th 6-9 PM Shop local creatives for ceramics, macrame decor, apparel, and more.
ShepardFest 2021 Lewis AuditoriumAugust 13-15th Friday through Sunday Honor the life and work of American playwright, Sam Shepard with live productions, screenings, panels, and more
Concerts in the Plaza: TimberwoodPlaza de la ConstituciónThursday, August 19th 7-9 PM On Thursday, August 19, Timberwood plays in the Gazebo at the Plaza de la Constitución.
Mission Nombre de Dios Located in Uptown St. Augustine, the Mission traces its origins to the founding of our city. It was here that Pedro Menéndez de Avilés claimed the site for Spain and knelt to kiss a wooden cross presented to him by the expedition’s chaplain, Father López de Mendoza Grajales. This is also where the first parish Mass was held and established America’s first Mission. On October 10, a Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of La Leche has been granted by the Holy See as the first Marian Shrine in the United States, the fourth coronation of its kind in the country. A canonical coronation is a pious institutional act of the Pope, duly expressed in a Papal Bull, in which he bestows an ornamental crown, diadem, or halo to a Christological, Marian, or Josephian image or statue that is widely venerated in a particular diocese or locality.
Board Meetings and Office Hours Our board meetings are open to the public and usually occur on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 5:00 PM. Our next board meeting is scheduled for August 18th via Zoom. Our office is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM and at other times by appointment. 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 premiere 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:
Join the St. Johns Cultural Council and the St. Johns County Public Library for a discussion of the book Mr. Flagler’s St. Augustine, Thomas Graham’s biography of one of America’s wealthiest men who spared no expense transforming the Nation’s Oldest City into a playground for America’s elite. This book club will be hosted via Zoom on Wednesday, August 18 at 6:30 PM. To register, email Harold George at hgeorge@sjcfl.us. 
Join us via Zoom on Wednesday, November 3 for a discussion of Crossing the Creek: The Literary Friendship of Zora Neale Hurston and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Author Anna Lillios examines the productive and complex relationship between these two major literary figures whose friendship blossomed in St. Augustine. To register, contact Harold George via email at hgeorge@sjcfl.us.
Kookaburra’s August Makers Market Kookaburra Beachside Saturday, August 14th 6-9 PM Shop local creatives for ceramics, macrame decor, apparel, and more.
ShepardFest 2021 Lewis Auditorium August 13-15th Friday through Sunday Honor the life and work of American playwright, Sam Shepard with live productions, screenings, panels, and more
Concerts in the Plaza: Timberwood Plaza de la Constitución Thursday, August 19th 7-9 PM On Thursday, August 19, Timberwood plays in the Gazebo at the Plaza de la Constitución.
Wow! What a compilation of information! Thank you!