This Week’s Recommended EventsFrom the St. Johns Cultural Council
Through June 12th, Limelight Theatre presents Little Women, a captivating musical filled with personal discovery, heartache, hope, and everlasting love. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s American classic, this Civil War story of love and family stands the test of time. General admission is $27.
Cinderella by Zoika’s Dance On Wednesday, June 8th, Zoika’s Dance presents two performances ofCinderella at Lewis Auditorium at 2 PM and 7 PM. Professional dancers bring this classic fairy tale alive with vibrant contemporary styles including ballet, hip-hop, tap, and ballroom. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased online.
History on the Streets Timeline Saunter On Saturday, June 11th, Historic Florida Militia brings its living history interpreters to St. George Street to share the rich and diverse history of St. Augustine with residents and visitors. Meet the interpreters in authentic Colonial costumes at the Spanish Bakery at 5:30 PM to ask questions and take photos. This event is free and made possible with support from the St. Johns Cultural Council.
On Display
Inspired by her experiences strolling the streets of St. Augustine and crossing paths with locals along the way, Beyond the Crowds showcases Martha Ferguson’s intimate vision of the Ancient City. Martha’s impressionistic works begin as Plein Air studies then she refines them on a larger scale in her studio. In her paintings, she effortlessly captures the charming, quiet streets of St. Augustine that tourists might not think to explore. “My inspiration comes from the familiar subjects that surround me. I love to paint the scenes of old, gritty towns, capturing the feel of the area and the locals that walk through the quaint streets. I am often drawn to architecture and the way the light comes through the subject.” Through July 22nd, Martha Ferguson’s series Beyond the Crowds will be on display in the East Room Gallery at the Lightner Museum as part of the Lightner Local Artists Initiative. With support from the Benjamin and Jean Troemel Arts Foundation, Lightner Local showcases the talented painters of Northeast and Central Florida.
Artist Opportunities & Funding
Call for Artists: Endless Summer Group Exhibition Arts on Douglas is accepting submissions for its annual Endless Summer exhibition. Florida artists are invited to submit work that demonstrates their interpretation of summer ideals, memories, or perceptions of the season. The deadline to submit is Sunday, June 19th at midnight.
Film Florida Friday: Drone Production & More On June 10th at 9:30 AM, Film Florida will host a panel of drone cinematographers to discuss drone production in addition to other aspects of field production. This virtual event is free, but registration is required.
Call for Artists: ACA Soundscape Field Station Artist Residency ACA Soundscape Field Station at Canaveral National Seashore is a partnership between Atlantic Center for the Arts and Canaveral National Seashore. It is the first of its kind in the United States dedicated to the preservation of natural sound, following in the tradition of other types of successful US National Park Service artist-in-residence programs located in more than 100 parks throughout the country. Apply by June 30th.
Anita Wetzel Residency Grant The Anita Wetzel Residency Grant is a new opportunity focused on mature artists (ages 45 and up) to create new work. The residency provides artists with 4–6 weeks to work in Women’s Studio Workshop’s intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screen printing, darkroom photography, or ceramics studios. Selected artists will also receive a stipend of $350/week, up to $500 for materials, and up to $250 toward travel. Apply by August 1, 2022.
Events from Historic Coast Culture
Music & Art by the Sea: Josh Stewart Band – June 8 Every Wednesday until September 21st, enjoy free concerts at the St. Johns County Pier.
Exhibition: Undercurrents
Ten international artists explore the human condition in the midst of climate change. Thru June 17
West King Wednesdays: All Day
Every third Wednesday, businesses share the community and culture of the West King area. June 15
• • NEW WEBSITE• •SAMF has a new website. We have tried to make it easier to navigate. We are working hard to provide you with valuable information about SAMF, upcoming programs, program notes, artist spotlights, SAMF past performances and SAMF news. As always, there is a button to donate and support SAMF. I need not tell you that just like everyone we are experiencing rising costs. This year is more challenging than most and we appreciate and need your support. To those who have already answered the call, again, Thank-you.
Celebrate Juneteenth 2022 with the LMCC!
Juneteenth celebrates the news of emancipation and liberty reaching enslaved people in Galveston, Tx on June 19th, 1865. This year, the LMCC will be commemorating the newest federal holiday by celebrating the pursuit of liberty and human rights by local civil rights activists. Please join us in a variety of events that celebrate our local legacy of freedom.
June 11th 2:30-4:00 p.m. at the LMCC – Free screening of Clennon King’s civil rights documentary, Passage at St. Augustine. The film will be followed by a discussion with the audience. Space is limited, so arriving early is recommended.
June 18th at 10:00 a.m. at the LMCC– Dedication Ceremony for the F. W. Woolworth’s Lunch Counter in the Museum’s civil rights exhibit.
June 18th at 11:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m at Casa Monica Resort and Spa – The Heritage Luncheon celebrates local activism in St. Augustine. Tickets are $150 and include a plated lunch. The program includes remarks from civil rights activist, J. T. Johnson. Proceeds from the luncheon will support the furnishing of the newly-renovated spaces in the museum. Tickets are limited, so purchase yours today! Get Your Tickets Now! About the Speaker: J.T. Johnson, a native of Albany, Georgia, joined the civil rights movement in 1963 when he began working in southwest Georgia with Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). A gifted local and regional athlete who, in the segregated South, had not been allowed to compete for athletic scholarships at white universities, J.T. attended Albany State College but soon left Georgia for New York and later Northern New Jersey. Returning to his hometown at the height of the Albany movement, he witnessed first hand the power of nonviolent direct action and understood the great potential of the civil rights movement and its strategies for social change. After Albany, J.T. continued his work with SCLC in St. Augustine, Florida where he integrated the pool at Monson’s Motor Lodge, into which acid was poured as soon as he dived into it. The film footage of the acid pouring after J.T.’s pool jump generated both national and international media attention so that within weeks of the St. Augustine movement, the 1964 Civil Rights Bill was passed. As project director for SCLC, J.T. continued to work with Hosea Williams, Andrew Young, C.T. Vivian and Martin Luther King, Jr. in all of the major movements throughout the south and continued his work with the SCLC well into the 1970s.
Welcome to the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center
National Preservation Month is recognized in May, but with a number of sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, we celebrate historic preservation year-round in St. Johns County! With Juneteenth just around the corner, we are closing our Preservation Month series by introducing you to the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center. Its rich history begins in the historic neighborhood of Lincolnville and the exhibits inside tell over 450 years of Black history in St. Augustine. Read on for more sites, events, and restaurants nearby.
Located in the historic Lincolnville neighborhood at 102 Martin Luther King Avenue, the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center traces the city’s Black history back to the enslaved people who fled the Carolinas, through the Civil War, and the Civil Rights era. In the former building of Excelsior High School, St. Augustine’s first Black public high school, the exhibits explore the contributions of African Americans in defense, music, business, and more throughout the city’s 450 years of history. The site of the museum has been a Black educational center since “School #2” opened in 1901 as the city’s only school for Black students. By 1919, the community outgrew the old wooden structure and asked the school board to construct a new building, which was denied. Residents raised money and requested a match for repairs. The school board rejected requests for five years. Finally, in 1925, St. Augustine’s leading architect Fred A. Henderich was hired to design a lasting masonry structure in the Mediterranean Revival Style. Henderich was a New York City native but had worked in St. Augustine for twenty years where he designed the Plaza Bandstand, Florida Normal College, the Visitors Center, and the iconic Bridge of Lions. Excelsior High School was completed just as construction began for the Bridge of Lions in 1927.
As St. Augustine’s first Black public high school, Excelsior nurtured many of the city’s best educators, nurses, and athletes, including NFL’s Willie “The Wisp” Galimore – running back for the Chicago Bears from 1957-63 whose jersey number was retired in 1964. The school closed in 1968 after integration and operated as office space for decades. By 1979, it was derelict and slated for demolition until the African American community came together to save the building and revive it as a cultural center and museum.
In 1991, the building’s historic significance was recognized when the Lincolnville neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While the county used the building for office space, the main portion of the first floor was first used as a museum in 2000. Former St. Johns County Superintendent Otis Mason and other prominent African American leaders formed Friends of the Excelsior in 2005 to start the museum. Its first exhibition opened in 2007 and was titled The Way We Were which featured a photographic history of the Lincolnville neighborhood and Excelsior alumni. By 2011, the county moved offices and the Friends were given the master lease to the building. Under new leadership since 2015, the board sought new support for restoration, setting its sights on federal grants specific to African American museums to upgrade exhibits and programming. Visit the museum Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Lincolnville Lifeways Take an intimate look at the people and places from the early 20th Century that contributed to the cultural fabric of the Lincolnville neighborhood. Learn more about crusaders, pioneers, and provocateurs, then follow their footsteps to the Emancipation parade or perhaps step into the Odd Fellow’s Hall for a jazz show featuring the legendary Ray Charles. Click the link below for more exhibits on view.
Dedication of Woolworth’s Lunch Counter In the 1960s, the Woolworth counter was the site of a sit-in protest against segregation. A number of students were arrested and offered freedom under the condition they would take no part in future protests. Four students, known as The St. Augustine Four, were jailed and sent to reform school by the judge upon rejection of these terms. The counter was recently added to the museum’s exhibits and will be dedicated at the Lincolnville Museum on June 18th from 10-11 AM. This event is free.
Celebrate Juneteenth 2022 with the LMCC!
Get Your Tickets Now! 
Located in the historic Lincolnville neighborhood at 102 Martin Luther King Avenue, the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center traces the city’s Black history back to the enslaved people who fled the Carolinas, through the Civil War, and the Civil Rights era. In the former building of Excelsior High School, St. Augustine’s first Black public high school, the exhibits explore the contributions of African Americans in defense, music, business, and more throughout the city’s 450 years of history. The site of the museum has been a Black educational center since “School #2” opened in 1901 as the city’s only school for Black students. By 1919, the community outgrew the old wooden structure and asked the school board to construct a new building, which was denied. Residents raised money and requested a match for repairs. The school board rejected requests for five years. Finally, in 1925, St. Augustine’s leading architect Fred A. Henderich was hired to design a lasting masonry structure in the Mediterranean Revival Style. Henderich was a New York City native but had worked in St. Augustine for twenty years where he designed the Plaza Bandstand, Florida Normal College, the Visitors Center, and the iconic Bridge of Lions. Excelsior High School was completed just as construction began for the Bridge of Lions in 1927.
