State of the Arts grants awarded

Historic City News has learned that, again the year, St Johns County residents purchasing Florida, “State of the Arts” license plates have helped fund micro-grants for artistic and cultural projects by non-profit groups, schools, and individual artists.  This year’s grants were officially distributed by pastor of Ancient City Baptist Church, Dr. David Rice; who currently serves as president of the Board of Directors of the St Johns Cultural Council.

Programming to expand, enhance and enrich culture in our community, for tap dancing, a new mosaic mural, painting and kids’ art programs, a documentary, dance, music, and drama, were made possible because of the scholarships given to eleven community groups

“Twenty dollars from each tag sold in St Johns County may be used to help fund these artists,” said Andy Witt, Executive Director of the Council.  “What a privilege it is for the Council to be able to give these awards to individual artists and schools as these funds are not restricted to the larger groups already receiving Tourist Development Council funds.”

The grants were awarded at the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum; on the campus of Flagler College on Sevilla Street.

Recipients included:

• Moises Sztylerman for Justice 1964. This project commemorates the largest known mass arrest of Rabbis which happened here in St. Augustine fifty years ago as they sought to assist Dr. Martin Luther King in the civil rights struggle.

 

• Raina Greening for the Fruit Cove Mission School mural which she hopes will encourage students to become well rounded citizens of the world.

 

• The Limelight Theatre’s Kidzfactory Jungle Book summer program. Executive Director, Beth Lambert, introduced Limelight’s new Director of Education, Courtney Grile. Grile said “This grant enables us to give four scholarships to kids not able to attend otherwise!”

 

• The St. Augustine Orchestra’s String Education Outreach Youth Project.

 

• Art & Archaeology Garden and Dig Site at Palencia Elementary.

 

• Individual mosaics for Hartley, Palencia and Crookshank Elementary Schools executed by Manila Clough.

 

• The Boys and Girls Clubs will be able to purchase ballet bars for their project The Discovery of Dance for Disadvantaged Youth.

 

• The Friends of the Library’s grant will go toward Part II of their Painting with Acrylics for Beginners program.

 

• The Council on Aging received a grant for their tap dance classes.

 

• Ann Popik’s grant will go toward her effort to bring the AXIS Dance Company to Cunningham Creek Elementary. Cunningham Creek educates about fifty per cent of the County’s disabled children. Axis has been performing physically integrated dance between dancers with and without disabilities for twenty seven years.

 

• Artist Nancy Christensen got her grant to help fund her Arts Culture Education (ACE) program for children.