In its tenth year promoting
and producing performing arts and cultural events in St. Augustine, the Romanza
Organization will now support smaller, yet noteworthy, independent cultural
projects. Known for its highly acclaimed
Romanza Festivale, the organization wants to further induce the development of
new and excellent cultural offerings.
Each year, Romanza will grant 3 to 5 awards to performers, artists, bands,
troupes, and cultural organizations. Awards
will range from $500 to $2,000 each, in support of selected arts and culture
activities that show excellence.
“All of us at Romanza are extremely grateful to members of the St. Augustine
community for the support we have received throughout the years. This is our
way of giving back” stated Albert Syeles, Director of the Romanza.
Applications for 2020 must be submitted before November 1, 2019. The events receiving funding must take place
the following year EXCEPT during festival season - the months of March, April,
and May. All activities must take place
in St. Augustine.
This is the Last Week for all artists,
groups and organizations with projects in the music, dance, visual arts, and
film/video/media disciplines to apply. For
more information about this award, visit HERE.
Despite the devastation from Hurricane Irma, the Cummer
Museum of Arts & Gardens is honored to announce that it has received
two awards in the 2017 Museums Publications Design Competition of the American Alliance of Museums.
The Museum received Second Prize in the
Annual Report category, as well as an Honorable Mention in the Book category for
“The Chef’s Canvas."
The Museum’s annual report is a collection of stories and descriptions of
events, exhibitions, and programs hosted by the Museum over the past year. It highlights the accomplishments and the impact
of the Museum on the community, from exhibitions such as LIFT: Contemporary Expressions of the
African American Experience to
education programs like Cummer in the Classroom. The Museum utilizes the report as an
opportunity for transparency and to spotlight the outcomes of the work it does
for its constituents. The annual report
was designed by Wingard Creative and printed by Agility Press, Inc. Photography
for the report was done by local photographers Ingrid Damiani and Dennis Ho.
The Chef’s Canvas is a
beautifully-designed coffee table cookbook celebrating the Museum’s diverse
collection of art and the abundant talent of local chefs. Each dish was inspired by a work of art each
chef selected from the Museum’s collection. The artwork chosen spans a wide range of
artistic styles, and the paired food dishes are just as beautifully diverse. Each recipe includes a statement from the chef
about the inspiration for their dish, the work of art chosen, and a beautiful
image of the finished dish. The book is a
way of connecting the art and culinary worlds of Northeast Florida in a unique
and compelling way. “The Chef’s Canvas”
project was managed by Cari Sanchez-Potter and Emily Moody, designed by Varick
Rosete, photographed by Agnes Lopez, and printed by The Hartley Press.
Cummer Museum of
Art & Gardens
829 Riverside Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32204
(904) 356-6857
Hours of Operation & Admission
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is honored to announce it has won the
Gold award from the 2017 Southeastern Museum Conference (SEMC) Exhibition
Competition for LIFT: Contemporary
Expressions of the African American Experience. The competition focuses on
exhibitions that are well designed, have educational value, and treat objects
with care and respect, showcasing the best in the profession and providing
benchmarks for the regional exhibition efforts in southeastern museums. The
award was presented to the Museum on September 12, 2017, in the under $25,000
budget category.
LIFT was a collection of works by 10
local artists responding to Jacksonville’s rich artistic African American
heritage, and focused on creating an artful platform to discuss issues around
race, equity, and community. Participating artists created works utilizing the
original lyrics to “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” a hymn written by Jacksonville natives
James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900 for a celebration of
Lincoln’s birthday. The works included abstract emotional responses,
traditional portraiture, and even completely non-objective pieces. These new
works challenged and inspired, giving way to contemporary views of the lyrics
and social relevance to the Johnson brothers’ masterpiece. LIFT was on display at the Museum from June 14, 2016 through
February 12, 2017.
“There were a total of 18 applicants to the Exhibition Competition this year. I
coordinated the 2017 Exhibition Competition as the Southeastern Museums
Council regional representative for the Curators Committee of the American
Alliance of Museums,” said Denise Drury Homewood, Chair of SEMC 2017
Exhibition Competition & Executive Director of the John
W. Bardo Fine & Performing Arts Center.
The SEMC Exhibition Competition honors curatorial excellence in
museums across the Southeast. Awarded institutions, like the Cummer Museum
of Art & Gardens, were selected by a committee of three professionals in
the museum field using a criteria based on the American Alliance of
Museum’s 2012 ‘Standards for Museum Exhibitions and Indicators of Excellence’.
The Southeastern Museum Conference is a networking organization that serves to
foster professionalism, mutual support, and communication. The SEMC is an
association of museums, museum staff, independent professionals, and corporate
partners in 14 states, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. As a
nonprofit membership association, SEMC strives to increase educational and
professional development opportunities and improve the interchange of ideas,
information, and cooperation. The organization seeks to encourage diversity and
foster mutual respect and collegiality, and develop new initiatives within the
larger context of the profession.
Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
829 Riverside Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32204
(904) 356-6857
Hours of Operation & Admission
