Ancient City Art Walk
- Producer Picks
- May 10, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: May 28, 2021
With 456 years of history, St. Augustine, FLA is an irresistible destination for modern-day explorers. This Ancient City has long been a magnet for artists and creative minds, so finding artistic inspiration is easy. The First Friday Art Walk is one way St. Augustine celebrates art.
In its picture-perfect setting overlooking the Matanzas Bay and within eyesight of the Atlantic Ocean, St. Augustine hugs the northeast coast of Florida. A 30-minute drive south from Jacksonville, and a little over an hour’s drive north from Daytona lands you in this jewel of a town.
So, when’s the best time to visit St. Augustine? Producer Tip; Before you book a destination, check out the activities happening each month. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? But it’s often overlooked. Not only will this help you determine the time of year to visit it may impact your level of enjoyment once you arrive. Festivals, holidays, and celebrations can mean lots of people, higher prices, and busier than normal museums, eateries, shops, and pedestrian streets. A quick calendar events check before-hand gives you a travel advantage and keeps you in focus on cultural events that may catch your interest.
My favorite time of year to visit St. Augustine are the early Spring and late Fall months when the weather is a bit cooler, and the crowds are scaled back from the heavy summer and winter holiday months. And, if you want to experience St. Augustine’s creative side, mark your calendar for the First Friday Art Walk.
First Friday Art Walk takes place the first Friday of each month year-round and is sponsored by the Art Galleries of St. Augustine (AGOSA). More than 30 art galleries open their doors from 5pm – 9pm, rain or shine. This free art “open house” showcases the city’s eclectic collection of galleries – contemporary, traditional, and everything in between. You’ll see works by accomplished local, state, and national artists, along with international favorites like Salvador Dali, you may even spot a few Masters, a Rembrandt and Renoir thrown in for good measure.
Download the Art Walk map and you’ll find that most galleries are walkable within the city’s historic district from Aviles Street, King Street, Charlotte Street to St. George Street. A short drive across the Bridge of Lions to Anastasia Island and the beaches offer a few more art spaces to explore. Whichever galleries you decide to wander into, you won’t be disappointed by the quality of their art or the hospitality of their owners. You may even meet a featured artist or two.
So where do you start? Here are a few of my favorite galleries.
Plum Art Gallery: 10 Aviles Street
My hands-down favorite gallery. I appreciate its design, its flow, and every time I step inside, I’m inspired by its curated and eclectic collection.
Featured artists include - Thomas Long, his colorful hand-blown glass wall sculptures are simply stunning…Claire Kendrick, her expansive marsh landscapes are a picture window view I’d love to have…Barbara Cornett creates whimsical figurative sculptures out of discarded bits of wood, plastic, fibers, and rusted metal objects – they’ll make you smile.
Plum Pop Up Gallery: 212c Charlotte Street
Around the corner from Plum is Plum Pop-Up, a permanent exhibit space for Worley Favor, a potter with extraordinary vision. Worley creates earthenware in the manner of ancient southwestern Native American potters. He doesn’t use a potter’s wheel, his pieces are hand-coiled and textured using natural tools like stone, walnut shells, coral, and feathers. Truly one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Someday I hope my bookcase will hold a small piece of pottery by Worley Favor.
Jenna Alexander Studio (& Sunday Gathering Table): 73 San Marco Avenue
Everything about Jenna’s art space is pleasantly surprising. Located in a restored historic home in St. Augustine’s Uptown area, it is part artist studio, part exhibit gallery, and part café called Sunday Gathering Table - a cool, clean, delicious environment. Drawings and paintings are Jenna’s forte. Her artistic inspiration comes from her memories associated with mundane everyday things. Jenna’s “Nap Botanicals Series" are chalk pastels inspired by the creative time she enjoyed while her newborn son napped. Jenna’s work is colorful, detailed, and delicate. And there is artistry on the menu at Sunday Gathering Table too – order the “BLAT”, Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato on freshly made, toasted sourdough bread.
Sea Spirits Gallery: 210 St. George Street
This gallery is like stepping inside the sea and experiencing all its magic. Located south of the plaza on a quieter section of St. George Street, this aquamarine-colored art space exhibits a sea-inspired collection of fine art and handcrafted items. Check out their collection of 2,000-year-old ancient Roman glass jewelry.
11 Aviles Street Arts and Craftsmen Guild: 11 Aviles Street
Make it a point to start or end your evening of art on Aviles Street. It’s the oldest mapped street in the U.S. and it’s become St. Augustine’s most eclectic arts district. This brick pedestrian-only thoroughfare transports you into what looks like a quaint European village street. Halfway down on your left you’ll find a collection of galleries nestled together in the Hamblen-Holiday Building (circa 1885). This picturesque historic structure has been the epicenter of St. Augustine’s art community since the 1930’s. Today it’s home to the 11 Aviles Street Arts and Craftsmen Guild, which includes art galleries on the street level and artists’ lofts on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Street side galleries include; Georgia Nick Gallery, Aviles Gallery, Dan Holiday Leather, Joel Bagnal Goldsmith, there’s even an antique map store called Bouvier Maps & Prints.
If you time your visit to Aviles Street just at magic hour the soft colors of the setting sun paint the sky and cast a warm glow down onto the outdoor cafes and wine bars and the light illuminating from within the colorful galleries welcomes you to step inside. It makes for a magical evening of art.
First Friday Art Walk is a treasured tradition in St. Augustine. This ancient city with its storied past and colorful history has long kept art in its heart and soul and on the first Friday of each month the local art community rolls out the welcome mat and shares its artistic appreciation with all who wander through its galleries.
Travel Tips
· To map your First Friday Art Walk, check out:
https://www.artgalleriesofstaugustine.com/ and the Art Galleries of St. Augustine (AGOSA) social media channels.
(Please note that times and galleries may be adjusted due to COVID restrictions)
· Parking? Metered street parking is free after 5pm, but good luck with that. My parking lot tip is Trinity Episcopal Church at the corner of St. George Street and Artillery Lane, one block south of King Street. It’s $10 but a good deal and you’re just steps from the galleries on Aviles Street.
· Ripley’s Red Sightseeing Trains and The Old Town Trolleys do offer free shuttle service at designated drop-off and pick-up points throughout First Friday Art Walk, providing easy access to most downtown member galleries.
· St. Augustine has a long list of accolades. In 2020, Women’s Day Magazine listed St. Augustine as one of the “18 American Destinations that Look Like Europe”. Pretty cool!
· End your Art Walk evening at 8 Aviles Street and order a Peace Pie – the best ice cream sandwich treat!
· Don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes!
· For everything St. Augustine, check out: https://www.visitstaugustine.com/
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