St. Augustine Florida BLOG

by Ladonna Eastman

Native Traditions Gallery announces new walking history tours of the city from a different perspective. Join us for “Saint Augustine Through Native Eyes” Walking Tours every Saturday.

When:     Saturdays  11am and 7pm  RAIN OR SHINE
Where:    Tours begin at Native Traditions Gallery, 51-C Cordova St., St. Augustine, FL
Cost:       $12 per adult; $6 children 6 - 12 yrs, and 5 and under are FREE
Contact:  904-808-7361 for ticket information

Visit our web site at http://www.nativetraditionsgallery.moonfruit.com !

by Wendy Philcox - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

As part of national volunteer appreciation month, this all-volunteer organization honored its “Helping Hands” with a presentation and buffet breakfast hosted by La Cocina International Restaurant on Wednesday, April 29.

St. Augustine, FL —More than 25 volunteers for the Children’s Museum of St. Johns, a not-for-profit organization with plans to open a hands-on, interactive museum for children, attended a breakfast in their honor. Board and committee members, members of the newly formed Presidential Advisory Council, and exhibit and event volunteers alike gathered to reflect upon accomplishments since the organization was founded in February of 2007 and look forward to its ultimate goal—becoming a bricks and mortar institution serving and enhancing the community within the next 2 to 4 years. Read the rest of this entry »

by Wendy Philcox

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 6:30-8 p.m.
Wine & Dine Wednesday Fundraiser at Zhanras
Zhanras Art & Eats (the event will be held in Sidney’s Cigar & Martini Bar at Zhanra’s)
108 Anastasia Boulevard - St. Augustine, Florida

On Wednesday, May 13 from 6:30-8 p.m., Zhanras is hosting a Wine & Dine Wednesday fundraiser. Have some fun, enjoy some wine and tapas, and live music by the band, This May Hurt a Bit, featuring local doctors Stu Soroka, Will Barlow, and Mike Barlow. Tickets are $25 and proceeds benefit CMSJ. Drop by after work, bring a friend, and help support the Children’s Museum. Reservations are encouraged but tickets may be purchased at the door; call Lauren Abell at (904) 797-7243 or e-mail info@explorecmsj.org to reserve tickets in advance. For more information about Zhanras, visit www.zhanras.com.

by Wendy Philcox

On Saturday, May 30 at 8:30 a.m., the Children’s Museum of St. Johns, in conjunction with St. Johns County and the City of St. Augustine, will present “Just TRI it! A Kid’s Triathlon” for kids ages 6-12. This event is being held both to raise funds for CMSJ and to promote the importance of exercise and good nutrition for children. Please help us spread the word about this event by encouraging your own children to participate (if eligible) and by forwarding this page to friends and colleagues!

Event Information
The triathlon will consist of a swim, a bike ride, and a run, with distances adjusted for each age group (6-7, 8-10 and 11-12). The starting point for the triathlon will be the pool at the Willie Galimore Center at 399 Riberia Street in downtown St. Augustine. A short leg of the bike portion of the triathlon will take place at the very end of Riberia Street, however, most of the the bike and run portions of the triathlon will take place on the grounds of the Galimore Center and ball field. Please see the downloadable flyer and registration form for more details. Read the rest of this entry »

by Susan Connor

A Gift to CMSJ is a Gift to the Community or “All I Want for Christmas is… A Children’s Museum!”

To all who have made or are thinking about making a gift to become a Founding Member of the Children’s Museum of St. Johns, thank you so much for your financial support!

Without you, CMSJ would still be just an idea in the minds of a few individuals in our community. Instead, we are a rapidly growing organization actively pursuing our mission with two exhibits already developed-one based on Timucuan Indians and the other on the science and art of bubbles-to provide a hands-on educational experience for our children in St. Johns County.

Since CMSJ began actively raising funds in September 2007, I am pleased to report that more than 110 individuals, families, businesses, and organizations have made contributions totaling over $35,000 in seed funding raised to date. This remarkable generosity combined with words of encouragement from so many of you keeps those of us on the Board of Directors energized to make this museum a reality.

I invite you to take a moment to click here to view our list of Founding Members and Donors to date. If you or your organization is not yet listed here, we hope you will consider joining us by making a gift to CMSJ soon. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, all contributions to CMSJ are tax-deductible. Memberships are available at levels ranging from $50 to $1,000, and all donors giving $1,000 or more will be recognized on a permanent plaque inside the eventual museum facility. Memberships and/or gifts may also be made in honor or memory of someone special (children, teachers, grandchildren, etc.).  Click here to download CMSJ’s membership form, which includes additional information on how and where to make a gift.

In this season of giving, we are especially grateful to all of the donors who are nurturing this fledgling organization. With your continued support, we look forward to opening the doors of a world-class children’s museum right here in St. Johns County in the near future.

All the Best,

Susan Connor
Vice President and Chair, Fundraising Committee

by Wendy Philcox

On Saturday, October 25, the Children’s Museum of St. Johns (CMSJ) will debut its newest hands-on, interactive activity for children at Ancient City Kids Day, a festival for children sponsored by EPIC Community Services. CMSJ, a  not-for-profit organization that seeks to open a hands-on, interactive museum for children located in St. Johns County, will join numerous other family-focused organizations sponsoring booths at the festival featuring numerous activities and games for children, food, and performing arts.

“The Great Bubble Blow-Out” is literally a “festival of bubbles,” according to exhibit designer and CMSJ board member Charlene Cross, and will be featured at CMSJ’s “museum without walls”—a series of tents pitched on the grounds of the Francis Special Events Field in downtown St. Augustine.

Kids will rotate to various “bubble stations” where they can make monster (huge) bubbles, body bubbles, bubble windows, and skeleton bubbles. There they can experiment with different utensils— including just their hands—to blow all kinds of bubbles, learn bubble “magic” tricks, and even make a bubble as big as they are. Read the rest of this entry »

by Kathy Weed 

CMSJ is excited to be getting back in the “swing of things” after a brief summer break!  We have a new set of officers and a great year of fun, educational events planned.

We are currently in need of Volunteers on October 25, 2008 for Ancient City Kids Day. We will be working in two hour shifts from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM at our newest exhibit, The Big Bubble Blowout!

If you are interested in helping out at this event, please reply to info@explorecmsj.org and I will get in touch with you to schedule a time for you.  We will be having a Volunteer meeting to briefly review what your role will be at this event.  We would like to have the meeting no later than the 2nd week in October.

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm!  I look forward to speaking with you soon!

Sincerely yours,

Kathy C. Weed
Founding Board Member
Volunteer Coordinator, CMSJ

by Wendy Philcox

From CMSJ’s first public fundraising event, to another opportunity to present our “museum without walls” at the Lighthouse Festival, to the county’s first ever triathlon just for kids, to a series of Community Roundtable Discussions held throughout St. Johns County, the past three months have been jam-packed with events that have brought a tremendous amount of awareness for the Children’s Museum of St. Johns.

“To date, we’ve raised nearly $35,000,” says Susan Connor, CMSJ’s treasurer and a professional fundraiser who is on hiatus to raise her two small children. “That’s a remarkable accomplishment in a short period of time and indicates a real passion on the part of the community for this organization to exist.” Susan is chair of CMSJ’s fundraising committee, which organized both the “Leap Day at the Whitney” event and “Just TRI It! A Kids Triathlon.” Following is a recap of both fundraisers and the other events CMSJ has hosted or participated in to create awareness for this very exciting project-starting a hands-on, interactive center for kids in St. Johns County!

Susan chairs CMSJ’s outstanding Fundraising
Committee which includes: Lauren Abell,
Melanie Calder, Donna Kelley, Elena Laguardia, Amy Peterson, John Peterson, and Nancy Thompson.

To volunteer or contribute to CMSJ visit www.explorecmsj.org

by LaDonna Eastman

Sunday June 22, 2008 —- Announcing Every Women’s Arts and Crafts SUMMER Festival at the St. Augustine Pier Beach Pavilion on Sunday June 22, 2008 – 10am to 5pm!

Local and regional artists display and sell a variety of fine art and hand-crafted items. Visitors will discover fine art original paintings in oils, acrylics and watercolors; hand-made beaded and semiprecious stone jewelry; hand-poured scented candles; hand-made home décor items; note cards and prints; mosaics, garden art; woodworking, gourd-craft, mermaids, stained glass, recycled creations, plants, textiles, organic pet treats and toys, and more!

This show remains an open forum for artists wishing to display their work in a loving and supportive atmosphere.  There are no juries, or severe regulations - artists and craftspeople of all ages are welcome, including children. The only requirement to be considered for participation is that the items are hand-made and created by the artist – not bought and then resold or a home party business. Past shows have included a good cross section of amateur and professional artists working in a variety of mediums.

Any women artists/crafters interested in the Holiday Festival held annually in December should visit the web-site and send an email to LaDonna Eastman, the Event Coordinator.  The Summer Festival filled to maximum vendor capacity by May 20! So make contact early at www.everywomansart.moonfruit.com

Advisory committee members include past event coordinators, Malorie Shannon and Marianne Campbell - Event Volunteers this summer are Shellie and Shonas Kibbee, and Sandra Klinge – all local crafters and artists.

This summer there will be music provided by “In the Mood” - two women with guitars.  For those interested in being on the advisory committee and/or volunteering, please contact LaDonna via email at … everywomansart@yahoo.com.

Admission to the festival is free and open to the public!  This is a great place to find one of a kind, locally crafted Items for friends, family… or yourself! Beats Mal-Wart hands down!
 

When:   10am to 5pm, Sunday June 22, 2008
Where:  St. Johns County Beach Pavilion on Anastasia Island St. Augustine Beach, FL
Live Music by “In the Mood“  1-5pm

By Wendy Philcox

Like the name of the event implied, it wasn’t about winning, it was about trying. Just TRI It!: A Kid’s Triathlon, sponsored by the Children’s Museum of St. Johns (CMSJ) on April 12, in conjunction with the St. Augustine Family YMCA, was a groundbreaking event, by all accounts. More than 70 children, from 6 to 12 years of age, participated in this first ever triathlon event for kids held in St. Johns County. The event raised more than $5,000 for CMSJ. Read the rest of this entry »