From River to Ocean: Plein Air

Discover the beauty of St. Johns County through the eyes of twenty-eight artists painting en plein air, on display at the St. Johns County Administration Building from December 6, 2022 until February 28, 2023, Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM.

On December 6th, an exhibition preview begins at 8 AM before the Board of County Commissioners Meeting at the Admin Building.

An opening reception on December 7th from 5:30-7 PM will be hosted in the Rotunda Gallery to meet the artists, see the works, and enjoy refreshments.

These events are free and open to the public.

From 1930 to 1950, St. Augustine had a thriving cultural community that attracted American artists to one of the largest art colonies in the South.

Known as the Lost Colony, artists from the North wintered in the Ancient City and captured the European architecture, quaint streets, and natural landscapes en plein air. Their works idealized Florida as an exotic paradise to retreat from the fast-paced modernity of the industrialized Northern cities and enticed the wealthy to vacation in the city.

Following the Great Depression and World War II, enthusiastic business leaders recognized the potential for culture and commerce to merge and contribute to the city’s economic revival. A lively artistic culture emerged as a result of this tourism and changed Florida’s identity from a growing industrial area to a beautiful tropical escape.

Today, St. Johns County is home to dozens of galleries and hundreds of accomplished artists with ample opportunities for visitors and residents to experience visual arts. The St. Augustine Art Association keeps the tradition of plein air alive with the annual Plein Air Paint Out event where artists can be seen working throughout the city at locations including the Lightner Museum, the Castillo de San Marcos, St. George Street, and the Matanzas Bayfront.

From River to Ocean: Plein Air features scenes of St. Johns County created by twenty-eight members of First Coast Plein Air Painters. This Art in Public Spaces exhibition is presented by the St. Johns Cultural Council, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit and the designated local arts agency for St. Johns County, Florida. The Cultural Council is committed to supporting individual artists and cultural organizations and to ensuring that the lives of St. Johns County’s residents and visitors are enriched through a variety of arts, culture, history, and heritage experiences.

This exhibition is made possible through the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Florida Division of Arts and Culture, The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council, and the St. Johns Cultural Council.