St. Johns Cultural Council

What St. Johns Cultural Council does

St. Johns Cultural Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2000 and designated as the official Local Arts Agency of St. Johns County, Florida by the Board of County Commissioners in 2007. It supports local artists, arts and heritage organizations, schools, and visitors through grant administration (Arts for All, Tommy Bledsoe State of the Arts Grants, TDC Arts/Culture/Heritage Grants), public art exhibitions, professional development programming, heritage tourism initiatives, and venue management at two National Register of Historic Places sites — The Waterworks (leased from the City of St. Augustine since 2022) and the Cultural Arts Center at the St. Augustine Beach Hotel (operated under a long-standing agreement with the City of St. Augustine Beach). It serves individual artists, small arts nonprofits under $350K in annual revenue, graduating high school students via the Junior ROWITA Fellowship, county residents, cultural tourists, and public schools.

The organization's business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding stack: federal, state, and foundation grants (National Park Service, National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Humanities, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Florida Department of State) layered with Tourist Development Council allocations, tax-deductible individual donations (EIN 59-3581209), Florida 'State of the Arts' license plate proceeds, and modest venue rental income. It does not sell a software product or proprietary technology; its technology surface is limited to a WordPress-based website, the HistoricCoastCulture.com cultural tourism sister site, two weekly email newsletters reaching 30,000+ subscribers, and standard social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). Its operating geographies are concentrated in St. Johns County, Florida, with tourism reach extending to visitors nationally and globally via the tourism site.

The four-person executive staff is led by Executive Director Jeff Potts (appointed December 2024) and includes a Director of Grants & Operations, Digital Marketing Specialist, and Event & Facilities Manager, supported by a community Board of Directors. Headcount is stated at 11-50 employees. In 2025, the Council also began rolling out the multi-year St. Johns County Arts & Culture Plan in partnership with Designing Local, positioning the organization as the county's central planning body for cultural infrastructure.

Name

St. Johns Cultural Council

Legal name

St. Johns Cultural Council

Website

https://stjohnsculture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Johns Cultural Council is a St. Augustine, Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and designated Local Arts Agency supporting local artists, arts organizations, and heritage tourism through grant programs, public exhibitions, and management of two historic venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Arts Agency and Cultural Grant Administration

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Arts grants administration
• Local arts agency
• Cultural venue management
• Public art exhibitions
• Heritage tourism marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Augustine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue source through government and foundation grants including National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Humanities, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Tourist Development Council allocations.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting arts and culture programs. EIN 59-3581209.
3. Venue Rental: Rental income from The Waterworks and Cultural Arts Center community spaces to cultural organizations.
4. License Plate Sales: Revenue from Florida 'State of the Arts' license plate sales supporting State of the Arts Grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

St. Johns Cultural Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designated as the official Local Arts Agency for St. Johns County, Florida. It administers grant programs for individual artists and arts organizations, manages two National Register of Historic Places venues (The Waterworks and Cultural Arts Center at St. Augustine Beach Hotel), produces public art exhibitions, runs professional development events, heritage tourism initiatives, and awards programs. The Council operates as the central coordinating body for arts, culture, and heritage programming across St. Johns County.

Product overview

The St. Johns Cultural Council operates a portfolio of cultural venues, grant programs, and arts initiatives rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include two historic venues (The Waterworks and the Cultural Arts Center at St. Augustine Beach Hotel) hosting concerts, performances, and exhibitions; grant programs including Arts for All, Tommy Bledsoe State of the Arts, and TDC Arts, Culture & Heritage Grants supporting local artists and organizations; public art exhibitions through Art in Public Spaces; professional development via Pathways career series; and heritage tourism through the Black Heritage Trail. The council also runs annual awards (ROWITA), a haiku contest, and is developing a comprehensive Arts & Culture Plan for the county.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arts for All: Grant program providing between $5,000 and $10,000 to arts, culture, and heritage organizations with annual revenues of less than $350,000.
• Tommy Bledsoe State of the Arts (SOTA) Grants
• ROWITA (Recognizing Outstanding Women in the Arts) Awards
• Annual Haiku Contest
• St. Johns County Black Heritage Trail
• Art in Public Spaces
• Pathways: A Career in the Arts
• Junior ROWITA Fellowship

Products and services

• The Waterworks Historic venue built in 1898, formerly a water pumping station, now managed by the Cultural Council for concerts, theatrical performances, literary events, exhibitions, and educational programming. Listed on National Register of Historic Places (2014) and designated as an IBCCES Certified Autism Center. Available for community events and private rentals.
• Cultural Arts Center at the St. Augustine Beach Hotel Historic WPA-constructed building (1939-40) now serving as a community cultural center housing The Dance Company and St. Augustine Beach Art Studio. Listed on National Register of Historic Places (2022) for its role in the Civil Rights Movement. Ground floor community space available for rent.
• Arts for All Grants
• Tommy Bledsoe State of the Arts (SOTA) Grants
• Tourist Development Council (TDC) Arts, Culture & Heritage Grants
• Art in Public Spaces
• Annual Haiku Contest
• ROWITA Awards
• Pathways: A Career in the Arts
• St. Johns County Black Heritage Trail

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $960,000 in grant funding secured in 2024-2026 from various sources (NPS $750K, NEA $60K, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund $50K, Florida Humanities $25K, Telling the Full History $25K)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Designing LocalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Consulting firm specializing in arts and culture planning leading the St. Johns County Arts & Culture Plan development in partnership with SJCC.
• VFW Post 2391minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnership for Veterans Day Photography Contest and 'Stories of American Veterans' juried exhibition at reFrame Gallery.
• The Dance CompanycoreOthers · 1 January 2025Ballet studio tenant at the Cultural Arts Center since 2005, offering weekly artistic classes to hundreds of residents and visitors.
• St. Augustine Beach Art StudiocoreOthers · 1 January 2025Art studio tenant at the Cultural Arts Center offering artistic classes and programming to the community.
• Friends of the Main LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Continued partnership for Art at the Main Gallery displays at St. Johns County Main Library.
• St. Johns CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with St. Johns County and Tourism Development Council for Art in Public Spaces exhibitions at County Administration building and Health & Human Services building.
• St. Augustine Art AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-presenting exhibitions including 'Under the Same Sky' (Avilés Sister Cities 100th anniversary) and expanded Plein Air Festival.
• City of St. Augustine BeachcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Agreement with City to maintain the St. Augustine Beach Hotel building as a community center for arts, culture and heritage programming for over two decades.
• City of St. AugustinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Lease agreement for The Waterworks from the City to increase access to arts, culture, and heritage programming. City secured grant funding to restore the historic building.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Palm Beach County Cultural Council: Designated local arts agency for Palm Beach County, FL. Directly comparable as a county-level nonprofit that administers grants, runs arts programming, and promotes cultural tourism in a Florida county.
• Broward County Cultural Division: Local arts agency for Broward County, FL providing grants, public art, and cultural programming. Operates with similar model to SJCC as a county-level cultural administrator in the same Florida ecosystem.
• Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs: Local arts agency for Miami-Dade County administering grants, cultural programming, and public art initiatives. Larger scale but structurally identical to SJCC as a county-designated cultural council in Florida.
• Hillsborough County Arts Council: County-level arts agency for Hillsborough County (Tampa) area. Comparable as a Florida county arts administrator providing grants, programming support, and cultural venue management.
• Arts Orange County: Designated local arts agency for Orange County, FL. Provides grants, professional development, and advocacy for arts organizations with a model directly comparable to SJCC's structure and mission.
• Creative Pinellas: Local arts agency for Pinellas County, FL supporting artists and cultural organizations through grants and programming. Strongly comparable as a peer-sized Florida county cultural council.
• St. Augustine Art Association: Local arts organization in St. Augustine co-presenting exhibitions with SJCC. Direct peer operating gallery programming, exhibitions, and arts education within the same St. Johns County geography.

Others

• Americans for the Arts: National service organization for local arts agencies and arts advocates. Provides research, advocacy, and tools used by SJCC and peer local arts agencies across the U.S.
• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA): National membership organization supporting state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Indirectly relevant as the upstream umbrella organization connecting SJCC to state and federal arts funding policy.

Regional players

• Flagler College: St. Augustine-based higher education institution that partners with SJCC on arts events (Pathways series, Haiku Contest ceremonies). Operates the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, partially overlapping SJCC's exhibition and arts education mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/stjohnsculture
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@stjohnsculturalcouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/stjohnsculture
• Instagraminstagram.com/stjohnsculture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-johns-county-cultural-council-inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Johns Cultural Council