Mario Francis
Principal, Julius
E. Sprauve School

Ben Biddle
Principal, Gifft
Hill School

Dionne Wells
Principal, Guy
Benjamin School
 

Yolanda Morton
Organizer,
"Craft Through
the Ages"
Exhibition

Welcome to the 8th Annual St. John Arts Festival

This year’s St. John Arts Festival will run from February 9th to February 14th, 2008. The theme of the festival will be "St. John Through the Ages" - tracing back to the original formation of the island some one hundred million years ago under the sea until the present day using the media of arts, crafts, music and drama to portray the natural and anthropological history of the island. School children will be heavily involved in this year's festival through exhibits in Franklin Powell Sr. Park, and the Artists' Association of St. John, plus short plays/tableaux at the St. John School of the Arts to illustrate life as it used to be in the various phases of the evolution of the island. Exhibits will show the undersea life in all its forms and the flora and fauna of land-based life, distinguishing between native versus foreign specimens introduced over the years as well as medicinal plants and herbs used even today by St. Johnians.

As in past years, there will be the “Concerts in the Park” every afternoon together with exhibits of "Foods and Crafts Through the Ages" providing a continuous festive atmosphere.

Music and dance are enduring records of human history and hence the live music will show the musical development from basic percussion instruments to simple scratch band and ultimately today’s mixture of instruments and electronics.

The Artists Association of St. John and individual art galleries and studios will be exhibiting many works by St. John artists, including those of children, with special “Meet the Artists” nights complemented with live music and refreshments.

The “Restaurant Live Music Series” posts the many different bands and performers at the island’s restaurants throughout the week in this program to help choose where to dine and the music to listen to.

Although staffed entirely by volunteers, partial support for major artistic events is gratefully acknowledged from the Virgin Islands Council of the Arts, as is similar support from the Virgin Islands Department of Tourism for promotion of this major St. John celebration in past years.

We hope you will enjoy knowing more about this unique island in the sun.

Sincerely,
Frank J. Langley, President

Sheila Liburd
Organizer,
"Food Through
the Ages"
Exhibition

Ken Wild
Director, St. John
National Park
Archaelogical
Dig Exhibit

Rich Greengold
Restaurant
Live Music
Program

Amanda Perry
Director,
Artists
Association
of St. John

Kim Wild
Asst. Director,
St. John
School
of the Arts
               
 

Leona Smith
Administrator,
St. John, Gov't
of USVI

Frank Langley
President,
St. John
Arts
Festival, Inc.

Corine Matthias
Secretary, St. John
Arts Festival, Inc.
President, "Love City
Pan Dragons"
 
               


 
 
St. John, US Virgin Islands