About Us

Our History

The Cyprian Center For Expressive Arts, established in 2009, is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. Through the promotion of arts and culture in the Lincolnville neighborhood of St. Augustine, the Cyprian Center provides educational experiences to an underserved population, and acts as a venue for a variety of art forms that reflect the heritage of the city’s historic African American community.

In 2007 the people of St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church conducted a series of workshops to discuss their mission and vision. As part of these discussions a commitment to promoting arts and music in the community was among their goals. Robert Storey, a member of the St. Cyprian’s congregation and board member for the prestigious Kresge Foundation, embraced this commitment. Upon Storey's retirement from the Kresge board he was honored with a gift in his name to St. Cyprian's Church to establish an arts and music center.

In early 2009 The Cyprian Center For Expressive Arts was created. During the first year of operation, the Cyprian Center conducted two themed film series, hosted events for Martin Luther King Weekend, conducted an art summer camp, provided art instruction for several outreach classes and began sponsoring the musical talent for the monthly Jazz Vespers service held at St. Cyprian’s for the benefit of the entire community. Since its inception the Cyprian Center has continued to expand its offerings to the community with an ever-widening selection of classes and programs open to the public. These tuition-based classes serve a dual purpose: they provide affordable experiences in arts and music and make it possible for the Center to expand its free outreach programs.

These outreach programs bring educational, enriching, healing arts classes and opportunities to hundreds of at-risk children and adults each year thanks to the many meaningful partnerships the Cyprian Center has formed within this community.

Our Partners

• Homeless Coalition St. Johns County – The Cyprian Center provides art instruction to youngsters whose families are endeavoring to move from homelessness to independence through this partnership. Classes are usually held as part of summer programming held at the Cyprian Center campus.
• American Legion Post 194 (Kids Safe Zone) - The Cyprian Center works with the Kids Safe Zone to provide art instructors for their after-school and summer programs. The classes offered have included piano, guitar, hands-on art, songs in sign language and kid's yoga.
• The Sisters of St. Joseph - The sisters have brought their many artistic talents to partner with the Cyprian Center to present a special group of classes featuring stained glass, drawing, crafts, and more. These classes take place at both the Cyprian Center and The Art House of Dreams.
• Betty Griffin House – The Center supplies the instructor for weekly jewelry making classes for the mothers at Betty Griffin House, and also provides scholarships for some of their children to participate in art and music classes.
• Richard Willich Kid’s Bridge Visitation Center – The Cyprian Center has partnered with The Visitation Center both by providing art experiences to facilitate smooth supervised visitations, and also by providing temporary facilities during The Visitation Center’s renovations. The Visitation Center was able to run with no missed appointments due to the loan of the Cyprian Center’s space.
• St. Paul’s A.M.E. Church - Through our partnership with A.M.E., the Cyprian Center has been able to provide art enrichment as part of St. Paul’s summer programs for children and teens. Cyprian Center instructor and local artist Corrie Borglund has introduced dozens of young people to various art mediums including sand casting, mask making and painting on canvas.
• City Sprouts - The Cyprian Center is engaged in providing mosaic functional pieces for the City Gardens. The Center has been a part of creating mosaic picnic table tops and a sundial for the Garden.
• Solomon Calhoun Community Center - The Cyprian Center partners with the Community Center to bring hands-on art directly to youngsters in West St. Augustine, a historically African American, financially at-risk neighborhood. Cyprian Center instructors teach art through various mediums to the young people enrolled in the Community Center’s after-school programs.
• St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church - The Cyprian Center partners with St. Cyprian’s by sponsoring the local musical talents featured at the monthly Jazz Vespers service offered to the entire community.

Our Board of Directors

• Fr. Edwin "Ted" Voorhees – Board President
• Joseph Finnegan - Vice President
• Christine Smith – Treasurer
• James Bullock
• John Fitzsimmons
• Caren Goldman
• Charles D. Hepler
• Dorothy Headley Israel
• Gray Mason
• Richard Taylor

Instructors

• Sandy Acuff - Songs In Sign
• Sr. Cathy Bitzer - Arts & Crafts
• Corrie Borglund - Visual Arts
• Dick "Frog" Borzung - Guitar
• Sr. Diane Couture - Stained Glass
• Meena Demis - Yoga/Arts & Crafts
• Hector Gonzalez - Voice/Music
• Justin Itnyre - Photography
• Jennifer Jacobsen - Yoga for Kids
• Sr. Bernard Joseph Palmer - Stamp Collecting
• Taffy Rook - Piano
• Brandon "Zeek" Smith - Voice/Music
• Sr. Carolyn Tucker - Arts & Crafts
• Sr. Carol Wells - Drawing
  

Our Staff

• Kandie K. Smith, DMA - Executive Director. Contact kksmith@cypriancenter.org or telephone 904-829-8828
• Holly Lepick - Program Coordinator. Contact hlepick@cypriancenter.org or telephone 904-829-8828

Our Neighborhood

The area now known as Lincolnville has seen a great deal of change over the years. Once Indian villages and orange grove plantations, it then became a settlement of emancipated slaves after the Civil War, grew into a hub of African American life and music, was the backdrop for civil rights marches and demonstrations in the mid-1960s, saw an era of decline as many wealthy families moved to newly desegregated neighborhoods, and finally is now seeing a revival, as many come to admire the architectural and cultural treasures Lincolnville has to offer. The Lincolnville Historic District encompasses 45 blocks in St. Augustine and is bounded by Cedar, Riviera, Cerra, Washington, and DeSoto Streets. The area’s architectural heritage includes the highest concentration of Victorian-era buildings in St. Augustine

Our City

It's easy to see why people have been settling here for nearly 500 years. Today, St. Johns County combines the best of both worlds, with its ancient natural beauty providing the backdrop for a contemporary residential and commercial lifestyle.

St. Augustine's rich history and cultural diversity have helped shaped a dynamic city for both residents and visitors alike. Its unique mix of both the Old and the New is what draws visitors to come explore and is what has always brought them back.

The story of St. Augustine is the foundation of sightseeing tours via tram, trolley, horse-drawn carriage, walking tour or cruise boat. History comes to life here, where on any given day; you will find guides dressed in old-world costumes, weaving you throughout the sites of the town.

Some of St. Augustine's most popular landmarks include the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a living history museum which interprets life in colonial, St. Augustine circa 1740; the Fountain of Youth Discovery Park, where it is said Ponce de Leon sought everlasting youth and the Mission of Nombre de Dios, where Pedro Menendez de Aviles first set foot on Florida’s shore in 1565. Still other landmarks include the Ponce de Leon and Alcazar Hotels built by Standard Oil magnate, Henry Flagler in the late 19th Century. Today those grand Victorian structures house Flagler College, St. Augustine City Hall and Lightner Museum. The original 1888 Casa Monica Hotel has been restored into a luxury hotel and provides world-class accommodations in downtown St. Augustine. The city has more than 50 attractions, historic sites and points of interest.

The St. Augustine art scene is always bustling. The city hosts tons of live music and is home to theater and film organizations, as well as dozens of art galleries and the first Friday Art Walk. Flagler College and the many other art galleries frequently hosts gallery openings, welcoming the public in to see work exhibited by the local artist. Fine art is always available in St. Augustine. Fine art galleries all over town will always welcome the browser and the buyer.

Whether its music, art or simply strolling, you will most certainly find something to suit your taste here in St. Augustine.

Reference: Oldcity.com, St. Augustine Chamber of Commerce