Mural Project
Following Toni Cade Bambara, we believe that we must make the revolution irresistible. Through the arts, we as a community and people can make difficult conversations inviting, such as discussions surrounding decolonization, gentrification, and displacement. This is where St.JanCo’s mural project comes to play. St.JanCo is spearheading a public art initiative on St. John to reclaim public space and imbue such spaces with narratives that reflect and resonate with St. John’s people and culture. We want to revitalize our spaces while transmitting knowledge about ongoing intergenerational efforts to preserve identity and culture and raising awareness about our history. We believe this mural project will enable us to preserve the history, culture, and identity of St. John and its native and ancestral native residents through visual arts while ensuring the preservation of our cultural heritage for ourselves and future generations.
To successfully launch and build momentum surrounding this project, we plan to complete six murals over the next three years. This project is divided into three phases: phase one beginning in 2023, phase two in 2024, and phase three in 2025.
Stay tuned for announcements regarding calls for proposals and town hall meetings regarding conceptual drawings for the murals.
St. John Arts Festival
For the past 20 years, the St. John Arts Festival has been organized and staged in Cruz Bay by its nonprofit, St. John Arts Festival, INC., founded by Mr. Frank Langley. The annual week-long festival’s mission has been to bring to the fore the history, tradition and culture of the people of St. John. The festival features the music, dance, arts and crafts of the predominantly Black multi racial and multi ethnic St. John community, and has traditionally had the support of Virgin Islands Council on the Arts, the USVI Department of Tourism and many other sponsors. Past performers have included the Love City Pan Dragons, the Caribbean Ritual Dancers, Koko and the Sunshine Band, and many others. A film screening, a children’s art show, multiple concerts, and a food and craft exhibition are typically included in the week-long festival. The St. John Arts Festival came under the stewardship of St. JanCo through close conversations with Mr. Langley.
Digital Magazine
The SJAF Zine was produced as part of the 2021 St. John Arts Festival schedule of events, which sought to highlight the arts in St. John in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and to establish a publicly accessible archive of virtual demonstrations, performances, and photos. It was officially launched in February 2023 to celebrate the artistry, craftsmanship, and creativity of the St. John community.
Our Island, Our Home
In 2019, St.JanCo board members were featured in the film, “Our Island, Our Home”, produced by Theodora Moorehead and directed by Crystal Fortwangler.
“This short educational film documents the activism and insights of a well-known historical figure in the US Virgin Islands, Senator Theovald Moorehead (1916-1995), to remind young Virgin Islanders to dream, be brave, and stay the course as they struggle today to manage the luxury tourism development of their home island, St. John. As one young St. Johnian explains, "the space has lost its deep culture." —Wider Angle Productions. View here: https://vimeo.com/336923600
Currently, Dr. Hadiya Sewer, president and co-founder of St.JanCo, is co-writing the sequel to this film, which began filming in 2023. The film will feature multiple St.JanCo board members and our executive director.
Our Masks in the Aftermath (2018)
As a part of the Arts and Culture Recovery Committee of St. John, St.JanCo partnered with other community stakeholders to create the “Mask Making as a Tool for Community Expression and Healing in the Aftermath” Project. See coverage here: https://www.stjohntradewinds.com/interior-library-exhibits-st-johns-mask-making-in-washington-d-c/