Tapestry Exhibit

Explore the rich cultural history of St. Augustine as part of the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the nation’s oldest city.

Please Note: This event is from 2015

Tapestry Exhibit

(904) 825-1053

Tapestry: The Cultural Threads of First America is the signature exhibit for St. Augustine's 450th Commemoration. As a major component in the celebrations planned for St. Augustine's 450th anniversary this year, the exhibit opens at the Visitor Information Center on April 4 and runs through October 4, 2015.

The year-long 450th Commemoration consists of a host of events, concerts, historical reenactments and many other historical, cultural and creative activities that will lead up to the anniversary date on September 8, 2015, marking 450 years of history since the founding of the City of St. Augustine by Pedro Menéndez in 1565.

The Tapestry exhibit explores the impact and interweaving of the three diverse cultures (Hispanic, African, and Native American) on the growth of St. Augustine as a blended society—the very first "melting pot" in America. 

When Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés first arrived to establish the St. Augustine settlement for Spain in 1565, he brought with him 800 colonists. Many of the colonists were Spanish and Africans who, as soon as they landed here, became our nation's first Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans. In addition, the Native Americans at the Timucuan village of Seloy played a vital role in helping the new settlers survive. It was the intermingling of these very different groups that set the stage for the development of America's uniquely heterogeneous culture.

Historical figures will be featured in the Tapestry exhibition, as will the histories and cultures of the Menorcans, Greeks, British and many others who contributed to the rich cultural fabric of the nation's oldest city.

The Tapestry exhibit features authentic objects, interactive elements, and original historical documents, including a 16th-century plan of the Old San Marcos Fort, a baptismal record from 1595 that documents the earliest birth and baptism of an African-American child in the U.S., and several remarkable pieces of "ledger art" created by victims of the federal incarceration program of Native American tribes in St. Augustine in the 1880s.

The exhibit will be open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily, and there will be docent-led tours from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Reservations are not required for docent-led tours. Group tours are available for 10 or more people, but do need to be reserved in advance. To schedule a group tour, contact Nikole Alvarez at (904) 209-4255 or [email protected].

Admission: The Tapestry exhibition is free and open to the public, courtesy of the City of St. Augustine, the St. Johns County Tourism Development Council, the St. Johns Cultural Council, and Florida Power & Light.

When? The Tapestry exhibit will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from April 4 - October 4, 2015.

Where? The Visitor Information Center is located at 10 W. Castillo Drive in St. Augustine.

For more information on the Tapestry: The Cultural Threads of First America exhibit, visit here.

For details on St. Augustine's 450th Commemoration and a full schedule of Commemoration events, visit here

 

 

Tapestry Exhibit

(904) 825-1053

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Editor's Note: We encourage you to verify event times and details with the organizers, as they may change.