Photo: As a lifelong creative, French understands the profound importance of a thriving arts community. And as a performer, she’s no stranger to the spotlight. Photos courtesy of Helen French

There is a new face in local arts leadership, and her name is Helen French. Appointed executive director of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance in August, this spry, energetic woman with sparkling eyes and red hair is thrilled to take the helm of this pivotal organization. 

Started by John Collins in 2012, the nonprofit SPAA supports our city’s vital arts community through fundraising and advocacy, and by sponsoring myriad creative initiatives, including popular Second Saturday Artwalk and SHINE Mural Festival, to name just a few. … Read More

The year is 1983. Michael Jackson’s Thriller is released. David Copperfield makes the Statue of Liberty disappear. Sally Ride breaks the glass ceiling into space. And on public television, Bob Ross, a man with big hair and a soft voice, introduces viewers to The Joy of Painting, filling living rooms and canvases with “happy little trees” for 31 seasons over the next 11 years. 

If you are old enough to remember that, congratulations! You’re eligible for healthy aging programs sponsored by Healthy St. Pete.

A division of the St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department, Healthy St. Pete’s mission is to make the healthy choice the easy choice, for all ages.… Read More

Pictured: Very little was burned in Reeser’s Old Northeast apartment. Officials sent a box of evidence to the FBI.

Every year for our September-October issue, the Northeast Journal likes to get a little spooky. We’ve peeked into haunted spaces, marveled at glowing orbs, and shivered with otherworldly sensations, but this year I thought we’d examine something different: Spontaneous Human Combustion. A word of caution, however: tales of SHC are not for the faint of heart. (Seriously, content warning: gory details ahead!)

Spontaneous human combustion is the term applied to mysterious, often fatal, fires that appear to originate from the victims themselves. There have been approximately 300 cases of SHC documented over the past 200 years, with the first introduction of the term dating to 1746. Studies… Read More

Pictured: Curator Jenipher Chandley, artist Aaron Corbitt, artist John Taormina at the exhibit’s opening party.

There are over 30 galleries that participate each month in St. Petersburg’s long-established Second Saturday Art Walk, spanning seven arts districts and representing all disciplines. But not representing all artists. 

New and up-and-coming artists, artists who don’t fit neatly into a category, artists who just want to create and aren’t interested in the hustle… where can they find a place to exhibit? Beyond the dozens of galleries and museums in St. Pete, art finds a home in countless nontraditional spaces like bars and breweries, coffee shops, and restaurants.… Read More

Pictured: Asianna Lotito, center with board members Lisa Davis and Samantha Ghezelbash, founded The Sweet Friend, which provides school supplies, clothing, popsicles, and more for local students. Courtesy of The Sweet Friend Foundation

For some kids at Mount Vernon Elementary, the popsicles they receive for free each month are the only sweet treat they can count on. But popsicles don’t grow on trees. The popsicles, and the mountains of donated bookbags, school supplies, and even seasonal pumpkins, come from The Sweet Friend Foundation, a nonprofit founded by St. Petersburg resident Asianna Lotito.

“It’s a labor of love,” says Lotito. Mount Vernon Elementary in St.… Read More

As the adage goes, history repeats itself. But one St. Petersburg museum is intent on ensuring that never happens.

In their own words, the Florida Holocaust Museum (FHM) “honors the memory of millions of innocent men, women, and children who suffered or died in the Holocaust. The museum is dedicated to teaching people of all races and cultures the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides.”

The FHM, now one of the largest of its kind in the country, was founded in Madeira Beach in 1992 by Walter P. Loebenberg, a Holocaust survivor and U.S.… Read More

Pictured: Venouziou, right, and her friends Monica and Brian Guerrero celebrated her new citizenship outside the Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in Tampa.

For the last forty years, Ester Venouziou has felt as American as any of her friends and neighbors. But now, this renowned small business advocate has taken her oath and made it official. On August 5, 2025, alongside one hundred other applicants in the Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in Tampa, she became an U.S. citizen.

As the founder of LocalShops1 and St. Pete’s legendary Shopapalooza festival, Venouziou’s interest in small business began with her parents, two Greek immigrants who owned a fabric and linen business in Manaus, Brazil.… Read More

James Franklin Oliver, Sr., known popularly as Jim Oliver, was an amazing shortstop who played with the National, Florida, and local Negro Leagues and clubs from the 1940s to the 1950s. Equally noteworthy, he was a role model and mentor to hundreds of Black youths during the era of segregation. In addition to baseball, Oliver played semi-pro football and was an excellent golfer. Born near Waycross, Georgia in 1919, Oliver moved to St. Petersburg with his family at the age of 7. He attended Davis Elementary, but did not go on to high school and began working at about age 13.… Read More