Featured image: Charles Morrison of the Morean Center for Clay chats with Margaret Murray from Creative Pinellas at Open Studio. Photo by Luci Westphal.

St. Petersburg has a thriving art scene, with crowds flocking to shows and galleries every second saturday for Art Walk. But when do the artists get to go? 

In March, artist Luci Westphal started her latest initiative – a special night before the art walks where various art groups open their studios to other creatives. 

“There is a huge benefit to have one evening a month where we can have a focused visit to a building with other artists’ studios,” says Luci.… Read More

Something new is rolling out from the Dalí Museum: a 40-foot classroom art space and mobile museum. Christened the The Key to Dalí Art Mobile, this travelling surrealistic exhibition is designed to bring art to the people in classrooms around the county. 

Now, instead of students going to the museum, the museum can come to them, all during school hours. While the Dalí Museum still offers free field trips for local students, “there remained a need to bridge the gap for students or schools that cannot visit the museum in person to experience Dalí’s masterpieces and worldview,” said Sumaya Ayad, school programs & education manager at the museum. … Read More

At the Good Folk Fest, from left: Member Artist JJ Hitch (NASCAR wrap design), CEO Kim Dohrman, Board Member Hal Freedman (co-sponsor of the NASCAR show truck), NASCAR’s first self-identified autistic driver Armani Williams, Willi Rudowsky (co-sponsor of the NASCAR show truck), and Development Coordinator Shane Hoffman.

In 1998, I applied for a job as a studio assistant/teacher at a new arts organization called Creative Clay. I met two women, the founders of the organization, named Grace-Anne Alfiero and Danielle Sangita, who described a bit about working with special needs adults. Though I had an idea of what this meant, it was a revolutionary experience when I first met the group of clients that I would be working with. … Read More

Featured image: Founder Michelle Sasha, left, and artist Jazzy Erickson are helping to lead the Love Thy Neighbor Project.

While street murals highlighting diversity and inclusion have been removed from the roadways around the region, those who still believe in that sentiment are finding new ways to express it. From flags to art to hand-painted signs in windows, neighbors are showing that love and tolerance still have a public face in our city. And at least one artist-driven movement, Love Thy Neighbor Project, is working to bring murals of empowerment and diversity to homes across Pinellas County.

Driveways, mailboxes, and doorsteps are being altered to host murals designed to, according to the project’s website, “celebrate inclusivity and honor marginalized communities.” The… Read More

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

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

If it’s hot outside, then it’s time for Cool Art at the Coliseum! This summer staple, held July 19 and 20 this year, is a wonderful time for artists, patrons, and enthusiasts to come together – in air-conditioned splendor – for one of the oldest indoor art shows in the ‘Burg.

Cool Art first started in 1988, when some artists had gathered after enduring a rainy, poor-performing outdoor art show. As they commiserated, the idea of an artist-run indoor art show emerged. The first was held in Fox Hall at Eckerd College, then moved to the University of South Florida Campus Activity Center. It found a more permanent home at the Coliseum in 2005.  … Read More

Since its completion in the late 1920s, the Don Vista building has been many different things. It began as a temporary residence for Thomas Rowe, who oversaw the building of the Don CeSar, then became its administrative offices and bank. When the US Army took over the site during WWII, it transformed into offices for doctors. It housed the Fisheries and Wildlife Library. It hosted the St. Pete Beach fire truck in the section that later became a boutique gift shop and gallery. Finally, in 1984, it became the home of the Suntan Art Center. The arts organization resided in the building for over four decades…until the hurricanes of 2024.  … Read More

Feature image: Arts Connection’s exhibit features the alcohol ink works by Patricia Chase

The hurricanes of 2024 certainly added tumult to the year. Many programs, including the Arts Connection at the First Presbyterian Church, seemed to be shoehorned in between these natural events. But now, 2025 is offering a fresh breath and a new start to these endeavors.

Ronn Johnson, one of the organizers, noted that he “wanted to bring the arts to FPC so that our congregation could have the enlightening experiences I was seeing in other churches.” He, and other artists from the congregation, came together to start an arts outreach program.… Read More

Many new things are coming in 2025, including a new director at the St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts. I recently caught up with Klaudio Rodriguez after his return from Art Basel to learn more about him and the future of the MFA.

Rodriguez is a good fit for a multicultural encyclopedic museum like the MFA. “My mother is Croatian, and my dad is Nicaraguan. They met in Rome, Italy and after they married, returned to Nicaragua. However, during the political turmoil there, we came to Miami. I was six years old and the only things we had, came in the suitcases that we brought with us.” … Read More