It’s no secret that St. Petersburg is quickly solidifying its reputation as an arts destination and an arts community. We have world-class museums, statues, and other visual art in our parks; professional musicians from The Florida Orchestra working with students in schools; colorful murals brightening the sides of buildings; and dozens of cultural centers with full event calendars serving our community.

While this is the product of so many people and organizations, the work of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA) helped pave the way.  Founded seven years ago, the SPAA is a local 501c3 with the highest Guidestar rating (platinum – to put this into context, only 8 of over 1,000 St.… Read More

When three jazz amigos met at USF, they had no idea what their future together would hold. Awarded Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay Best Jazz Ensemble for three consecutive years, the trio called La Lucha is comprised of John O’Leary on piano, hailing from Mexico; Alejandro Arenas on bass, from Colombia; and Mark Feinman on drums, from Clearwater, Florida.

Community involvement has been a priority for them from the beginning. All three musicians have served on the board of the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association, a local non-profit that promotes, preserves, and presents jazz in the Tampa Bay area.… Read More

The tortured artist he is not. In fact, John Harte is quite the opposite: an octogenarian with a ready smile and friendly disposition whose work in watercolors is well known by many in St. Petersburg. Fortunately for us, he is displaying some of his work at USF St. Petersburg. The exhibition will feature John’s delicate and precise paintings of butterflies, moths, and other insects. This exhibition is currently on display at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library at USF located at 780 3rd Street South.

John’s use of watercolors represents a certain amount of control, and his style allows for very detailed and colorful depictions.… Read More

Does The Old Northeast neighborhood attract artistic types, or does living here inspire our residents to develop their creative side? We have writers, painters, sculptors and other fine artists, photographers, performance artists, musicians, dancers and singers. Why, there’s even a hat maker and a fashion designer.

Our city is, after all, ranked the #1 arts destination for mid-sized cities (AmericanStyle Magazine) and one of America’s top arts places (ArtPlace America). National publications, including the New York Times, Forbes and National Geographic, rave about our arts and entertainment scene.

It should come as no surprise, then, that our creative corner of town is producing exceptionally talented kids who’ve grown up within walking distance of art museums, galleries, and live performance venues.… Read More

A Look Behind The Scenes With John Collins

John Collins, the executive director of the St. Petersburg Arts Council, and his wife Mary Ellen, a writer, met at Tufts University in Boston where he was the associate director of Alumni Relations and she was hired as one of several assistant directors. It was a definite match from the start. “We knew we were in trouble right away,” jokes John.

Another little known fact about John.  When he lived in Boston, he was a street mime at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace.  “I loved it,” says Collins.  “I studied mime with private instructors for two years, did some teaching, and then ventured out into street performing.… Read More

Started Painting at 83 and Writing at 87

Joan Collins doesn’t look 87 – 72 seems more likely – but she does look like an artist. Today, she wears brown leather sandals, slate-blue Capri pants, and a periwinkle short-sleeved shirt that matches the hue of her lipstick and of her glass necklace. Compact spectacles frame her bright eyes, and her hair, a yin yang of white and gray, is worn short and stands a bit more than five feet above the ground.

Collins appears to have followed the artist’s way for much of her life. Yet she took it up only four years ago.… Read More

Sara Pennypacker is the award-winning author of illustrated children’s books that are funny, touching, and real. The themes running through her stories are the enduring ones: friendship, family, loss, joy, and independence. In a booming and competitive market for children’s literature, Pennypacker has earned an international following of diehard fans. Her genius lies in creating characters you instinctively root for, love, and remember long after the book ends.

Pennypacker splits her time between Cape Cod and St. Petersburg, where she and her partner, David, are busy remodeling their home in the Old Northeast. “I love it here,” she said during our backyard interview on an overcast winter’s morning.… Read More