‘Tis the Season for Art!
Though sadly First Night St. Petersburg has been cancelled, there are still plenty of creative seasonal events to go around. Here is just a sampling of some artsy stuff to get the good times going during the holidays.
Galleries
Ekeko Gallery: The White Art Party, 290 Dr. M.L.K. Jr Street N. December 10 to January 6. Opening reception is December 10, 5-9 pm. More at facebook.com/ekekogallery.
Ekeko Gallery, a local community favorite known for its stock of beautiful gemstones and Mexican art, shows that it is possible to have a white Christmas in St. Petersburg. All works in the show are based on the color white. This event celebrates and promotes local artists. Opening night allows those in attendances to help select the winners of this eclectic show. White attire encouraged!
All The Things Saint Pete, OrnaMENTAL, 4116 8th Avenue S. December 3, 1 pm. More at facebook.com/AllTheThingsStPete.
Not only are they celebrating their first year anniversary as a local art outlet, All Things Saint Pete is offering those quirky gifts for the hard-to-shop-for friend or family member. A variety of local artists have submitted 10 of their best, most unusual holiday ornaments. There is something guaranteed to appeal to even the most unusual tastes here.
Centers
Morean Art Center: multiple shows and events through December. More at moreanartscenter.org.
Annual Hoiday Show, until December 31. This is the place for gifts, including ornaments, jewelry, functional pottery, paintings, and sculpture, too! here is an emphasis on local art and this is one of the staple shows for downtown every year.
Ruth Philipon: The Planets, until December 31. A self-professed “frustrated sculptor,” Ruth creates dimensional artwork from paper by bending, folding, rolling, and weaving, adding textures and objects, and continually pushing the boundaries of all the materials. Her background in etching and painting led to her studio practice today. She specializes in color, which she says “conveys emotional power, intellect and passion. It can be subtle, bold or haunting.”
One Day Tampa Bay, until December 31. On September 17, 2022, over 50 photographers fanned out across the region to document a day in the life of our community. These photographers submitted nearly 500 photos from which the most artistic images were selected to come together into an art show. The resulting exhibition is a snapshot of life in the Tampa Bay region – this beautiful place in which we live, work, and play. See if you can recognize some of your favorite spots!
For gifts that are more action oriented, the Morean also offers a variety of four- to six-week classes over multiple sessions per year. And, yes, they also offer gift cards.
Florida Craftart: multiple shows and events in December and January.
Holiday Boutique, until December 30. Florida Craftart brings back its annual Holiday Boutique featuring handcrafted art and holiday-themed pieces from artists across Florida.
FCA also has a wide assemblage of events for January. Start the year out with the Artists of ArtLofts (January 6-15),featuring sixteen artists whose studios are directly above the gallery. See paintings, drawings, mixed media, photography, sculpture, glass, jewelry, and more. This show coincides with an immensely popular event: the return of the Tibetan Monks! From January 9-15, eight Tibetan Monks bring universal lessons of peace and impermanence. In Florida CraftArt’s Exhibition Gallery, they will create a colorful Sacred Sand Mandala. The monks will chant, perform music and dances, as well as share Tibetan culture and traditions.
For more local art, don’t forget that there are Second Saturday ArtWalks scheduled for December 10 and January 14. These free events show off our local talent and are a fun way to get that last-minute holiday shopping done or start shopping for next year. Central Arts District, EDGE Business District, Grand Central District, Warehouse Arts District, Uptown Arts District, and downtown Waterfront District come together as one arts destination with many venues hosting the opening night of their latest exhibit. Walk, drive, or ride to the artistic areas that make St. Pete unique. More at stpeteartsalliance.org/experience-arts/artwalk.
Are you interested in being a part of future art roundups? Please send press releases with a short description, location, contact information, and an example of the art in the show to editor@northeastjournal.org.
