By Caron Schwartz
More SHINE The James Museum partnered with the 2023 SHINE Mural Festival and Chinese-American artist Chenlin Cai to create a mural called The Path We Came. Check it out at the Lantmännen Unibake building in downtown St. Pete. https://bit.ly/2023-shine
Fine Natural Art The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete’s campus-wide exhibition, The Nature of Art, aims to examine 5,000 years of human art production. Now through 4/14/2024. https://bit.ly/mfa-nature
Branch(ing)Out Gulfport’s LGBTQ Resource Center announces its 2024 BranchOUT Scholars: Bryan Hinkson, Jamie Riley, and June Parlett Norsworthy. https://bit.ly/gulfport-lgbtq
MUSE Takes Flight
The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s 10th annual MUSE Awards, 1/26/2024 at Albert Whitted Airport, celebrates the artists and art lovers in our community with performing arts, gourmet eats and libations, and award presentations. https://bit.ly/museawards-2024
Food Of Life The Warehouse Arts District Association hosts Jazz and Politics: Harmony & Discourse, 12/1 6:30-9pm. The event includes both a discussion of “food deserts” in south St. Pete and the music of Helios Jazz Orchestra featuring the legendary jazz singer Fred Johnson, a local treasure. https://bit.ly/wada-st-pete
MoM @The Factory The Museum of Motherhood’s new multi-media exhibit, Mother: The Job by Alexia Nye Jackson, is on view at The Factory through 1/24/2024. https://bit.ly/art-of-alexia
Impressions Of Dalí Dalí & the Impressionists: Monet, Renoir, Degas & More explores the surprising continuities between the Impressionist movement and Salvador Dalí’s artistic journey. Now through 4/28/24. https://bit.ly/dali-impressionists
Winter Break Bonanza
Give the kids a holiday gift they’ll love. Dunedin Fine Art Center’s winter break programs for 7-10 year olds are four days of mediums from pencils to watercolor to clay. 9am-3pm, 12/25-29 or 1/2-5/2024. Register by 12/15. https://bit.ly/dunedin-arts
Grants For Creatives
Creative Pinellas launches the Beyond Placemaking grant, supported in part by the NEA. The grant enables Creative Pinellas to continue providing up to $10,000 of financial support to Pinellas County artists. Applications close 12/15. https://bit.ly/beyond-placemaking
History By Water The St. Petersburg Museum of History and the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center present the city’s first Historic Boat Tour 12/16, 10am-noon. Discover our past from the water – the good, the bad, and the funny. https://bit.ly/dec-boat-tour
Plant City Sweets The 2024 Florida Strawberry Festival will return from 2/29-3/10/2024. The lineup features old-timers from the Beach Boys to ZZ Top, along with young’uns including Flo Rida, Jo Dee Messina, Kirk Franklin and more. There will also be strawberries, but not Strawberry Alarm Clock. https://bit.ly/fl-strawberry
Pianopalooza
Celebrated worldwide, the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival (RPPF) will return to the USF School of Music from 6/27-7/17/2024 for its 12th year. A schedule of public events will be published in Spring 2024. https://bit.ly/rppfest
Sassy Shakespeare
Off-Central Players present Scrooge MacBeth 12/7-17. When a food poisoning outbreak takes down majority of the cast for opening night The Winter’s Tale, the four remaining thespians must overcome the never-ending setbacks in this holiday farce. https://bit.ly/off-central
Ditch The Seat
Get ready for a hike through Boyd Hill Nature Preserve during American Stage’s Tales by Twilight. In this immersive experience, actors will spin a story that stretches far and wide across the trail. 1/12-2/18/2024. https://bit.ly/tales-twilight
I’m Too Saxy
Swing to the sounds of the St. Pete Saxophone Quartet 12/17, 7pm at the Gulfport Public Library. Holiday faves, pop classics, sing-alongs. https://bit.ly/saxophone-holiday
Watch These Spaces
DRV Gallery in Gulfport’s first show of 2024, Art for a Cause, opens 1/4/2024@6pm with a reception and award presentation. The juried show is judged for first, second and third place by Janie Haskins and Jim Kammerud. The exhibit will be on display through 1/20/2024. https://bit.ly/drv-gallery
St. Pete’s newest gallery, Artists of Elements, hosts its grand opening weekend beginning 12/15@6pm. The space is a collaborative space for artists and the community. https://bit.ly/artists-elements
Gifts Galore
Still shopping? Check out UnWrapped: Handmade Holidays at Florida CraftArt. Instead of mass-produced merchandise, you’ll find one-of-a-kind gifts that truly resonate with the recipient, like Elizabeth Neily’s fiber art. Now through 12/31. https://bit.ly/fl-craft-art
Ring in the New
Celebrate the cusp of 2023-2024 during the 30th annual First Night St. Petersburg, 12/31 at North Straub Park from 4-8pm. Then stay for the fireworks! The family-friendly event has music, art, interactive displays, theater, dance and much more. https://bit.ly/nye-st-pete
