By Caron Schwartz
Trés BAZZAR One of the wildest shows in the world is coming to town! Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR turns The Trop into a big top tent 2/22-3/24. https://cirk.me/3TlIvMQ
Yay La’ford! Ski manufacturer legend Rossignol launched a charitable ski initiative in partnership with the Share Winter Foundation and St. Pete artist Ya La’ford. La’ford helped Bronx high school student Andre Thomas tweak his award-winning design for a limited-edition ski. https://bit.ly/share-ski
Kiss My Glass Glass artist David Thai’s new series, Portals, is on display at Duncan McClellan Gallery through 2/4. Meanwhile, McClellan’s glass sculptures are on display in the gardens of the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Garden in Punta Gorda through 4/18. https://bit.ly/peacerivergardens Learn the art of leaded glass at the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement. Classes are taught by master craftsman Carlos Velasco on Tuesdays 10am-1pm. https://bit.ly/maacm-glass
Art & Soul You are warmly invited to the Soul Revival Art Festival & Fundraiser (SRAFF), a vibrant two-day event celebrating art, healing, and community spirit on 1/13 from 11am-3pm, benefiting the Sickle Cell Disease Association. https://bit.ly/soul-art-fest
New Blood Long-time “caretaker of the arts” BobDevin Jones is retiring from Studio@620 and Erica Sutherlin is tapped to take over as the artistic executive director mid-2024. https://bit.ly/studio-620 Suntan Art Center welcomes new Director Cindy Rodella-Purdy. Rodella-Purdy, who’s been with Suntan since 2021, is an artist with an extensive background in design, programming, and project management. https://bit.ly/suntan-art
Artists Wanted Valentwe’en is back for its 10th year with a melancholy, Edgar Allen Poe-esque theme called “Tale-Tell Heart.” To apply, email brandybstark13@gmail.com by 1/20. Opening reception during St. Pete’s Second Saturday Art Walk 2/10, 5-9pm. Creative Pinellas and the city of South Pasadena need more creatives for the ongoing mural project on Pasadena Ave. Locations are Kimberly Nails, South Pasadena Shopping Center, and Pasadena Bar and Grill. Apply by 1/24. https://bit.ly/pasadena-mural Creative Pinellas is also partnering with the city of Largo to create the Largo Central Park Crosswalk Mural Project to beautify the crosswalk in Largo Central Park while supporting pedestrian and vehicle safety. Deadline 1/18. https://bit.ly/largo-murals
Sculpture Award Matthew Mazzotta’s “HOME,” the giant sculpture of Phoebe the Flamingo at Tampa International Airport, made My Modern Met’s top 10 art installations of 2023.
Kudos Kelley! See Historic Kenwood artist D YaeL Kelley’s solo exhibition, “The Poetry of Paint” at Woodfield Fine Art Gallery. Opening reception 1/12 @5-9pm, show runs through 3/2. https://bit.ly/woodfield-art
Avast Ye Hearties The 13th Annual Gasparilla Music Festival has a new home at Julian B. Lane Park. Three days, 50 bands, five stages, 2/16-18. https://bit.ly/gasp-music
Asolo Sarasota Enjoy a unique Culture Coast performance when four local creatives present their original 10-minute-max acts during MicroWIP, the Asolo Theater’s work-in-progress micro-show. 1/26 7:30pm. https://bit.ly/microwip
Shalom Sashay The 51st Annual Art Festival Beth-El returns 1/27-29. Don’t miss 170+ national and international award-winning artists. https://bit.ly/art-fest-beth-el
A Friend of the Deuces is a friend of mine St. Petersburg’s historic 22nd Street Corridor is infused with the spirit of creativity, great food, and fun. Become a Friend and support the continued growth of this welcoming community. https://bit.ly/friend-the-deuces
Serious Sounds The Palladium Chamber Series continues its 2023-2024 season with the Chamber Players performing Schumann and Brahms 1/17, Vaughan Williams Piano Quintet performing Beethoven and Prokofiev 2/7, and more through May. https://bit.ly/palladium-events
St. Pete Opera presents an evening of opera scenes from Puccini’s La Bohème, Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet, and Samuel Barber’s A Hand of Bridge. 2/8 & 10. https://bit.ly/spo-scenes
Rauschenberg Retrospective The USF Contemporary Art Museum (USFCAM), part of the Institute for Research in Art in the USF College of The Arts, presents OFFSET: Robert Rauschenberg at USF Graphicstudio. 1/19-3/2. https://bit.ly/offset-usf
Meet the MUSEs St. Pete Arts Alliance 2024 MUSE honorees: Beth Morean, Patron of the Arts; The Dali Museum, Art & Technology; La Lucha, Performing Arts; Stacia Schrader, Arts Ambassador; Tombolo Books, Literary Arts Award Honoree; Vitale Brothers, Visual Arts. Award ceremony 1/26. https://bit.ly/st-pete-arts