By Caron Schwartz
Fine by me The Tenth Annual Gulfport Fine Arts Festival hosts juried artists from across the US. Due to storm damage, the two-day event has relocated to Clymer Park, at the corner of Gulfport Blvd. and Beach Blvd. S. Visitors and artists alike tell us they love the festival: the intimate gathering, the seaside city that celebrates art and artists in every corner, and the selection of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars within walking distance. 2/8-9, 10am-5pm. www.visitgulfportflorida.com/fine-arts-festival
First Saturday fun Every first Saturday, creators are invited to explore FloridaRAMA, capture immersive content, and share it using @FloridaRAMA.art and #FloridaRAMA. Enjoy perks like a complimentary scavenger hunt while showcasing your creativity and connecting your brand with FloridaRAMA’s unique art experience. Let’s collaborate! https://bit.ly/fairgrounds-creator-day
One stroke over the line Join self-taught artist Erik Hesson at Imagine Museum for a lecture exploring his style, Linear Perspectivism, and his inspiring journey through the world of modern art. Learn about his journey from self-taught dream-state painter to innovative artist. 2/4, 6-7pm. https://bit.ly/imagine-lecture-series
Can you Beat that? The Underground Book Fair returns for its second installment at the house of the Beat Generation’s literary icon, Jack Kerouac. Organized by Tiffany Razzano of Wordier Than Thou, the open mic poetry event also features This Bookstore Kills Fascists pop-up bookstore. 3/8, 1-6pm, at the Jack Kerouac House, 5169 10th Ave. N. in St. Pete. The event is free, but donations support preserving Kerouac’s historic home. https://bit.ly/wordier-book-fair
You’ll know Jack during Coffee & Poetry at Jack’s House hosted by Beat Poet Laureate Larry Jaffe. The third Sunday of every month, 3-6pm, at the Jack Kerouac House, 5169 10th Ave. N. in St. Pete, www.stpetekerouachouse.com. $10 covers coffee and pastry. Sign up to read at jackscoffeepoetry@gmail.com.
Total tonalism Multi-award-winning tonalist painter Larry Maynard will be honored with a solo exhibition at Brenda McMahon Gallery during Gulfport’s First Friday, 2/7 from 6-9pm. The event will feature live jazz by saxophonist Henry Ashwood on what promises to be an exciting night for the arts in Gulfport. www.brendamcmahongallery.com
Cancer coda Lisa Bagley shares her cancer story in Hopes and Fears on exhibit now at the Morean Art Center. The exhibition is a visual illustration of her journal of her experiences and struggles. Through 2/15. https://bit.ly/morean-lisa-bagley. Donations to the Moffitt Cancer Center. https://bit.ly/hopes-fears-fundraiser
Welcome to Paradise! Artwork by Valorie Vogel is on display through 4/8 at Nature’s Food Patch in Clearwater. Inspired by nature and enchanted realms, Valorie paints abstract/realistic wildlife and figures adorned with blossoms to create her visions of Paradise. Local art in the café changes every quarter in the Clearwater Café located at 1225Cleveland St. https://bit.ly/natures-food-patch
Raccoon raconteur American Stage’s Tales by Twilight returns to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. Don’t Feed the Animals takes the audience on a nighttime hike along the nature trail, unraveling a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a peregrine falcon. The investigation is led by a talking raccoon, who enlists the help of park rangers, local wildlife, and the audience. Thurs.-Sun. through 2/23. https://bit.ly/tales-by-twilight
Streetscape art Creative Pinellas, Pinellas County, and the Lealman CRA are collaborating on the 2025 Signal Box Project. This program invites local artists to transform traffic signal control boxes into vibrant public art, beautifying rights-of-way, deterring graffiti, and showcasing the county as an arts destination. The deadline to submit ideas for the Pinellas-wide signal box project has passed, but keep an out for these roadside attractions this summer.
Get ready for Valentine’s Day at History in a Bottle – Winter Vines & Valentine Wines. You’ll be greeted with a signature welcome drink to set the tone for an evening of exquisite sparkling wines expertly paired with culinary delights. Presented by St. Pete Distillery and Events by the Glass at the St. Pete Museum of History 2/8, 6-8pm. https://bit.ly/spmoh-valentines
Deuces Live has a new home at 833 22nd St. S, Suite B in St. Pete. Deuces Live is a nonprofit created to revive and revitalize this historic neighborhood where Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday played, Black baseball stars stayed, and the Black residents of St. Petersburg lived, worked, and prayed. www.deuceslive.org
Not a Starry Night Sien›s Mother›s House Seen from the Backyard, a rare 1882 sketch by Vincent van Gogh, sold for over $1.48 million at Bonhams London. Created during the artist’s formative years in The Hague, this intimate work offers a glimpse into Van Gogh’s early focus on everyday life and working-class struggles – long before the bold colors and swirling brushstrokes of his later masterpieces.
Woodworking Wonderwoman Join the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement for a presentation by Mira Nakashima, renowned architect, furniture maker, and daughter of iconic woodworking artist George Nakashima. Guests are also invited to view George Nakashima’s iconic “Arlyn” table in the gallery that bears his name. www.museumaacm.org
X-files The USF Contemporary Art Museum (USFCAM) presents X Factor: Latinx Artists and the Reconquest of the Everyday. X Factor examines the term Latinx through the work of 15 of America’s leading contemporary artists. The exhibition grounds a series of redefinitions of “Latinity” in the everyday lives of its creators. Now through 3/8. 3821 USF Holly Dr. in Tampa. https://bit.ly/usf-contemporary-art
Museum Minis with Tombolo Books invites children five and under accompanied by their favorite grownups to the Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete galleries every third Wednesday, 10-11am, for an art-filled storytime. From shapes to colors and artists to animals, there is always something fun to discover at the MFA. Drop in on 2/19 for I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home by Kathryn Cristaldi. https://bit.ly/mfa-minis
Prefer auditory to visual art? Imagine Museum hosts the St. Petersburg Sax Quartet on 2/7, 5-8pm. This local ensemble comprises soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, weaving rich harmonies across jazz classics sand popular favorites. https://bit.ly/imagine-lecture-series
Yo Ya La’Ford The James Museum presents Survey the West: A Cross-Continental Reflection by internationally recognized Tampa-based artist Ya La’ford. La’Ford’s journey to the American West in 2022 inspired a fresh interpretation of the West, intertwining her distinctive linear labyrinths with imagery inspired by geological features shaped over millions of years. 2/15-5/18. https://bit.ly/james-survey
Creative Pinellas presents Source of All Hair, Wearer of All Socks, an exhibition by Nigerian Sri Lankan artist Sam Modder, inviting viewers into a world shaped by striking, larger-than-life Black female figures in both real and imagined realms. On display at the Gallery at Creative Pinellas through 2/23. https://bit.ly/creative-pinellas-source