By Nanette Wiser
SCARE FEST
Don’t miss Dewey Caruthers’ Sunshine City Scare convention at the St. Petersburg Coliseum May 13-14. The horror-themed show will have some unique touches including an emphasis on anime horror, an appearance by the creator of the iconic Monster High dolls (which led to a movie and TV series), and a nod to Mother’s Day with a “Happy Murder’s Day” celebration of moms from horror movies.
“St. Pete is ready for an annual horror con, after showing tremendous support for our comic con and our anime festival,” said convention organizer Dewey Caruthers, who also created January’s St. Pete Comic Con and last September’s Anime St. Pete. Sunshine City Scare will feature three horror subgenres: anime horror, video game horror, and horror in movies & TV, appearances by anime voice actors, an evil maid cafe, frightening idol performers, and more than 20 hours of panel discussions. Celebrity guests will include voice actors and live-action actors from popular anime shows, video games, and movies like Chainsaw Man, Tokyo Ghoul, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Cabin in the Woods, and Sleepy Hollow. The very special guest will be Garrett Sander, creator of the iconic Monster High doll.
For Mother’s Day, Sunshine City Scare’ “Happy Murder’s Day,” celebrates mothers who are murderers or who are moms of murderers in horror movies like Psycho as well as crafting of Happy Murder’s Day cards, a special photo space, panel discussions, and a cosplay contest.
PIANO FEST Celebrated worldwide, the Rebecca Penneys’ Piano Festival (RPPF) launches its 11th season June 27-July 17, and continues its theme of Legacy of Piano and Planet hosted at the The University of South Florida. It brings together 40 of the world’s best aspiring collegiate classical pianists from 22 countries. Penneys is an acclaimed musician and Founder/ Director of RPPF as well as Professor Emerita of Piano at the Eastman School of Music. rebeccapenneyspianofestival.org
HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY Jamboree at The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art kicked off the month-long celebration with country western music, line dancing, Datz’s appetizers, towering cowgirl and cowboy on stilts, Honey the miniature therapy horse and tours of the galleries. Decked out in cowboy hats and boots, guests showed off their Western attire from fringed suede vests to embellished denim jackets with fringe.
Indigenous Art and the Photography of Edward S. Curtis closes May 14. Utilizing photogravures specific to Indigenous material culture by Edward S. Curtis as a starting gate, this exhibition displays correlating Native art from the 20th and 21st centuries. The show is presented in three sections: Southwest Pueblo pottery, California basketry, and Northwest Coast carving and textiles. Each section reflects on how objects harbor memories and tell stories about a time, a place, and a people. Drawn from the collection of the National Museum of Wildlife Art, Un/Natural Selections opens June 14 and centers on wildlife images from the last two decades that dynamically confront categorizations and speak to the significance of wildlife in art – in unconventional ways. The variety of art explores the relationship between humanity and the natural world with the artists’ personal narratives woven throughout.
ENTER STAGE LEFT So much to celebrate at the Warehouse Arts District (WADA). In April, they welcomed the Academy of Ballet Arts to the AX Campus, the Foodies Lab and the AX Theater, a multidimensional stage that moonlights as a magnificent movie theater. WADA hosted Lift, a film festival feature; International Jazz Day and produced an official UNESCO event. warehouseartsdistrict.org