Art for the New Year
Now we come upon the months of love and luck – of the Irish! We’ve got a sampling of some of the new and original art to discover in St. Pete in the new year.
Galleries
ArtLofts: Valentwe’en 2023: Kiss of Death. 10 5th Street South, second floor. Opening reception February 11, 5-9 pm; 12-4 pm Saturdays and by appointment through February 28. Brandybstark132@gmail.com.
This marks the 8th annual holiday combining concepts of second Halloween with gothic romance. This year, the show features those sexy, powerful, and predatory paranormal creatures: vampires! The opening reception is during Second Saturday Artwalk. Be sure to come attired in your best vampire costume and support the local arts scene!
Arts Education Center: The Warehouse Arts District presents Cinematic Dance: Dance Like the Stars in Your Favorite Movies. 515 22nd Street South. February 4, March 4, and April 1, 5-7 pm. $60 per workshop or $150 for the whole series. Info@wadastpete.org or 727-256-0821.
Calling all dance lovers for this short series based on film choreography. There are three two-hour dance workshops that include brief screenings of popular movies (examples include Singing in the Rain and La La Land), followed by dance lessons to learn the choreography. All skill levels welcome.
Studio Public House: More or Less. 2950 Central Avenue. Visit website for hours at thestudiopublichouse.com or 727-873-6992.
Twenty-four artists are split into two groups: 12 representing the concept of “more,” and 12 representing concepts of “less.” The show space is also a restaurant serving fun, artistic food!
Art Centers
Morean Art Center: 719 Central Avenue. Various events. Moreanartscenter.org or 727-822-7872.
Wonder in the Wild: Photographic Works by Curtis Anderson Jr. + Stefan Jennings Batista. Both artists are graduates of the Ringling College of Art and Design and their works speak to the pursuit of meaning and the connection between nature and a higher power. “Both artists strive to achieve balance while touching on themes of identity, mental health, a sense of meaning and belonging within the unknown.”
Agueda Sanfiz: The Other Pandemic January 19, 6 pm. This free gallery talk focuses on the artist’s experience with the loss of her sister in 2020. Though a heavy topic, the Morean notes that “each frame is imbued with love and tenderness, drawing us, the viewers, into her story of how to celebrate a life while even while mourning its loss during epic times.”
Tom Kramer: Forever Changed (The Palladium Series) This exhibit explores images created at the Palladium Theater in downtown St. Petersburg, featuring the interchange between the dancers and the lighting technicians over a period of four days. It highlights the COVID era, which hit the arts community particularly hard. Tom Kramer, who passed away in 2022, created this last series to anticipate how the people in the images will interact. His works can be found in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg.
Florida Craftart: Clearly Collaborative: Masters of Craft Meet a Master of Glass. 501 Central Avenue. January 27 to March 11. Floridacraftart.org or 727-821-7391.
This exhibition of original glass and multi-media sculptures was created through an exceptional collaboration between nine multi-media master artists/makers and established glass master Duncan McClellan. Collaborations include crafters Sue Shapiro (ceramics), Nneka Jones (fiber), and John Mascoll (wood).
Events
Museum of Fine Arts: 60th Diamond Anniversary Gala, “A Night to Remember.” February 11, 7 pm. Tickets are $250 each. Stuartsociety.org or email RSVP@StuartSociety.org.
On November 29, 1962, the Stuart Society was formed, named after the founder of the Museum of Fine Arts, Margaret Acheson Stuart, and the guild worked to support the Museum of Fine Arts. This year they present a 1960s-themed gala with a 17-piece orchestra, gourmet food, celebrity impersonators, a DJ, and more. Celebrity designer, Ian Prosser, of Botanica Design Studio, will transform the museum into a ’60s scene.
Williams Park: The 10th Annual Localtopia. 350 2nd Avenue North. February 18 (rain date February 25). 10 am-5 pm. localtopia.keepsaintpetersburglocal.org
This year’s event hosts 300 local businesses and is the largest gathering yet, including a wide assortment of artists, local small businesses, food, music, and more.
