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  • Tarpon Springs invites local artists to light up the Sponge Docks

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    TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Local artists and photographers are being invited to showcase their work in one of Tarpon Springs’ most iconic areas.

    What You Need To Know

    • Tarpon Springs’ Public Art Committee is seeking submissions for illuminated art boxes that will be installed on lampposts along Dodecanese Boulevard

    • The display is designed to enhance the visitor experience both during the day and at night

    • There are 40 available display spaces across 20 double-sided illuminated art boxes


    The city’s Public Art Committee is seeking submissions for illuminated art boxes that will be installed on lampposts along Dodecanese Boulevard at the Sponge Docks. The display is designed to enhance the visitor experience both during the day and at night, adding another layer of visual storytelling to the heavily visited waterfront district.

    One artist preparing a submission is Shari Gaines, a painter based in Dunedin who has been creating and selling artwork for 17 years. Gaines is currently working on an oil painting inspired by a photograph she took in Tarpon Springs.

    She says she was immediately drawn to the scene, particularly the boats, which she describes as appearing to “have a conversation” with one another. Gaines says the flexibility of oil paints allows her to adjust the composition as she works, refining the piece until it feels right.

    Much of Gaines’ work is inspired by scenes she captures herself throughout Florida. She said that authenticity is central to her process, preferring to paint from real-life experiences or her own photographs rather than images found online. Her work often reflects Florida’s water, light, and vivid sunsets.

    City leaders say public art plays a significant role in reinforcing Tarpon Springs’ identity as a cultural and tourist destination. Vice Mayor Michael Eisner says the Sponge Docks already offer visitors a sensory experience through Greek music, food, and architecture and that public art adds to the feeling of being transported to another place.

    The submission criteria for the project is straightforward. Artists must depict something recognizable in or around Tarpon Springs, such as local nature scenes, beaches, parks or waterfront views. Selected works will be displayed for one year.

    If chosen, Gaines’ piece would be her second artwork featured through the city’s public art program. She says art helps reflect the character and beauty of Tarpon Springs and gives visitors another way to connect with the community.

    Gaines displays her work on her website.

    There are 40 available display spaces across 20 double-sided illuminated art boxes. The submission deadline is Jan. 2.

    Artists interested in participating should email their submissions to arbcreative@yahoo.com and include their name, email address, mailing address, and phone number.

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    Jeff Van Sant

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  • St. Petersburg unveils walkable artwork in Sunset Park

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The city of St. Petersburg unveiled a 175 foot long walkable mosaic aimed at drawing visitors to Sunset Park on Wednesday, which depicts the sunrise over Tampa Bay in the east and ends with a sunset on the Gulf beaches in the west.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Sunshine City Mosaic was unveiled on Wednesday in Sunset Park in St. Petersburg 

    • The artwork is made up of 15,000 pieces of porcelain tile and glass, which creates nine vignettes of Florida’s wildlife

    • It took three local and emerging artists two and a half years to complete the project  

    • The 175 foot long walkable mosaic aimed at drawing visitors to Sunset Park


    “The goal when we originally started was to make kind of an iconic piece for the city,” said artist Alex Kaufman. “Something that everyone would take pride in.”

    Kaufman, along with artists Laura “Miss Crit” Spencer and George Retkes, were commissioned by the city in 2023 to create the Sunshine City Mosaic for $50,000. The artwork is made up of 15,000 pieces of porcelain tile and glass, which creates nine vignettes of Florida’s wildlife.

    “The Sunshine City Mosaic is not just a public art installation, it’s a celebration of our community’s spirit and natural beauty,” said Mayor Kenneth Welch. “It’s exciting to see such an ambitious project come to life, connecting our vibrant artistic culture with the stunning landscapes of our parks on the west side.”  

    Spencer called the two-and-a-half-year project, which endured some public delays, a “remembrance piece” and was still processing its completion.

    “When you’ve worked on a project for as long as this one, it becomes like a sibling or a family member,” she said. “I’m still going to be sneaking out here once a week to sweep her off and make sure she’s doing okay.”

    The artists were hoping it was going to be longest mosaic in Florida, but the Science Center has a mosaic that is 275 feet long which the city believes holds the record. Retkes said before the unveiling that the Sunshine City Mosaic had been getting a lot of buzz in the Old Pasadena neighborhood.

    “They’ve already expressed some gratitude for seeing a new piece and getting to walk through the park to enjoy it,” he said. “(It) should hopefully attract some more people over to the side of town.”

    Kaufman said the city got a great deal on the project, and he was grateful they were chosen through a program for emerging artists.

    “They took a chance on us, and we gave them something really special in return. So it’s beneficial to both parties,” he said. “This is an amazing deal for the city, but it’s also our hometown. So, it’s also our business card too.”

    The Sunshine City Mosaic joins the more than 90 pieces that make up St. Pete’s public art collection.

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    Josh Rojas

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  • America 250-Ohio adds three new creativity trails

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — America 250-Ohio has announced the addition of three new trails to its signature Trails & Tales Program.

    What You Need To Know

    • America 250-Ohio added of three new trails to their signature Trails & Tales program in celebration for America’s 250th anniversary in 2026

    • The Ohio Creativity Trails showcase six artistic categories, written, music, visual arts, glass & pottery, folk & traditional art, and carousels

    • The three added trails will be featuring pottery, visual arts and performing arts

    America 250-Ohio is the state commission leading Ohio’s official celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

    The Trails & Tales program hosts Creativity Trails, which are set at sites across Ohio, showcasing the work of the state’s past and present writers, musicians, artists, and other creatives.

    The Ohio Creativity Trails showcase six artistic categories: written, music, visual arts, glass & pottery, folk & traditional art, and carousels.

    The carousels will feature renowned institutions like the Cleveland Museum of Art and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Millersburg Glass Museum and Merry-Go-Round Museum.

    “Ohioans create art that shapes the culture of our great nation,” said Todd Kleismit, Executive Director of America 250-Ohio. “From brushstrokes to storytelling, their creativity echoes far beyond our borders. With these new trail sites in Genoa, Portsmouth, and Union County, we’re celebrating the artists who help define Ohio’s and America’s spirit.” 

    The three new trails introduced this year will feature:

    • Packer Creek Pottery in Genoa has been nationally recognized since 1979 for its vibrant, whimsical designs. In 1993, founder Jan Pugh was honored with a White House commission to craft a Christmas angel, now kept in the National Archives.
    • Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth houses the largest collection of works by American Scene painter Clarence Holbrook Carter, along with “Art of the Ancients,” featuring 10,000 prehistoric Native American artifacts from the Wertz Collection. The museum is temporarily closed for renovations and will reopen later this fall. 
    • Marysville Art League in Marysville, which was founded in 1979 by local artists, promotes visual and performing arts throughout Union County while preserving Houston House.

    There are currently seven sites in central Ohio to visit, like the Watch House and Circle Mound in Dublin and the Ohio Statehouse.

    The full trail can be explored, and more information can be found at the America 250-Ohio website.

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    Ruby Jackson

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  • Private music academy in Bradenton thrives amid arts funding cuts

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    BRADENTON, Fla. — Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis made huge cuts to Florida’s arts funding, leading many public school districts to place uncertainty on many programs.

    As a result, one music academy in Manatee County says they’re seeing a spike in enrollment as parents sought options.

    • Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis made huge cuts to Florida’s arts funding

    • With some school districts seeing a decrease in funding for arts programs, Premier Music Academy owner Whitney Lopez says she’s seeing an increase in students seeking private and group lessons

    • She says they’ve seen a 51% increase in enrollment between 2022 and 2025, which led to them expanding and opening a second location recently

    • Public arts and culture funding did see some reversals in Florida’s budget for 2025-26, as the state restored millions of dollars in grants

    “We had people driving from North Manatee, from South Manatee,” Premier Music Academy owner Whitney Lopez said. “I do believe that it has to do with the school systems slashing funding for the arts.”

    She says they’ve seen a 51% increase in enrollment between 2022 and 2025. That led to them expanding and opening a second location recently.

    “The funding being so low for the arts — we’re ready for the boom,” she said.

    Lily Woodruff, a student at the academy, has been attending for six years and plans to continue.

    She found her talent at a young age. Now at 14 years old, Lily plays six instruments. She says she’s refined her skills over the years, and that her musical passion is driven by faith.

    “I love playing piano. Because it gives me an opportunity to just, like, do what I want and just to, like, glorify God through music,” she said. “I want to get better so I can be a worship singer.”

    She says the arts are a critical part of her life and supports keeping them in education. Lily will be a freshman in high school this fall where she hopes to learn more about music.

    Public arts and culture funding did see some reversals in Florida’s budget for 2025-26, as the state restored millions of dollars in grants.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • Gulfport’s Brenda McMahon Gallery mounts protest show “We the People…”

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    GULFPORT, Fla. — Art is cathartic for Judith Villavisanis. “A lot of things are happening now, and it’s a way of me being able to deal with them,” the muralist said about the political upheaval in the United States.

    The Gulfport artist is working on a piece she named “The Would-Be King Holds Court.”

    “I want people to look at it and form their own opinion about what it is,” said Villavisanis.

    She says the topic is not too hard to figure out this time — it’s about the supreme court.

    The mixed media piece joins other protest art in the exhibition, “We the People. This is what democracy looks like,” at the Brenda McMahon Gallery in Gulfport.

    “There’s so much dialog going on in the country about really fiery issues, controversial issues. And I feel like art has such a way of addressing issues at hand, not with the mental mind, but with the heart.”

    No stranger to protest art — Villavisanis creates work around her worries — like her interpretation of the living swamp in peril: Sorpresa Tempesta.

    “It means everything to me. And a lot of it is disappearing,” she said.

    And where the professional mural artist makes all her ideas real is the sketchbook. “It’s my map.”

    Sometimes this terrain is tricky when she takes the path less traveled.

    But like McMahon, she wants her work to communicate in a way words fail.

    “And I think through art, I can connect better, too, with the message,” said Villavisanis.

    This is her message — her expression of freedom — as the United States celebrates its own.

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    Virginia Johnson

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  • Beloved music instructor to be inducted in Polk’s Arts & Culture Hall of Fame

    Beloved music instructor to be inducted in Polk’s Arts & Culture Hall of Fame

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    WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Polk County Arts and Culture Alliance will celebrate its annual Hall of Fame Gala Tuesday. This year, the group will induct five local legends, including beloved music instructor Dr. Jessie Davis Owens.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Polk County Arts and Culture Alliance will induct five people into its Hall of Fame Tuesday

    • Inductee, Dr. Jessie Owens, has taught jazz and classical music to Polk County students for the past 50 years

    • The Arts and Culture Hall of Fame Gala will be held at Nora Mayo Hall in Winter Haven


    Owens first sat behind a piano during her middle school band class. She later learned to play more instruments and spent the last 50 years sharing her knowledge of jazz and classical music with Polk County students.

    “It makes me feel wonderful that I touched somebody’s mind and given them the gift of love,” Owens said.

    Since retiring, Owens has held most of her classes in her home. She teaches people of all ages through her nonprofit, the Dr. J. Owens Academy of Fine Arts, including 9th grader Zyonn McGriff.

    “Her impact on me has been really special to me and my connection through music,” McGriff said.

    Owens’ impact on the community has earned her several awards and recognitions over the years.

    Recently, the city of Winter Haven declared Oct. 15 Dr. Jessie Davis Owens Day. Now, she looks forward to being inducted into the Polk Arts and Culture Hall of Fame.

    “It’s been quite a surprise. Really, honestly, I’m honored and humbled, and just overjoyed,” she said.

    But like any true musician, Owens said this recognition wasn’t something she strived for.

    “I wasn’t doing it for show, or fashion, or form,” she said. “It’s just a passion of mine. I just love music. I love singing. I love playing. I love conducting it.”

    Most importantly, she loves sharing music with others, which is what she plans to do behind her piano for years to come.

    The Hall of Fame Gala will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the Nora Mayo Hall in Winter Haven. For tickets to attend, click here.

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    Alexis Jones

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  • Morean Center for Clay hosts annual art yard sale

    Morean Center for Clay hosts annual art yard sale

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Morean Art Center is hosting the Art Yard Sale this Saturday, Sept. 14, at 9 a.m., where nothing is over $100.

    What You Need To Know

    • Morean Art Center at 719 Central is hosting an Art Yard Sale

    • It starts Saturday, Sept. 14, at 9 a.m.

    • Nothing at the sale is over $100

    “Before I was even born, my mom wanted to raise an artist,” said Erica Bleu, smiling as she looked down at her pottery wheel.

    Bleu is in the middle of a two-year Artist in Residence program at the Morean Center.

    She uses her hand-thrown vessels as her canvas. All this started thanks to her artist parents—especially her mom.

    “We’re Native American, so she’d sell her bead work. And so, all I knew was art growing up,” said Bleu.

    She is one of about 20 artists the Morean Center invited, adding their treasure troves to the organization’s annual yard sale. In addition to her ceramic earrings decorated with bone sketches, Bleu’s currently working on shadow frames for her work.

    “I do a lot of insect imagery,” said Bleau.

    Once dried, she fires and glazes the frames. And she’s not alone in her work.

    “So I raise a lot of tarantulas,” Bleu said, holding a baby named Tobey Maguire.

    He hangs out in her art space, along with friends Webony and Sprinkles.

    “I find spiders and other bugs very inspiring,” said Bleu. “I look to their behaviors and how they mirror our own. I love having them around. They’re very comforting to me, at least.”

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    Virginia Johnson

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  • Sarasota adult day center and art museum team up to raise Alzheimer’s awareness

    Sarasota adult day center and art museum team up to raise Alzheimer’s awareness

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    SARASOTA, Fla. — June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than seven million Americans are living with the disease. And here in Florida, that includes more than 580,000 people ages 65 and older.

    What You Need To Know

    • In Florida, more than 580,000 people ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease

    • Adult day center Town Square University Parkway and the Ringling Museum of Art recently teamed up on a special project where members created art during a six-week series of workshops

    • The center’s leadership and volunteers say art is one of the activities offered that stimulates the brain and helps with focus

    • An auction is taking place June 26 at Town Square University Parkway in Sarasota from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.


    Town Square University Parkway is just one of the local resources available for patients and caregivers. It’s an adult day center in Sarasota that’s modeled after familiar settings – like a diner and a front porch. The goal is to stimulate remembrance.

    “We are growing everyday. We continue to get members every week, and what we’re finding is that the caregivers have more patience when they pick them up,” Town Square University Parkway Program Director Denise Gibson said. “The participants, the members are extremely happy and tired at the end of the day.”

    The center and the Ringling Museum of Art recently teamed up on a special project.

    Ginny Burden says the two days a week she spends here at Town Square University Parkway gives her an outlet for all of the facets of her big personality.

    “I just love the environment, the staff, the fun things we get to do,” she said.

    She was part of a group made that made garlands out of strips of fabric. Artist Christine Gahagan helped.

    “They each have their own set of skills and their own language. So, we each have an interpersonal language with each individual member. So, if someone is becoming nonverbal, you know other ways to get them to express,” Gahagan said.

    Like Town Square’s other members, Burden has dementia. The center’s leadership and volunteers say art is one of the activities offered that stimulates the brain and helps with focus.

    “Art has always been a way to find that roadmap back in,” Gahagan said. “Each one of them still has the right to their own self expression.”

    That self expression is on display at the Ringling Museum of Art this month. The museum and center partnered on a six-week series of workshops where members created art using different mediums.

    “This is my favorite. I love that you can put these little things together,” Burden said.

    The pieces will be auctioned off to benefit the nonprofit, “All 4 The Members.” There will also be works created as part of the center’s regular art program.

    Artist Brittany Lush worked with more than 40 members on a Van Gogh-style painting.

    “We had members of our lower stages paint the solid color of the canvas, and then we had groups that each got their own flowers to paint individually how they wanted to,” Lush said.

    It’s work she has a personal connection to. Lush’s father has Lewy body vascular dementia and Parkinson’s disease and is a member at Town Square. She says she hopes the exhibit opens eyes.

    “See what our members can do and that despite the disease, they’re still enjoying their life and being able to create amazing things and learn new skills,” Lush said.

    And, like Burden, getting that thrill from a job well done.

    You can get a look at the art featured from the Town Square members at the Ringling Museum of Art’s Education Center. An auction is taking place June 26 at Town Square University Parkway in Sarasota from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Holocaust survivor urging residents to experience ‘Seeing Auschwitz’ exhibit

    Holocaust survivor urging residents to experience ‘Seeing Auschwitz’ exhibit

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A worldwide exhibit providing photographic images of the Holocaust recently made its North American debut in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    What You Need To Know

    • A worldwide exhibit showing truths about the Holocaust just made its North American debut in Charlotte, North Carolina 
    • The exhibit takes people on a photographic journey, showing hard realities of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp
    • One Holocaust survivor is encouraging people to see the displays so that this dark part of world history isn’t forgotten

    The ‘Seeing Auschwitz’ exhibit is currently on display at the Nine Eighteen Nine Studio Gallery in the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Center in Charlotte. 

    It’s being hosted by the Stan Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center at Queens University of Charlotte. 

    The exhibit takes people on an eye-opening journey, immersing them in the grim realities of what transpired at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp.

    The exhibition will showcase a collection of 100 photographs, sketches and testimonies, allowing attendees to gain a deeper understanding of the German Nazi camp Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

    Associate Director for The Greenspon Center Judy LaPietra first saw this exhibit in London. She said it was important to bring this experience to the United States. 

    “To bring an exhibit like this to Charlotte, that has such an impact, it really speaks to the fact we are ensuring this legacy, the story of the Holocaust continues,” LaPietra said. “I want our survivors and witnesses to know that we take that responsibility on, and I think this exhibit moves that idea forward.” 

    She added over 13,000 people have seen the exhibit so far, hopefully each of them learning about the victims’ stories.

    “What this exhibit does so well is really underscore, even in a photo, the story of the victim,” LaPietra said.

    The ‘Seeing Auschwitz’ exhibit evokes strong emotions for Holocaust survivors and their families, such as Frieda Schwartz, bringing back painful memories.

    “We have to make the most of having [the exhibit] here,” Schwartz said. 

    Schwartz’s parents were living in Poland when they escaped the Nazi invasion. Her parents were taken in and concealed by an elderly couple in Siberia.

    However, Schwartz’s father was eventually apprehended and sent to a work camp.

    Schwartz’s mother would soon give birth to her in a dirt cellar.  

    The family was reunited after the war ended, but faced many hardships before coming to the United States. 

    “My family ran from Poland, so our history is totally different,” Schwartz said. “But some of my parent’s families stayed. [At this exhibit], I could be looking at the back of an uncle or cousin and I would never know it.” 

    Schwartz added she’s grateful to the Stan Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center for bringing this exhibit to North Carolina. She’s encouraging people and younger generations to see all these images, so this part of history is neither repeated nor erased. 

    “Let it all touch us however it does to make us better and to make the world understand we can’t go back. We have to learn from history,” Schwartz said. 

    The ‘Seeing Auschwitz‘ exhibit will be on display at the VAPA Center through April 15. 

     

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    Jennifer Roberts

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  • Clearwater hosts its first mural festival in downtown area

    Clearwater hosts its first mural festival in downtown area

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater hosted the city’s very first art mural festival in the Gateway neighborhood near downtown in March and hopes to make it an annual event.

    What You Need To Know

    • Clearwater hosted its first mural festival in March 2024 

    • It’s called the Art Oasis Mural Festival 

    • A half-dozen businesses participated by donating a wall for the mural festival

    • The city pays artists with $90,000 from the Community Redevelopment Agency fund

    “We really are lacking art in Clearwater,” said Amber Brice, Clearwater Arts and Cultural Affairs Manager. “The easiest way to get a bunch of art in the city at one time is murals.”

    Brice said a half-dozen businesses participated by donating a wall for the Art Oasis Mural Festival. The city is paying the artists with $90,000 from the Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency.

    “We wanted to establish the mural festival to where people want this on their building,” said Brice. “It brings people here to take pictures in front of it.”

    The owner of Senor Bubbles, Brenda Baez, 47, agreed to have artist Naomi Haverland paint a mural on her laundry center wall. Baez said it’s a “win-win” for everybody.

    “Supporting the artist… I think we all will benefit from it. Residents, people working around here, tourism,” she said. “I’m really excited about it.”

    Art events can have a big economic impact in the community. In the 2022 fiscal year, Clearwater generated $125.6 million in economic activity surrounding art events, which brought in $24.6 million in taxes, according to an Americans for the Arts study.

    Artist Francisco Gonzalez, 36, who goes by Frankie G., painted a mural on the side of the El Ranchito De Pepe supermarket and said he’s honored to be a part of the inaugural event.

    “To do a wall this size for the first one and also pay homage to my heritage, the heritage here in the area, it’s surreal,” he said. “So, really, to help kind of kick things off, there’s a great artist roster.”

    Gonzalez is half-Cuban and lives in Tampa. He wanted to make sure his mural reflects the Mexican culture and heritage of the people who live in the Gateway neighborhood.

    “We really wanted to bring in a sense of the community to this mural,” he said. “It’s kind of like a cycle of the family heritage and the strength.”

    Gonzalez mural features colors and the snake from the Mexican flag, along with a wolf from the Aztec culture. The artists must finish their murals by March 31, which will be displayed for at least one year.

    The city shared a list of the participating locations and artists in the Art Oasis Mural Fest 2024:

    Business

    Artist

    El Ranchito de Pepe

    Frankie G

    Clear Track Studios

    C. Lueza

    Señor Bubbles                          

    Naomi Haverland

    Señor Subs and Gyros

    Rei Ramirez

    Charlie’s Sushi and Japanese

    Evoca1

    Fraternal Order of the Eagles

    Zulu Painter

    MSB Parking Garage* – South Wall

    Dreamweaver

    Coachman Park Mural Wall – Art in the Park*

    Carlos Pons

    Brice said she hired the same consulting company that puts on the popular Shine Mural Festival in St. Petersburg and hopes to grow the festival in Clearwater.

    “We’re just really excited for the direction Clearwater is headed with art,” she said. “We’re hoping that we have a lot of community buy in after an event like this and more neighborhoods will want to participate in the future.”

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    Josh Rojas

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