We are reimagining how our work can best support economic well-being and community well-being, and have a few new initiatives in the development stages for both of these focus areas. We’re very excited to share more, so please stay tuned. In the meantime, as we diligently work on the blueprint for our next chapter, we wanted to address some of the top questions about our future:
1. Is Creative Pinellas closing?
Creative Pinellas is not shutting down, or dissolving. We will continue to operate as a nonprofit organization, and we currently retain the designation as the Local Arts Agency for Pinellas County. Our organization will be nimble with less capacity, but we are still operational and committed to continuing our work to promote and support Pinellas County’s vibrant and talented creative community.
2. What will happen with the gallery space?
The final exhibition at The Gallery at Creative Pinellas was the eighth iteration of Arts Annual, which closed Jan. 4. The gallery store closed Jan. 10. The building is now closed to the public. Creative Pinellas will vacate its current office at the end of January, and the staff will begin work remotely. We are unaware of the plans for the building after we leave.
3. What funding will be used to support Creative Pinellas?
We have several current contracts with Pinellas County for various public art projects (community murals, mural projects in county buildings such as this one, signal box wraps, etc.) and we look forward to continuing that partnership. We are actively working to secure funding and grants through a variety of sources, such as individual and corporate donations, private and public philanthropic foundations and a proposed appropriation through the state legislation. We currently have funding from the Florida Division of Arts and Culture as well as on the federal level with the National Endowment for the Arts.
4. Will grants and public art opportunities still be available to artists through Creative Pinellas?
With limited resources, the opportunities will not be as robust as before, but we still plan to offer funding and art opportunities for local artists. With our partners, Pinellas County Lealman Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), we currently have two calls for entries for local artists: a 900 square-foot mural at 5675 34th St N and five signal boxes. Both are in the Lealman community. Applications for both close at noon Jan. 30. We look forward to sharing additional opportunities in the future.
5. Will Creative Pinellas operate a new art space/venue to present art exhibitions?
Several wonderful arts organizations across the county have generously offered their spaces so Creative Pinellas can host art exhibitions, and possible pop-ups. For now, we will pivot to partnering with other groups, instead of starting the process of opening a new art space.
We will have a smaller footprint, but we will continue to focus on our key impact areas while reaffirming our commitment to the residents of Pinellas County. We are deeply grateful to our artists, donors, partners, and advocates for your continued support and belief in Creative Pinellas — especially during a time of transition and uncertainty for so many in our creative community. We know it’s been a tough few years for everyone, and we have been able to keep going by finding our strength and leaning on each other. Let’s continue in that spirit. We invite each of you to stay connected, engage with this reimagined version of Creative Pinellas, and continue shaping what comes next with us. Your support, creativity, and advocacy are essential as we move forward together.
If you have any further questions, or want to share ways to support Creative Pinellas, please send them to Creative Pinellas CEO Margaret Murray at margaret.murray@creativepinellas.org. To help strengthen our work and sustain our future, please click here to give a donation.
Thank you!
