Get to know the grantee artists and their art practices

Every exhibit postcard compels you to attend, but here’s why this one is different. We all start somewhere; Beethoven had to learn scales, Einstein learned math and Van Gogh taught… Read More

1) Greet your stone with an air of respect for the lessons and gifts it’s about to give you. 2) Spend time with it and look for any distinguishing characteristics, unique veining… Read More

When I first embarked on my career as a painter, the path wasn’t clear to me. It would’ve been nice if someone had given me a map to tell me… Read More

For the past few years, I’ve participated in a reading challenge where I set a goal to read 52 books a year. That means I read roughly one book a… Read More

Writing is great. Reading about writing can be great too. Over the years, I have amassed hours reading about how to write better and how to be a more creative… Read More

As a drummer in a pipe band, much of my time and effort is devoted to drum corps and band rehearsal.  For me, the highest motivation in playing has always… Read More

Recently, I wrote about my experiences on the night of the 2023 Emerging Artist Grant, which is fully available on Arts Coast Magazine’s website. The experience was fun and engaging… Read More

In the mid-20th century, the advent of microchips and digital systems ignited a new era in art-making, catalyzing cybernetics and system theories that permeated consequential art movements. In this 3-part… Read More

Blog Post 14 – Agueda Zabisky   The exhibition opening day has arrived: May 4th. After months of hard work, a learning curve and a few obstacles I was able… Read More

As an artist, I have always been drawn to the transformative power of art. From a young age, I found solace in drawing and painting, using art as a way… Read More

Curious about how an artist works and where ideas come from. Follow me into my studio where I talk about my process. Thanks to my friend, artist, and gallerist, James… Read More

It’s been a little over two weeks since I presented my Emerging Artist production of 61 Unused Pages by Vincent Terrell Durham at the Studio@620 and I’ve had some time… Read More

Dropping off three long scrolls after 9 long months of work is ironically like that birth thing. Blood sweat tears, the whole thing, literally. Even groaning. I’m anxious. I’m at… Read More

One of the great aspects of flash fiction is that I can work on multiple pieces at once. For a novelist, it’s nearly impossible to juggle writing multiple novels at… Read More

Living as a native of St.Pete for the majority of my life I am no stranger to the homeless population. If anything they’re amongst the most memorable faces within  the… Read More

Many people are familiar with Salvador Dali’s paintings, especially if you live in the Tampa Bay area. The beautiful Dali Museum gives us the opportunity to revisit his original works… Read More

I feel very fortunate to be one of the folks who received a professional grant this cycle from Creative Pinellas. One of the requirements is that we participate in an… Read More

Marble grabbed my attention as a sculptor early on.  Prized and adored by all the world’s greatest sculptors throughout history, it seemed to be the ultimate medium to work with. … Read More

I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to join the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band in 2012.  The SFU Pipe Band are 6-time world champions, based out of Vancouver,… Read More

I like to talk to other writers about their good writing days, and most of the time, when you talk to any creative person they have a routine (or the… Read More

Did you see the film Avatar 2? Did you wonder why it wasn’t as good as the first? Sure, it was visually engaging and lots of people still liked the… Read More

Above is a photo of my music stand with a sampling of three challenging works I have performed or will be performing with The Florida Orchestra on concerts in April… Read More

I mentioned in my first post that the Dunedin Highland Games and Festival was held on Saturday, April 1, 2023.  One of the fantastic components of the Games is the… Read More

When we think of art, we often think of the end product; the painting hanging on the wall, the performance, the piece of music. Art is also the production-the process-the… Read More

Walking the medieval, cobblestone streets of Volterra on my recent trip to Tuscany felt surreal! Besides the historic splendor I was met with upon approaching the towering walls of this… Read More

In my last blog post, I mentioned the term “flash fiction” when describing the genre I write. I gave a quick definition of flash fiction: “a very short story.” But… Read More

Since I was a young child, I have always been drawn to the music of the bagpipes.  I love the sound of the instrument and the way it has always… Read More

Teaching creative writing is one of my favorite things to do. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot of confusion of what a story is and how it actually needs to be… Read More

Lance Felton is excited to be completing his first year of working as a professional actor and artist. He most recently performed as Dasher in WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS TRIUMPH at… Read More

Grids have been used for centuries to transform ideas into tangible designs. They offer a simple, but effective framework, for organizing space and breaking down information into quantified units that… Read More

This clip is an introduction to my studio at St. Pete Artworks, 2604 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL. Thirty-one members of the co-op show their work. There are four working… Read More

Now before you start thinking that Creative Pinellas is giving Professional Artist Grants to children, please note that this photo of me was taken about 37 years ago! I’m not… Read More

Hi everyone! I’ve been so busy getting everything ready for the exhibition that is now two weeks away! It’s interesting how much my practice is starting to transform. I’m starting… Read More

Blog Post 13 – Agueda Zabisky   I just delivered all ceramic sculptures for my exhibition “Journey to Equilibrium” in The Gallery at Creative Pinellas, Botanical Gardens, Largo. Mission accomplished!!!… Read More

I had the unique opportunity to record a special episode of my podcast, The Black Hand Side. Enjoy this conversation with 61 Unused Pages playwright, Vincent Terrell Durham, actor Lance… Read More

Learning to take full enjoyment out of creating through every emotion is a way to ensure a compositionally sound piece. Painting provides the artist with a way to save oneself… Read More

My name is Anna Kate Mackle, and I am thrilled to be one of the recipients of a Professional Artist Grant from Creative Pinellas for 2023. I am humbled and… Read More

Hello and thank you for joining me on my Professional Artist Grant journey for Creative Pinellas! I am thrilled to introduce myself and my work to you.  My name is… Read More

When did I get old. Her clothes look like they’re painted on her body.  When I was that age my father would have put me in the closet and said… Read More

Hello! My name is Courtney Clute, and I am one of ten 2023 Creative Pinellas Professional Artist Grantees. I am honored to be a grant recipient. About My Art I… Read More

I’m a big proponent of the idea that there is a creative power in the universe that will move heaven and earth to help me on my artistic journey. This… Read More

Hello, My name is Jabari Jahi Babatu Reed Diop. I’m a multidisciplinary artist and enjoy using mediums such as graphite, spray paint, resin casting, Digital design, and nature. while searching… Read More

This past Saturday, April 1, 2023, was the 55th Dunedin Highland Games and Festival.  The annual event takes place at Highlander Park, in Dunedin, Florida.  The Highland Games are one… Read More

Code and computation seem to underpin every level of our natural world. Be it quantum physics or biochemistry, science observes constructs at every scale that can read, write, memorize or… Read More

I can’t tell you the number of rejection slips I’ve gotten over the years, but at this point it has to be in the hundreds, maybe even thousands. It’s one… Read More

Photo Credit: Lance Felton in rehearsals. Special thanks for Today’s Church Tampa Bay for rehearsal space! As our second week of rehearsals has finished, I found myself fairly exhausted…mentally, that… Read More

Image by Manfred Steger from Pixabay   Blog Post 12 – Agueda Zabisky   The Creative Pinellas Grant period is coming to an end. There is very little time left… Read More

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Take a stroll with me through my workspace as I prepare for the Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist exhibition, opening Thursday, May 4th!… Read More

Blog Post 11 – Agueda Zabisky I put together a short video on my ceramic sculpture studio (#29) at The Clay Center St. Petersburg. It is a dynamic and inspirational… Read More

Blog Post 10 – Agueda Zabisky If we break down the phrase “stepping out of our comfort zone,” it means doing things that we don’t feel comfortable doing or pushing… Read More

This week, I held the first two rehearsals for my grantee project. The first rehearsals for a play primarily are referred to as “tablework”. This is time when the director… Read More

Ceramic sculpture by Agueda Zabisky   Blog Post 9 – Agueda Zabisky In the previous post, I was talking about simplifying. So today I decided to do an exercise in… Read More

Before moving to Florida in 2019, I spent 4 years teaching abroad in Italy and Spain. Because of my past years living in those heavily catholic countries, one main culture… Read More

Hi Everyone! I wanted to update what I’ve been up to! This past month I was privileged enough to go to New York twice! Once was for a bachelorette party,… Read More

Through patterns I can create a visual language of abstraction and realism by painting the intricate and often wild, unruly patterns of plants in Floridian landscapes and interior domestic spaces…. Read More

Image Pixabay   Blog Post 8 – Agueda Zabisky Geometric patterns are the basis of all shapes found in nature. From the structure of an atom to a flower, everything… Read More

I am always keeping my eye out for calls to exhibit work especially locally and nationally. I regularly select exhibitions to apply to based on whether or not the work… Read More

The year of my fellowship is almost ending, if it hasn’t already. But the experience has been absolutely stellar for me. I delved deeper into incredible and impactful Tampa Bay… Read More

Blog Post 7 – Agueda Zabisky   In the previous post, I talked a little about the sculptures from the Convergence series. From there, innovative ideas emerged. The geometric elements… Read More

  Out of nowhere bees start swarming inside the old building that houses my studio. The  fifty year old frame structure has had several incarnations, office, woodworking shop, leather-smith, and… Read More

Blog Post 6 – Agueda Zabisky   The idea for my Creative Pinellas project was something that grew out of the perspective of a larger space to exhibit my art…. Read More

As an Emerging Artist Grantee, I was paired with a mentor to guide  and share professional insight as I create work and form relationships with the community of artists in… Read More

I recently posed the question on social media asking what people wanted to know about me and many of you asked “where do you get your inspiration from? Honestly there… Read More

I have talked a lot about symbols, language and lexicon in my statements and blogs. My totems and repeated iconography were once my very own. no one else was doing… Read More

Blog Post 5 – Agueda Zabisky My journey with the Creative Pinellas project has been both challenging and valuable. I’m more organized than I ever thought possible (nothing close to… Read More

The human figure is the heart of my work. Using heavily saturated oil paint, I combine color blocking and loose, dynamic lines to create a wonky figure that looks neither… Read More

I am excited to work with Vincent Terrell Durham as the playwright for the piece I am directing entitled 61 UNUSED PAGES…more about the play later. I was first introduced… Read More

SHARON NORWOOD – Let it Rain “Let it rain”, is a light hearted homage to the curly line, it is an attempt to remove the negative associations projected onto black… Read More

It’s easy to admire, and look up to the people that are inspirational but we may never actually meet: Tabitha Brown, Chadwick Boseman, Coleman Domingo, Viola Davis. Now, I’m not… Read More

My current body of work represents figures in various states of being covered with exposed body parts peeking through plants and fabrics. The covering examines the dichotomy between invisibility and… Read More

Hi everyone! Whew it’s been an incredibly busy start to the year for me! I have been in three shows(Gainesville, Atlanta, Tampa) so far with another coming up in New… Read More

Greetings from Clearwater! The last couple of weeks have been infused with both working on paintings and taking time to contemplate some parameters for the work I’d like to present… Read More

“Confessions of a Serial Painter,” is a better title for this blog. I’ve tried to break the habit numerous times. I wonder what will happen to all this great (in… Read More

Whenever I tell anyone I am a writer, I generally get one of two responses:   “What do you mean?” Or “I have this great idea for a story…”  … Read More

Coming into this grant period with a plan to continue focusing on work about environmental issues and climate migration  was all good intentions. It was my focus and I sincerely… Read More

“To be born in a free society and not to be born free is to be born into a lie. To be told by co-citizens and co-Christians that you have… Read More

MEETING MY MENTOR The 2022 Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist Show featured exciting new, innovative, artwork, along with their mentors. My friend Denis Gaston work was on display along side of… Read More

In Tampa Bay between Pinellas and Hillsborough, I can count on one hand Black theater directors. There aren’t that many and I’ve worked or know all of them. As I… Read More

I’ve been consistently writing since my late teens, and during all that time, I’ve been a part of countless writing groups, classes, workshops, and readings. After all that time, at… Read More

ABOUT ME The grand marble staircase, flanked by knights’ metal armor circa middle ages, led to the 2nd floor of the Detroit Institute of Art. I played on those stairs… Read More

      Hi. I’m Dennis DeBon, glass artist,  boxing referee, and screenwriter.  Probably, the only one you’ll ever meet.  So, I’m wondering if there are any boxing fans reading… Read More

Blog Post 3 – Agueda Zabisky As a continuation of my previous post (blog 2), today I will share the evolution of my work over time and how it was… Read More

Sometimes an artists influences may not be readily detectable in the art work. And arguably as seeing, hearing feeling humans isn’t it very possible everything is an influence and the… Read More

Hi everyone and happy new year! Today I want to share with you my reflection on Matthew Wong’s Retrospective, “The Realm of Appearances” at the Dallas Museum of Art in… Read More

Hello, My name is Jenipher Chandley.  I am going to start my first blog post ever off by skipping all the simple pleasantries and get right into it. You want… Read More

Hello everyone! My name is Aimee Jones, and I am so honored to be a grantee of Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist Grant 2023. I want to first introduce myself and… Read More

Hey everyone, I put together a short video on my writing studio and some items in it that help keep me inspired. I’m so excited to write more this year… Read More

Over the past several months, I’ve been creating a new series of paintings that have emerged by letting go of expectations and tuning in to a deep space of tenderness…. Read More

Before I met up with my mentor Jason Hackenworth I had a few paintings I needed to revisit and review, they were not making any sense to me. If they aren’t… Read More

“You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn’t do anything to the object of its displeasure. So use… Read More

Photo by Celso Yamachita     Blog Post 2 – Agueda Zabisky   Although applying for the Creative Pinellas Grant seemed bureaucratic and even daunting at first, I thought it… Read More

If I was a mathematician I might have sprung into action quicker but, slowly as I began to realize by the scoring and the odds I would be one of… Read More

One of my roles as a Creative Pinellas 2023 emerging artist is to create several blog posts over the course of the grant cycle. For this first introduction to my… Read More

Blog Post 1 – Agueda Zabisky   On October 17, 2022, I received wonderful news. This news came out in an open review and the grading was via Zoom. I… Read More

September marks the beginning of the opera audition season! Let the singing begin! So, I’ve touched upon opera auditions briefly before in past blogs, but I figured I’d break down… Read More

pc: Sorcha Augustine I have been teaching dance for 20+ years. When the pandemic happened, like many others, I took time to assess what I wanted for my life and… Read More

Broadway Bound was a MASSIVE success. Now that we finished our final show on Sunday (back-to-back performances, I might add), I’ve had time to relax and reflect on this amazing… Read More

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting the National Museum of African American History & Culture and it was honestly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in… Read More

Most of us will recognize the romanticized image of the tortured artist, suffering for their creative life. Artists have famously struggled with their mental health- Vincent van Gogh. Kurt Cobain…. Read More