Pinellas County artists and art organizations will have their largest platform yet to display the area’s amazing creative culture during the Art Everywhere celebration this fall. From the first week of November to the first week of December, nearly 30 creative minds will present the St. Pete-Clearwater destination with a variety of dynamic cultural offerings, such as music festivals, art shows, hands-on public art projects, film and theater premieres, literary events, and dance showcases at area beaches, parks, museums and galleries, theaters and local attractions.
The Art Everywhere experience will collectively shape the destination into a vibrant month of art experiences thanks to the efforts of Creative Pinellas awarding $350,000 in arts tourism funding to the selected arts organizations and artists. Project descriptions can be found here.
“Pinellas County creatives once again prove that they consistently generate ideas worthy of investment,” says Creative Pinellas Funding Director Todd Wellman.
Art Everywhere Grant Recipients
Beach Art Center
Clearwater Sister Cities
Cultured Books Literacy Foundation
Dunedin Brewery
Dunedin Fine Art Center & Junior League of Clearwater Dunedin
Dunedin Public Theater
FloridaRAMA
Gulfport Arts and Heritage
Morean Workshop Space
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg
Opera for Earth
Penny Lane Beatles Museum
Print St. Pete
projectALCHEMY
Safety Harbor Art and Music Center
Sami Mangione
Shopapalooza Festival, by LocalShops1
Soft Water Gallery
Suncoast Jazz Festival
Sunscreen Film Festival
Tampa Bay Arts Passport
The Dalí Museum
The Deuces Live, Inc.
The Florida Holocaust Museum
The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
Tigertail Asian Film Festival
Tombolo Books
Warehouse Arts District Association (WADA)
Art Everywhere funding is being provided by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater to position Pinellas County as a premier cultural destination while strengthening its creative economy. Creative Pinellas directed the grant program, which received nearly 140 grant applications, with outreach and event support provided by St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and Clearwater Arts Alliance.
Visitors and residents will explore Art Everywhere experiences across the county, from the first week of November to the first week in December. The name Art Everywhere is an ode to Pinellas County having “more art per square mile than anywhere in Florida,” according to the county’s tourism agency Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.
“Art Everywhere is designed to showcase our world-class museums, interactive cultural experiences, and amazing local creators,” says Visit St. Pete-Clearwater President/CEO Brian Lowack. “This addition to our lineup of major annual events in the destination creates a collection of must-see experiences to help drive visitation to St. Pete-Clearwater during a typically lighter fall season for tourist traffic. The monthlong celebration of the arts provides visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves throughout the destination as they explore the artistic side of our BEACH.CULTURE.”
Two major events will bookend Art Everywhere: St. Petersburg Museum Week and Clearwater Illuminations: Lantern Festival & International Night Market.
During Nov. 1-8, The Dali Museum, Florida Holocaust Museum, James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, Museum of Fine Arts of St. Petersburg, and the newly relocated Penny Lane Beatles Museum will kick off Art Everywhere with performances, exhibitions, and programs. Experiences will include a celebration of African masking; a salon performance of the riveting musical Rise! chronicling the Kashariyot, young Jewish women who operated as spies and resistance leaders during the Holocaust; a Native American heritage celebration; films celebrating The Beatles, various music performances, and more.
On Dec. 6., Clearwater Sister Cities will host Clearwater Illuminations: Lantern Festival & International Night Market to illuminate and reimagine Coachman Park with an installation of paper lanterns dotting the waterfront green space. The event will also feature live music, performances, artisan vendors, international cuisine, and family-friendly activities.
“This funding offers our leading cultural organizations an unprecedented opportunity to collaboratively showcase the global breadth of their programming and exhibitions, and we are incredibly excited to place our waterfronts and green spaces front and center as artistic spaces in their own right,” says Creative Pinellas CEO Margaret Murray. “Art Everywhere will dramatically shift how the strength of our arts community plays a significant role in enhancing visitors’ experiences and appreciation of our destination.“
