Jovian Browne is the dynamic, impassioned, and very capable founder of Browne Art.
The history of art galleries in St. Petersburg is littered with corpses. Some long- time residents might remember the amazing Mindy Solomon Gallery that used to be downtown but moved to Miami in 2013. The Woodfield Gallery and the Craftsman House Gallery both closed recently. A commonly heard lament is that people here just don’t buy art.
Yet there are veterans who have continued to offer captivating experiences. Duncan McClellan’s beautiful glassworks in the Warehouse District, Shapiro’s eclectic offerings on Beach Drive, and Leslie Curran’s Articles have all contributed significantly to the city’s cultural landscape. All of which raises an interesting question: what does a sustainable arts organization look like in St. Petersburg today?
Enter Jovian Browne, the dynamic, impassioned, and very capable founder of Browne Art, located at the Station House on First Avenue South. Browne is less interested in operating a conventional commercial gallery than in building what she describes as an interdisciplinary curatorial platform, one that creates opportunities for artists, collectors, and the broader arts community.
The space itself is on the third floor above the Bad Mother Coffee Shop. The historic building also houses shared workspaces, private offices, and event spaces. Browne Art is a warm and inviting gallery space, where one is tempted to linger and take in every detail. While small, Browne has carefully curated not just the revolving selection of art, but the whole experience. Each piece of furniture and item placed on the coffee table, including a sound bowl used to clear stress and unwanted energies, adds to the overall atmosphere of peacefulness and quiet vitality. It invites thoughtful viewing of the art, and Browne is a knowledgeable guide.
Jovian Browne is a newcomer to the Tampa Bay region, but not to the art world or even to the world of exhibition making. Browne Art was established in 2019 as an art advisory and curatorial business, and has created exhibitions and projects in Mexico, Berlin, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. In 2020, she opened an exhibition space in Brooklyn called Roma Projects. She brings to her current gallery years of experience, connections, and a broad understanding of how artists build sustainable careers.
Francesco Agresti
Currently, Browne Art presents the work of a single, carefully selected emerging or mid-career artist at a time. The kind of artist you may wish you had discovered early. Browne uses extensive knowledge to identify artists with singular voices who demonstrate conceptual rigor and professionalism. Her goal is not simply to exhibit their work, but to help position them for long-term success through thoughtful curation, scholarship, and audience development.
Browne prides herself on her ability to usher artists through the exhibition process, guiding them through the whole experience. Filling a gallery can be an intimidating undertaking for an artist who has never done it before, and Browne has assembled a sensitive and talented team to help make the process seamless. Visual storyteller Tommy Lacey, principal of Elements Content Studio, helps shape the narrative around each exhibit, while community development lead Daniella Finewood, a graduate of USF with a background in psychology and art history, helps cultivate meaningful connections between artists and audiences.
The inaugural artist was Francesco Agresti, an Italian-born, mid-career artist. Agresti’s paintings and mixed-media artworks practically vibrate with emotion and style. An artist who commutes between Florida and New York was a thoughtful choice for the first installation by a curator who also spans those locales.
The exhibition serves as a clear statement of Browne’s curatorial interests. Rather than presenting work that feels immediately familiar or commercially safe, she gravitates toward artists with distinctive voices and well-developed practices. The emphasis is on long-term, thoughtful presentation and creating meaningful connections between artists and audiences.
One of the more intriguing aspects of Browne’s vision is her focus on collectors. She believes collectors require cultivation every bit as much as artists do. Having observed the local arts community during Browne Art’s first season, she came away convinced that many potential patrons are eager to support the arts, but may lack confidence in their own judgment. As a result, future programming will include events designed to help participants develop the skill of discernment and become more informed, engaged collectors.
Is there an appetite for this kind of elevated art experience in St. Petersburg? Clearly, talented artists are moving here from around the world. And someone must be buying the million-dollar condos popping up throughout the downtown area. The question may be less whether people will buy art and more whether organizations like Browne Art can help deepen relationships between artists, collectors, and the community itself.
For the entire city’s sake, I certainly hope so. Artists are vital to St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area. They drive the local economy, foster community, and shape the city’s unique, vibrant soul. Strong art ecosystems require more than artists alone; they also require patrons, educators, curators, collectors, and institutions willing to invest in cultural life.
Here’s hoping Browne Art becomes ridiculously successful, not only because success would benefit one organization, but because it would mean more opportunities for artists, more engagement from collectors, and a stronger cultural landscape for everyone. •
Browne Art is open Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment only; Thursday and Friday, noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
