WHERE: PedalPub Hub – 1975 3rd Ave S (20th St S & Pinellas Trail) Downtown St. Petersburg
WHY IT’S VISUAL: Artists painting directly onto a PedalPub while the public watches. The finished bike will operate as a rolling mural traveling through downtown St. Pete.
Donations from the event will support Creative Pinellas and future local arts initiatives.
Photographers of all skill levels—from beginners picking up a camera for the first time to seasoned professionals—are invited to attend the Florida Camera Club Council (FCCC) – 2026 Photography Conference, March 27–29, 2026, atManatee Technical College, 6305 State Road 70 East, Bradenton, FL 34203. Under the theme “From Vision to Vivid: Bringing Your Creative Concepts to Life,” this three-day event offers an immersive experience of seminars, workshops, and networking designed to inspire creativity and skill-building in the art of photography.
The conference features more than 80 educational seminars, 20 hands-on workshops and photo outings, and presentations from 28+ nationally recognized professional photographers covering diverse genres and post-processing techniques. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in technical sessions led by industry leaders Canon, Nikon, Sony, and OM System, offering insights into the latest camera technology, lenses, and photographic techniques.
“This event is designed to be inclusive for photographers at every stage of their journey,” said Kathryn De Young, Conference Director. “Whether someone is just learning the basics or a professional looking to refine their craft, attendees will gain inspiration, practical skills, and valuable connections with fellow photographers and experts.”
Highlights of the conference include two keynote presentations by industry leading photographers, hands-on workshops to apply new techniques in the field, and specialized sessions on post-processing software and creative photography approaches. The program allows participants to learn the fundamentals, explore advanced techniques, and discover new ways to bring their creative visions to life.
Attendees will also benefit from networking opportunities with photographers, visual storytellers, and industry professionals from across the country, creating an environment of collaboration and inspiration.
Who Should Attend: Open to photographers of all levels, including beginners, all educators and students (9th grade and beyond) or hobbyists and professionals seeking to elevate their craft, discover new techniques, and stay current with evolving photography trends. Educators, students – email us for discount code. Bring your School ID for Entry.
The stories of seven extraordinary women who shaped the course of World War II are stepping back into public view this spring, not through textbooks or documentaries, but through a multidisciplinary performance that places their courage at center stage. Women of Resistance, coming to the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on March 25 and 26, reframes history through movement, music, and visual art, inviting audiences to meet these heroines with fresh eyes.
Each of the seven women honored in the production carved her own path through danger. Hedy Lamarr, often remembered for her Hollywood career, was also the inventor whose frequency‑hopping technology paved the way for modern wireless communication. Josephine Baker used her celebrity as a cover for espionage, carrying coded messages in her sheet music. Nancy Wake became one of the most decorated women of the war, leading Resistance operations with precision and fearlessness. Noor Inayat Khan, a writer and musician, served as a radio operator whose refusal to break under torture became legend. Andrée Peel risked her life guiding Allied pilots to safety. Lee Miller documented the liberation of concentration camps with a photographer’s unflinching honesty. Virginia Hall, working with a prosthetic leg, became one of the most effective spies in Europe. Their backgrounds differed, but their resolve aligned: each chose to resist.
The production brings these stories to life through a blend of original score, contemporary choreography, and visual art. Sarasota Contemporary Dance joins the project, with eight choreographers contributing distinct interpretations that reflect the individuality of the women they portray. The result is a layered artistic experience: movement shaped by urgency, music shaped by memory, and imagery shaped by the weight of history.
The idea for Women of Resistance began far from any stage. During a visit to a small Resistance museum in a French village, artist and writer Vicki Chelf encountered the stories of these women for the first time. The impact was immediate and personal. She returned home determined to honor them, beginning with a series of portraits that captured their strength and spirit. Those portraits sparked questions, conversations, and eventually the desire to tell the full stories through performance.
“I was trained as a painter — I never intended to create theater. This story came to me in meditation and would not release me until I said yes,” says Chelf. “The remarkable artists who joined me have carried the vision forward; their passion is what keeps it alive.”
Composer Warren Slim Williams provides the musical foundation of the production. His score shifts between tension and tenderness, echoing the emotional terrain these women navigated. The music links Chelf’s portraits with the dancers’ storytelling, creating an immersive world where the past feels immediate and human.
At its core, Women of Resistance argues that these women are not side notes in history but central figures in the fight against fascism. Their choices shaped the world that followed, and their courage continues to resonate. The production invites audiences to consider the cost of conviction and the legacy of bravery that endures long after the war’s end.
“While history doesn’t repeat itself exactly, we are living in a pivotal moment. These women’s selfless acts of courage remind us—especially women and girls today—of the power we have and what we can accomplish when we choose what is right and work for the greater good,” says Chelf.
Performances take place March 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center. For tickets and information, visit https://www.womenofresistance.org/
Four-day, indoor fair will feature 300 artists from around the world.
Tampa is set to welcome a significant addition to the global arts calendar this fall with the inaugural Art Fair Tampa, taking place October 15–18, 2026 at the Tampa Convention Center. The four-day celebration of contemporary art, cultural exchange, and immersive creative experiences will feature 300 artists from around the world.
Art Fair Tampa establishes a world-class platform connecting emerging and established artists with collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts from across the globe. The event’s expansive indoor format at the Tampa Convention Center provides a climate-controlled environment ideal for viewing and acquiring art, while providing immersive installations and programming designed to enhance the visitor experience.
“We’re thrilled to launch Art Fair Tampa in a way that showcases both global talent and the unique creative energy of our region,” said Tyler Sirota, the event’s lead organizer. “This fair is more than an art festival, it’s a cultural experience that connects artists, collectors, and communities from around the world. We anticipate it will become one of the largest indoor art conventions in America.”
The Tampa Bay region has cultivated a thriving arts scene recognized by residents and community leaders alike for its economic and cultural contributions.
“Art Fair Tampa reflects Tampa Bay’s growing reputation as an artistic hotbed both domestically and internationally,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “The sheer scope and scale of this inaugural event reinforces our ambitious commitment to the arts while welcoming new audiences, collectors, and creators to experience Tampa Bay’s history and culture that has inspired so many.”
While Tampa has many international artists that call it home, the fair also provides local artists with a valuable opportunity to benefit from a premier international platform in their own community.
“Tampa has an incredible creative community, and this fair elevates it on the international stage,” said Chase Parker, a Tampa-based artist. “For artists who have worked globally, it’s exciting to see that level of attention and opportunity arriving here at home.”
Art Fair Tampa is scheduled for October 15–18, 2026 at the Tampa Convention Center. For artist applications, exhibitor details, and ticket announcements, visit artfairtampa.com.
About Art Fair Tampa
Art Fair Tampa is an international art fair showcasing contemporary art from established and emerging artists worldwide. Held at the Tampa Convention Center, the fair creates a dynamic platform for cultural exchange, connecting artists, collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts in an immersive four-day experience. Art Fair Tampa celebrates the intersection of global creativity and Tampa Bay’s vibrant arts community. For more information, visit artfairtampa.com.
Monthly-rotating industry night for arts and culture workers: Open Studio Friday
Open Studio Friday was created out of a desire to connect and see each other’s artwork and creative spaces. Every month, on the Friday evening before 2nd Saturday ArtWalk, a different art studio building invites fellow artists, gallerists, curators, and arts & culture workers. This is a much-needed addition to the well-established and beloved St. Pete institution: 2nd Saturday Artwalk by the St. Pete Arts Alliance.
While having a studio or gallery on ArtWalk is an important experience, opportunity and privilege, a problem for artists, curators, and gallerists is not being able to leave their own space that night to visit art studios and openings, see works in-progress, and meet their peers.
Inspired by artist Jason Hackenwerth and Sixstar Studios who opened their doors on a Friday before ArtWalk last year, artist Luci Westphal proposed a monthly rotating “open art house” at a different campus each month and set up a simple website, calendar, and mailing list. Timing was perfect as Sixstar Studios hosted another art event the evening before February ArtWalk on February 13, 2026.
Open Studio Friday has officially launched: now every month, the art community gathers at different artist building for an “arts & culture workers’ industry night” to connect, support, inquire and get inspired. Organized from the bottom-up through a simple initiative and leaderful self-organizing, Open Studio Friday will enrich the local art community.
The next “Open Studio Friday” will take place on March 13, 6 – 9pm, hosted by the studio artists, MGA Sculpture, and Soft Water Gallery on the ArtsXchange campus at 515 22nd Street South, St. Petersburg 33712.
The current schedule for upcoming Open Studio Friday hosts: Morean Center for Clay (April 10), ArtLofts (May 8), Five Deuces (June 12), Morean Arts Center (July 10), The Factory (August 7). To confirm up-to-date scheduled locations, please check OpenStudioFriday.com and subscribe to the mailing list.
“Having an art studio on ArtWalk is fantastic. I wouldn’t want to give that up. But it has come with a price. ArtWalk used to be my favorite and most important evening of the month. It wasn’t until I got my own studio at the ArtsXchange that I realized how crazy it is that the only people who don’t get to participate in seeing other artists and their process in their studios are us artists and gallery people. We don’t just miss out personally; I think we create better work and build a stronger community if we meet where we create.” – Luci Westphal (artist, community-builder)
In Saint Petersburg, Uniquely Original Art Studio is a bright, friendly art space where people come to paint, create, and learn. The studio is open for classes, art parties, and community events, and it opens its doors during the city’s Second Saturday ArtWalk — a monthly art event when galleries and studios across town welcome visitors from 5–9 PM with new exhibits and creative work to explore.
The heart of the studio is Catherine Weaver, an artist who helps everyone feel confident with paint and color. Catherine walks around the studio smiling, talking to people as they work on their art. She believes art helps people share their stories, and she makes sure beginners feel just as important as experienced painters.
This month, Willicey Tynes, a Bahamian-born artist known for his painting and sculpture work, shows new pieces at the Second Saturday ArtWalk. Willicey’s art draws people in with strong shapes and emotion, and he talks with visitors about how his ideas grow and change.
Willicey Tynes
At the same time, Willicey also begins teaching classes at Uniquely Original Art Studio. In his classes, he teaches painting and creative thinking, encouraging students to explore new techniques and express themselves in new ways. People gather around him with brushes in hand, excited to try something bold and different. Catherine watches happily, proud to share her creative space with other artists and students.
Every Second Saturday, the studio feels especially alive. Paintings and sculptures line the walls, visitors sip wine, or their favorite drink, and talk about their favorite pieces from the walk, and artists like Willicey and Catherine both teach and inspire. The art community feels close and supportive, open to anyone who wants to join in.
At the end of the night, people leave with new art, new ideas, and big smiles — already excited for the next time they can come back and create again.
THIS Thursday, March 12, at ARTicles Gallery from 5-7 pm for the opening reception of “I Went To The Mountain . . .” featuring new works by artist Carol Dameron.
Dameron, a St. Petersburg artist, brings her current exhibition, “I Went To The Mountain . . .” after a long hiatus. The exhibition reflects what she describes as a strengthening growth period. “The one word I use to describe [it] is fervor. Combining realism with abstract expressionism enables me to move into a new spatial reality with fluidity.” Even more, it is an exhibition of deep personal significance. It is dedicated to her late husband, noted photographer Herb Snitzer, and includes the painting “I Went to the Mountain to Talk to the Sun,” which expresses the act of carrying someone’s ashes up to the mountaintop “and ceremoniously releasing them into the ether, to turn into stars.”
Dameron began her formal art education at the Sophie Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans, then continued at the Louvre Museum and The Centre Americain in Paris. She also studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Dijon, France and the Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, followed by four years of landscape and plein air paintings in the countryside of southern Portugal. Her paintings and drawings are in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg and the Polk Museum in Lakeland.
Inspired by Venetian Renaissance painter Giorgione, Dameron uses her figure and landscape works to convey the visible and invisible. “I attempt to express silence through situational and spatial ambiguity in order to reveal a deeper reality behind the surface of things,” she explains. Her works have been described as rich and luminous, allegorical, and a fusion of contemporary mythological and erotic vision with classical European techniques. After Thursday’s opening reception, Dameron’s exhibition will remain on display at ARTicles Gallery until April 3.
Parking for the exhibition will be available in the lot adjacent to ARTicles at 1234 Dr. MLK, Jr. St. N., and also in the lot behind Gayoso MedSpa at 1116 Dr. MLK, Jr. St N.
Gulfport’s DRV Gallery welcomes acclaimed regional and national artists this March 21st at The Gilded Guitar by Rick Schettino with music by Front Porch Picnic. The event runs from 5:30–8:30 p.m. and highlights elite talent in visual and performance art.
Rick Schettino has led a life characterized by his passion for music and the allure of the open road. As a solo singer/songwriter and a professional free spirit, Rick has spent the past 25 years traveling across North America to perform live while also working remotely as a freelance art director. Now settled on the Gulf Coast, he uses his decades of creative experience to explore fine art for luxury interiors. Combining his love for guitars with his deep understanding of design, Schettino meticulously transforms both new and rescued stringed instruments into unique pieces of art—what he refers to as wall jewelry.” These elaborate sculptures blend found objects with carefully considered design.
Front Porch Picnic offers a selection of 20th-century hits performed in an acoustic style with strong vocal harmonies. The band features Paul Wilborn, the Executive Director of the Palladium Theater, along with Robin Sibucao, Sher Sibucao, and the award-winning actress Eugenie Bondurant on vocals. Bondurant is a nationally acclaimed actress known for her roles in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Werewolf, and Conjuring 3.
DRV Gallery is located at 5401 Gulfport Boulevard S in Gulfport, Florida. For more information, visit the gallery’s online home at www.drvgallery.com and follow its social media @drvgallery on Facebook and @drvgallery22 on Instagram.
Books are everywhere at Ted Wray’s studio, though they no longer function as carriers of written language. Stacked, compressed, bent, and carved, they become a new piece of unique material art. In Wray’s hands, the book is transformed from a vehicle of information into a sculptural form.
Based in St. Petersburg, Wray works primarily with found books: encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and other once-authoritative volumes that have fallen out of use. These books, often discarded, carry with them a quiet cultural interest. They represent permanence in a moment defined by change.
Rather than erasing the book’s identity, Wray reconfigures it. Pages are compacted into dense strata, spines bent or reshaped, text carved and rendered unreadable yet newly legible as multi-dimensional form. Content shifts from written word to design. The act of reading is replaced by an experience of balance and space.
There is a strong architectural sensibility in the work. Many pieces resemble compressed landscapes, columns, or fragments of built environments. Negative space is treated with the same care as material presence, and each sculpture is meticulously balanced, both physically and visually.
Wray’s background is in printing and design. Books have qualities that are increasingly shifting in contemporary culture. By altering their form, Wray invites reflection on how information is stored, valued, and ultimately discarded.
Language, while present, is often obscured. Printed pages may be folded inward, carved or layered beyond legibility. What remains is the suggestion of knowledge: compressed, inaccessible, but undeniably present. The viewer is left to consider what was, and what now is.
Exhibited throughout the Southeast, Wray’s work has found an audience among collectors and institutions interested in contemporary approaches to material art. The pieces function comfortably within gallery spaces. You may see his work in person at Brenda McMahon’s Gallery in Gulfport, FL.
Ultimately, Wray’s practice is neither nostalgic nor destructive. By using books that have lost their functional relevance he intentionally reconfigures them into layered sculptural forms. A shared new dimension.•
Cruel and cold are the winter months Living beings pursue the warmth Many just huddle together To overcome frigid weather.
Lakes, ponds, and rivers, ice caked, still Empty trees shake, bend, and shiver Dry chilled air and shadows prevail Rare warm sun may offer relief.
Freezing days and nights pass slowly Life itself does move at half-pace Comfortable shelter allows safety Smart to bed down, await sunshine.
The storms will cede to better clime Time will only proceed forward The clouds and shadows disappear There will be Spring, there always is.
Dr. Marc J. Yacht, MD, MPH is a retired medical doctor. He spent several years in private family practice and then joined the Florida Department of Health. Currently, his interests are music, poetry writing, and submitting OP-EDS relating to current national issues. He and his wife are both retired. Their three children are married. He and his wife currently reside in Hudson, Florida. Email: Mjyacht58@gmail.com
The Felt Bell By Malachi Sinlao
Inside me is a little bell, A wonderful, spry, and colorful bell, Filled with wonderful stories to tell, Deep within my heart, this little bell dwells.
Yet sounds fail to escape from my little bell, For no noise can be heard from a bell made of felt, Its casting is crocheted as a soft open shell, With a clapper whose clanging is woefully quelled.
Dare I embrace the silence of my little felt bell? Even as its vibrations tip-toes through my cells? No! Its song must be heard from the Heavens to Hell! But for music so hidden, how can it be dealt?
I will write of the wisdom of my little felt bell! And whenever it rings I will rise up and yell: “Come listen to my song!” and I’ll sing it myself, Because one day it will ring louder, as my confidence swells.
Malachi Sinlao is a Filipino-American author and poet from St. Petersburg, Florida. His poems have been previously featured in the Summer 2025 and Winter 2025 issues of St. Pete’s Neptune Magazine and the January/February 2026 issue of The Artisan. You can find more poems on his Instagram @malachi_sinlao and short stories at malachisinlao.substack.com.
Mosaic Poem By Janet Blair
Write it like the dreams you try to lasso, those fragmented glimpses floating by too hastily to absorb. Catalog them like a set of sensory index cards.
A vintage key carried down long and sleepy hallways, opening each storied door, in turn.
The smell of new skin as you rocked your daughter, breathing in her separate self the first time.
That hair your son had at age four, blond and silky soft against your hands.
The worry tree you always pictured as a weeping willow bowing prayerfully over Crescent Lake.
Your mother’s long fingers that typed 75wpm, wrote shorthand, and wrapped around cups of steaming black coffee but trembled toward the end.
The live oak planted by the playground, circled with stones and tattooed onto skin as rooted remembrances.
That helicopter ride you took a few years ago its whirling rotor blades chopping up the air as it swooped you up over a city surrounded by cerulean blue.
You looking down at the fragile architecture of it all just before lifting into another morning.
Janet Blair lived in Trinidad, Germany, Ecuador and Guam along with several states across the U.S. before finding her home in the city of St Pete almost three decades ago. Currently, Janet holds a position as a policy analyst for the State of Florida and spends her weekends writing poetry. Her most recent and upcoming work can be found in The Orchards Poetry Journal, South Florida Poetry Journal, New Verse News, The Florida Bards Anthology and The Eckerd Review.
