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St. Petersburg Jazz Festival at WADA

Maggie Duffy
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St. Petersburg Jazz Festival at WADA

Now in its 17th season, the St. Petersburg Jazz Festival, happening April 8-11, has found new digs at the Warehouse Arts District Rosie Cohen Stage.

The festival was founded by David Manson, a multi-talented composer and arranger, trombonist, producer and recording arts educator at St. Petersburg College who, through his non-profit organization EMIT, has been presenting more than 600 concerts and workshops for 30 seasons.

This year’s schedule:
4/8 – Alexis Cole & the Helios Jazz Orchestra.
4/9 – Johnbern Thomas Quintet & Randy Bordon Trio
4/10 – Markus Gottschlich Trio & Hot Club SRQ.
4/11 – Martin Bejerano #CubanAmerican Trio featuring special guest Dafnis Prieto.

Markus Gottschlich
Markus Gottschlich
Johnbern Thomas
Johnbern Thomas
Dafnis Prieto
Dafnis Prieto
Alexis Cole
Alexis Cole

Manson directs the 18-piece Helios Jazz Orchestra and leads ensemble O Som Do Jazz.

“I created EMIT because I wanted to bring in, especially in the 1990s and 2000s, the kind of cutting edge, adventurous kind of music that we didn’t have here,” Manson said during a phone interview.
Bringing diverse styles of jazz to the area is still the goal, Manson said, which is reflected in this year’s lineup, which includes Haitian drummer Johnbern Thomas and Grammy Award-winning percussionist Dafnis Prieto.

In past years, the St. Petersburg Jazz Festival has been held at the Palladium, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg and the Museum of the American Arts and Craft Movement.

But the Warehouse Arts District Rosie Cohen Stage is a good fit for the festival, Manson said. EMIT has done several concerts there previously and Manson said the space is really comfortable.

A harmonious factor is that Markus Gottschlich, the executive director of the Warehouse Arts District Association, is also a renowned jazz pianist whose trio is performing in the festival. As Manson pointed out, Gottschlich also directed jazz festivals, so he’s “on our same wavelength.”

“Working with Markus in the Warehouse Arts District allows us to put this on again, so we can continue,” Manson said. “This is our 17th annual festival, so we want to keep it going.”

Manson’s connection with St. Petersburg College enables him to provide free workshops with visiting artists. At this year’s festival, there will be a jazz vocal workshop with Alexis Cole on April 7 and a workshop with drummer Johnbern Thomas on April 9.

Tickets for individual concerts are $25 or a $60 package for all four. For more information, visit stpetejazzfest.com. Here’s the lineup:

Sing it loud: Opera Abounds Around Tampa Bay

Carl DiOrio
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Sing it loud: Opera Abounds Around Tampa Bay

Opera lovers new to the area will be pleased to know there’s no need to fly off to La Scala or Covent Garden to sate their musical appetites. Quality opera can be found on three sides of Tampa Bay, with established professional companies in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota.

Opera Tampa, founded in 1996 by composer-conductor Anton Coppola — an uncle of the famous filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola — is the Straz Center’s resident opera company. Enjoying a close partnership with The Florida Orchestra, Opera Tampa has offered fully staged operatic productions for 30 years and counting.

Most of its productions are traditionally staged, a general rule for area opera companies. Thematically, it’s latest calendar of events — which kicked the new year with an operatic adaptation of “The Shining” — reflects a mix of contemporary and classic productions.

Coming up next for the troupe are two well-known operas: Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” on Feb. 27 and March 1, and Verdi’s “Macbeth,” set for April 24 and 26.

All of Opera Tampa productions are staged in the Straz Center’s spacious Ferguson Hall, situated just off the downtown’s scenic Riverwalk. St. Pete Opera is in its 20th season, a milestone marked by an inventive slate of operatic and pop productions set to stretch into the summer.

Next up: Puccini’s masterpiece opera, “La bohème,” coming to the Palladium on June 5-14. St. Pete Opera’s current season, which kicked off in October with a cabaret production, will conclude at the Mahaffey Theater with a Fourth of July holiday concert.
The company’s “Mornings with the Maestro” are a fun way to get acquainted with its offerings. The sessions are billed as opera previews and feature St. Pete Opera’s artistic and executive director, Mark Sforzini.

“Maestro” tickets cost $40, with complimentary coffee and free valet parking. The programs start at 11 a.m. and are held at Opera Central, 2145 First Ave. S. in downtown St. Pete.
The “Maestro” session for “La bohème” is Friday, May 15.

Manatee and more
Sarasota Opera has a loyal fan base to match its impressive performance track record.
A subscriber’s recent online post reflected both: “They are the only opera company in the world to have staged all Verdi operas, and their festival orchestra comprises players from around the world.”

The Verdi kudo is for artistic director and avowed Verdi-lover Victor Derenzi, who’s leaving in May (with general director Richard Russell set to succeed him). As for the hat-tip to orchestral musicians, many who play in Sarasota Opera’s winter productions also perform in the classical festival held each summer.

Sarasota started staging its own operas — after booking out-of-town productions for several years — in 1974. Today, its operas primarily are staged in downtown’s Sarasota Opera House. Multiple productions including Verdi’s Il Trovatore run through March, so check the Sarasota Opera website for more information.

Elsewhere around Tampa Bay, the opera landscape is sufficiently fertile to sprout a non-profit company dubbed Opera for Earth, whose mission statement promises “performance and education for those who love the earth.”

“We strive to use 80% repurposed items for the stage,” notes Jodi Karem, performer and head of educational efforts for Opera for Earth. “This includes costume fabrics, prop pieces and set pieces.”

Opera for Earth’s latest season kicks off 2 p.m. March 1 at Trinity Presbyterian Church 2001 Rainbow Drive in Clearwater, featuring performances by resident ensemble Volare Tre of selections from Aida, Tosca, Cavalleria rusticana and other works. Then at 2 p.m. March 28 at Palm Harbor Library in Palm Harbor, Opera for Earth will present a lecture-and-concert program, “Dueling Divas.”

Fun with Felix
And finally, how about this for further recent evidence of the area’s estimable opera creds? The well-regarded and oft-experimental composer, Nathan Felix, recently premiered “The Meta Opera” — which he calls an “immersive opera” —at St. Pete’s Museum of Fine Arts.

“The opera (was) presented as an immersive production that pops up around the audience, much like a flash mob,” Felix explains.
Inspired by works in museum exhibit “In Caravaggio’s Light,” it featured area opera and theater talent including sopranos Samantha Sosa, Lauren Williams, Ariel Andrew and Serenna H. Jones; baritone Keenan Kade; tenor José Miguel; and actor Tommy Norton. •

Carl DiOrio is a Tampa Bay area journalist and a lifelong music lover. He can be reached at
carldiorio@gmail.com.

Mainsail Art Festival

The Artisan Magazine
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Mainsail Art Festival

 The Waterfront Weekend That Defines Spring in St. Pete!

Saturday, March 28, 2026
9:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday, March 29, 2026
10:00am to 5:00pm
www.mainsailart.org
Vinoy Park, downtown St. Petersburg, FL
701 Bayshore Dr NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Free Admission

Mainsail

There are certain weekends in St. Petersburg when the city feels especially alive. The breeze off Tampa Bay carries music instead of just salt air. Strollers and sun hats dot the waterfront. Strangers pause mid-conversation to admire a painting, a sculpture, a hand-thrown vase. For more than five decades, that feeling has been annually ushered in by the Mainsail Art Festival.

On March 28 and 29, 2026, the 51st annual Mainsail Art Festival will once again transform Vinoy Park into an open-air gallery, welcoming more than 100,000 visitors to the downtown waterfront. Admission is free. No tickets are needed. Just art, music, food and the easy rhythm of a spring weekend in St. Pete.

Mainsail began in 1976 as part of the nation’s Bicentennial celebration. What started as the Saint Petersburg Sidewalk Arts and Colonial Crafts Festival quickly found its footing, and by 1977 it had a new name. Mainsail was chosen as a nod to the city’s nautical spirit and its close relationship with the bay. In its early days, a large sail was hoisted in South Straub Park as a visual signature. It was a simple symbol, but it captured something lasting about the festival’s identity, rooted in place, lifted by creativity.

Mainsail Kids
Mainsail
Mainsail


As the city grew, so did Mainsail. It moved from South Straub Park to North Straub Park in 1988 to accommodate larger crowds and expanded programming. In 2004, it settled into Vinoy Park, where the sweeping waterfront setting offers space for hundreds of artists and the thousands of patrons who come to see them. What began with modest prize money has evolved into a serious fine arts competition, now awarding $60,000, including a $10,000 Best of Show prize.

Today, more than 240 juried fine arts and crafts exhibitors represent 13 different mediums, from ceramics and glass to oil, watercolor, photography and wood. Nearly half of the artists are new to the festival each year, keeping the experience fresh while maintaining the high standards that have earned Mainsail national recognition from Sunshine Artist Magazine as one of the top fine art and design shows in the country.

Mainsail
Mainsail 2026
Mainsail 2026

The 2026 festival will be judged by Courtney A. McNeil, museum director and chief curator of The Baker Museum at Artis—Naples. With more than two decades of curatorial experience, including 15 years at Telfair Museums in Savannah, McNeil brings a discerning eye and deep respect for artists’ work. Her presence underscores the festival’s commitment to quality and artistic excellence.
At the same time, Mainsail never loses its warmth. This is not an event reserved for collectors alone. It is for families with kids in tow, for teenagers discovering photography, for friends searching for the perfect gift.

The Junior League of St. Petersburg hosts the Kids Create Craft Tent, where little hands can experiment with paint and paper. The Young at ARt Student Show highlights the next generation of local talent, giving students a platform and a moment in the spotlight. Live music floats through the park throughout the weekend, and the Culinary Arts Food Court and Beer Garden offers everything from quick bites to lingering lunches. It is a cashless event for promotions and beverages, making transactions simple and streamlined.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Mainsail is something many visitors never see. The entire festival is produced by an all-volunteer committee. There is no paid staff. Many committee members have been dedicating their time for more than a decade, planning year-round so that the rest of us can spend a carefree weekend by the water. Their pride in the event is evident in the details, from artist hospitality to accessibility, including a free wheelchair-accessible trolley shuttle running to the festival.

Mainsail
mainsail

The 2026 featured artist, Clayton Swartz of Pinellas Park, embodies that local connection. A metal sculptor known for complex, biomorphic forms in vibrant colors, Swartz draws inspiration from sea life, faith and family. Trained in welding techniques such as MIG and TIG, plasma cutting, and custom finishing, he blends craftsmanship with imagination, creating works that invite viewers to pause and look again.

Clayton Swartz

What makes Mainsail a fixture on the spring social calendar is not only the art or the accolades. It is the feeling of community that settles over Vinoy Park each year. In a city that has embraced its identity as an arts destination, Mainsail remains a cornerstone. It reminds us that culture does not only live inside museum walls. Sometimes it lives under a tent, beside the bay, with a band playing in the distance and a colorful pelican sculpture sparking in the sunshine. •

DRV Gallery Hosts Pioneering Feminist Artist Suzanne Benton this March

The Artisan Magazine
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DRV Gallery Hosts Pioneering Feminist Artist Suzanne Benton this March

Feminist icon and native New Yorker Suzanne Benton’s pioneering career has spanned nearly seven decades and over 30 countries. Her creative versatility is remarkable, as she works as a printmaker, painter, sculptor, mask maker, and performance artist. Benton has showcased her work in more than 150 solo exhibitions, and her pieces are part of museum and private collections worldwide. She is also a former Fulbright Scholar in India and has been hosted internationally by the cultural arms of U.S. embassies. Throughout her career, she has received numerous grants and artist residencies.

Benton started her distinctive style of monoprint-making in 1983 while she was a resident artist in Cologne, Germany. Throughout her artistic career, her work has drawn inspiration from a variety of sources, including Indian and Hebrew art, Medieval and Turkish miniature paintings, South Asian folk art, Korean lore and legend, the Renaissance, Russian icons, Greek mythology, and the contributions of 19th-century women writers, educators, and feminist activists. Additionally, her influences include cultures from North and West Africa, Afro-American heritage, Native American traditions, and the paintings discussed in Proust’s works.

Now in her ninth decade, Benton continues her lifelong creative exploration with her new exhibition, Monoprints with Chine Colle, at DRV Gallery in Gulfport. The exhibition opens on March 6, 2026, and will feature live music by Jim Gilmour & Friends from 6–8 PM, along with a selection of wine and beer provided by Stella’s Divine Wine & Gourmet. The exhibition will be on display on Saturdays, March 7 and 14, from 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

DRV Gallery is located at 5401 Gulfport Boulevard South. For tickets and registration to these events, and to shop DRV Gallery’s online gallery, visit drvgallery.com, or visit the gallery’s social media at @drvgallery on Facebook and @drvgallery22on Instagram.

Brenda McMahon Gallery Presents: Women’s History ~ Leading the Change

The Artisan Magazine
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Brenda McMahon Gallery Presents: Women’s History ~ Leading the Change

Brenda McMahon Gallery’s celebrated summer showcase, We the People, received praise from both artists and visitors across the state for its thoughtfully curated display and timely theme. The exhibition invited artists to express their creativity in response to the increasingly personal nature of contemporary political issues.

In celebration of Women’s History Month in March, the gallery will host its second themed art show, Women’s History: Leading the Change. Nearly 40 female artists will showcase works illustrating what positive change looks like with women at the forefront. 

The show’s opening will be Friday, March 6th, from 6–9 p.m. at the gallery located on Beach Boulevard in Gulfport. Live jazz music by Zeta the Babe will welcome visitors to an engaging evening of art and community.

“What does change look like when women are at the forefront?” asked gallery owner Brenda McMahon as the show’s prompt. “We are initiating an important conversation by posing this simple question. The artists featured in the show have responded with both passion and insight, and we are excited about all aspects of this exhibition.”

An awards ceremony will be held right before the show, starting at 5:45 p.m., with prizes awarded to artists in various categories. The awards are sponsored by several members of Gulfport’s noted arts-supporting business community. The sponsors include Karen Keaton from Gulf Beaches Law, PA; Pia Goff of Pia’s Trattoria & Veranda; Stacy Purcell from Gulfport Realty; Barbara Banno from Stella’s Diner, Stella’s Sundries, and Stella’s Divine Wine; and Maureen Kilroy of the Enroy Foundation. Award-winning arts journalist Jennifer Ring will serve as guest judge.

In addition to the opening, the gallery will feature a spoken word component on Thursday, March 12th, from 6–8:30 PM. Tampa poet Gemini Fox will host live readings by notable poets from the region, including Liz Prizley, Jyoti Porwal, Rob Fernandez, Jamie Dawson, Dante Hamilton, and IAM. Visitors will also have a final opportunity to meet both visual and performance artists during a Meet & Greet event on Saturday, March 21st, from 6–9 PM.

To follow updates on the events, follow @BrendaMcMahonGallery on Facebook and Instagram, or visit the gallery’s homepage at https://brendamcmahongallery.com/. Brenda McMahon Gallery is located at 2901 Beach Boulevard S in downtown Gulfport.

Sleeping Beauty Offers an Enchanted Lesson in Honesty, Friendship, and Trust

The Artisan Magazine
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Sleeping Beauty Offers an Enchanted Lesson in Honesty, Friendship, and Trust

The Central Park Performing Arts Center (CPPAC) invites families to enjoy Sleeping Beauty, a whimsical story that brings the popular children’s book series to life. Presented by CPPAC’s Family Time, this performance will take place on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 11am. 

Sleeping Beauty is a quirky adaptation of the classic tale, highlighting the values of honesty, friendship, and trust. It features a sleeping princess, a spellbound prince, and many, many fairies. To the audience’s delight, more than one spell is about to be broken by the kiss of a handsome prince. 

Following each Family Time show, families can stick around for a special themed activity to keep the fun going. Tickets and group booking information are available at LargoArts.com, by calling (727)587-6793, or visiting the CPPAC Box Office at 105 Central Park Drive. 

About the Central Park Performing Arts Center
Owned and operated by the City of Largo, the Central Park Performing Arts Center provides the Tampa Bay region a quality, affordable entertainment venue that also serves as a welcoming gathering place for the community. Its recently fully renovated state-of-the-art theater, the Tonne Playhouse, is fully equipped with professional sound and lighting systems with auditorium space that can be arranged in Reserved Theater, Festival, and Cabaret styles. The Parkview Room, our signature rental space, is a multi-functional banquet hall with a catering kitchen-ideal for a wide variety of events, including receptions, meetings, and expos. Just outside the Parkview Room is the Parkview Terrace, an outdoor paver terrace that can be used for a wedding ceremony or cocktail hour. Also, on the property is the Historic Largo Feed Store, a beautifully restored early 1900s building perfect for small to medium-sized events.    

For more information on tickets and events, visit LargoArts.com or call (727)587-6793.    

The Abstractionists Exhibition by Three Local Artists

The Artisan Magazine
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The Abstractionists Exhibition by Three Local Artists

This month’s GCAA ArtWorks exhibition presents the work of three local artists who have different approaches to creating expressive abstractions in art. Jeanne Heywood, Lee Jensen, and Greg Matthews are all local artists who paint together at The Morean’s Wednesday Expressive Painting class.  

The show is curated by Barb Beyhl, who paints along with them each week. She says, “These three artists create amazing work that they take home, and no one sees it again”. As her first opportunity to curate, Barb invited each artist to participate in sharing a body of their work in this month’s exhibition.  It will be the first gallery solo exhibition for each of them.

·         Jeanne Heywood’s compositions lead the eye around complex shapes both geometric and organic which overlap and dissolve within layered fields of color.  She uses cold wax and oil paint in creating dynamic shapes that hint at metaphors for continuity, connection, and fragments of memory.

·         Greg Matthews works in acrylic to create swirling colors that blend and flow in squiggly lines that can suggest a form that is never clearly defined. He uses fields of color to blur boundaries between abstraction and figurative representation.

·         Lee Jensen’s work in acrylic explores structure and movement with bold free brushstrokes that create a dynamic balance between spontaneity with form. His open expression is unhindered by the representational yet often hints at architectural forms.

“The Abstractionists” can be seen through March 28 at GCAA ArtWorks, 5546 1st Avenue N, St. Petersburg, FL. Open hours are: Wednesdays from 11 am to 2 pm and Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 am to 5 pm. A reception will be held March 14 from 5 to 9 featuring music by jazz flutist Bruce Daniels during St. Pete’s Second Saturday Art Walk.

Magnificent Miniatures Mesmerize at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art

The Artisan Magazine
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Magnificent Miniatures Mesmerize at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art

The Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF) celebrates its fifty-first year with a spectacular exhibition of more than 500 exquisite miniature works from around the globe and more than 100 miniatures from the Society’s permanent collection. Continuing its annual tradition of presenting one of today’s foremost international exhibitions of contemporary miniature art, the 51st International Miniature Art Exhibition will be on display at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art from January 18th through February 15th, 2026.  

This is one of the most anticipated shows in the Tampa Bay area each year. Visitors will be amazed by the delicate refinement and exquisite details within these tiny masterpieces.  There will be paintings, fired porcelain, pastel, colored pencil, and sculptures – which include works created by some of the world’s finest miniature artists.  Since entries come from 21 states and 6 countries, the show provides a wonderful diversity of subject matter, media, and frames.  

Throughout the duration of the exhibition, visitors can talk to and observe artists while they demonstrate their techniques including oil painting, scrimshaw, drawing, sculpture and more. Many artists create their work under magnification, using a variety of mediums and methods and the tiniest of brushes for paintings. Demonstrators may come from as far away as England, Canada, and across the United States and Florida. This year, members of the MASF are offering miniature art workshops during the run of the show. Please visit https://leeparattner.org/calendar/ for more information.

The 51st Annual International Miniature Art Exhibition is Sunday, January 18th, 2026 through Sunday, February 15, 2026, at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, 600 E. Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs, Florida. Admission is by suggested $10 donation. The best way to view these miniature gems is in-person but people can still view the show, even if you are out-of-state or out-of-country, because it will be online. Visit the MASF website to view the hours for the online show at www.miniature-art.com.

CIRQUE DU BAM!

The Artisan Magazine
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CIRQUE DU BAM!

The thrill of the circus meets the wonder of the arts in CIRQUE DU BAM!, a high-energy, student-focused festival presented by the Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts on Wednesday, February 11, at 10:30 AM at the Mahaffey Theater in downtown St. Petersburg.

Designed as a FREE field trip experience, CIRQUE DU BAM! invites students to step into the world of circus arts—exploring juggling, acrobatics, clowning, creative movement, and more. The interactive festival emphasizes teamwork, coordination, confidence, and creativity, showing young audiences that performance is more than entertainment—it’s an adventure in self-expression.

Imagery:

  • Highly visual circus-style activities
  • Large groups of engaged students
  • Hands-on arts education in action
  • A positive, feel-good story centered on access, creativity, and youth

Event Details:
Mahaffey Theater, Downtown St. Petersburg
Wednesday, February 11
10:30 AM
CIRQUE DU BAM! – A FREE Student Arts Festival

Individual Artist Grants

The Artisan Magazine
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Individual Artist Grants

The City of St. Petersburg has launched the FY26 Individual Artist Grants designed to provide vital operational support to practicing, professional artists across all mediums and disciplines. Up to 15 local artists will each receive a $5,000 grant to advance their creative practice. 

“Grants like this don’t just fund art—they nurture community, creativity, and hope,” stated artist and grant recipient, Jenipher Chandley. “Grants like this truly make it possible for meaningful work to happen and for creative voices to keep growing. I hope my words help inspire continued support for programs that nurture artists and the cultural life of our city.”

Eligibility

  • Must be a working practicing, professional artist (creating work consistently within at least the past 12 months) living or working in the City of St. Petersburg with plans to continue doing so following the grant award period. 
  • For the purpose of this grant, an “artist” is an individual who has created a recognized body of original work over a sustained period, pursues this work as a means of livelihood or in conjunction with other employment, and demonstrates a commitment to creative expression, cultural enrichment, or public engagement that contributes to the cultural life of the community.
  • Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. 
  • Must not have received an Individual Artist Grant in FY25.

Grant Funding Policies

  • Individual Artists Grants provide funding to assist underwriting general allowable expenses of artists during the specified fiscal year. 
  • Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m., February 27, 2026.
  • Grant award period is March 1 – September 30, 2026.
  • Grant expenditures must take place the grant award period.
  • Award amounts are $5,000 each.
  • Public grant review and scoring takes place at City Hall with dates TBD. Applicants and the public are invited to attend. 

For more information and to apply, visit Individual Artist Grants.

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