The namesake association of St Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District contributes much more to the fabric of the city than many might guess.
St Petersburg is known far and wide as the City of the Arts, and for more than a decade, the nonprofit Warehouse Arts District Association (WADA), has been intent on keeping it that way. What began in 2012 as a small group of people with a shared vision to leverage a semi- abandoned industrial area – now known as the Warehouse Arts District – into a thriving creative corridor “where art is made”, rapidly took on a sense of urgency. Bounded by First Avenue North, 10th Avenue South, and 16th and 31st Streets to the east and west respectively, the writing was already on the wall that an often repeated cycle was about to happen there: artists move into a derelict area, make it fashionable, and then get forced out when property values inevitably escalate. So those early stakeholders and visionaries got to work, meeting with influencers who understood their dream and the gravity of the situation.
In 2014, with funds raised from both public and private donors, over two and a half acres dotted with tatty warehouses were acquired, and a campaign of refurbishment began to help secure the continued presence of the arts in Midtown. Now known as the ArtsXchange, this campus, easily the most visible project under WADA’s direction, has had a significant glow up over the years and is currently home to dozens of working art studios, galleries, arts education and meeting spaces, an open-air stage and screening area, a dance studio, eateries, a guitar luthier/coffee shop/live performance space and, recently and somewhat poetically, Preserve the Burg’s first physical address. Because the ArtsXchange is held by the nonprofit rather than investors, rents aren’t subject to the same crushing market forces that, during boom times, can easily snuff out small tenant businesses.
As word of this vibrant community of artists has spread, the Warehouse Arts District – also home to the renowned Duncan McClellan Gallery, the Morean Center for Clay, and the Floridarama immersive art experience, among others – was ranked by USA Today’s as the #3 arts district in the nation. Unsurprisingly, all the buzz has indeed positioned the area for explosive growth. But WADA has insisted on a seat at the table, making a strong case to the city regarding maker-friendly zoning and the encouragement and preservation of arts-related businesses. The unified voice of artists and advocates through WADA has been effective, with zoning changes that encourage development, but, according to St Pete Rising, will also require each new building project “…to set aside 40% of the first floor for ‘target employment uses’, which includes small-scale manufacturing, brewing and distilling, artist studios, creative incubators, and other light industrial, arts-related activities.”
Under the guidance of a committed board helmed by chair Mark Aeling – himself a founding WADA member and internationally-recognized sculptor whose studio has been a fixture here for over twenty years – and executive director, noted Steinway artist and composer Markus Gottschlich, who has a proven record of non-profit leadership, the organization is making great strides. Artist Resiliency Grants went out to member artists affected by hurricanes Milton and Helene, the dusty, cratered parking lot was recently repaved, and the campus is being activated like never before. With a mission to advocate for artists, engage, serve and educate the community and serve as a nexus for the arts with opportunities for lifelong learning, WADA is making exciting things happen across and outside the district as well.
A small, recently-vacated studio/apartment on campus has been re- dubbed “The Bird’s Nest” and will host a much-anticipated artist-in- residence program. Open to applicants from across the nation, guest artists will be required to develop new works during their stay and have meaningful interaction with the local community. Visiting artists will not only enrich and diversify the local artistic landscape, they will also be uniquely qualified to serve as district ambassadors when they return to their home communities.
WADA’s flagship program, ArtsXploration, very recently conferred with the Pinellas Art Education Association’s esteemed “Arts in the Community Award”, has hosted free arts workshops and is actively partnering with local schools, community centers, and housing organizations to bring arts experiences to underserved populations.
WADA’s Tully-Levine gallery at the ArtsXchange similarly seeks to elevate the often-overlooked. A responsive, collaborative space programmed with and for the community, it hosts annual exhibitions and events in partnership with groups such as ESE Schools, Suncoast Centers, and the Boley Center. In its continued commitment to presenting timely, relevant, thought-provoking exhibitions that explore local, regional, and national issues through an artistic lens, September 2025’s programming features The Unraveling, an exhibition and talks by artist and former climate writer for USAID Ali Syverson as well as other USAID alumni and policy experts. Syverson’s paintings and photographs speak to the global implications of USAID’s dismantlement, and its use of art as a vital tool to communicate critical information across language barriers. Executive director Gottschlich says the aim is not to espouse a position, but to present information and let visitors arrive at their own conclusions.
An eagerly awaited “Under the Stars” music and dance series will also begin on the campus this fall, featuring performances including flamenco guitar, salsa and jazz, and a horror-shorts film festival and costume contest will take center stage on Halloween.
In the digital domain, WADA has been hard at work for roughly half a year integrating a map and comprehensive events calendar into its recently-renamed and overhauled website (WADAstpete.org). This sortable, searchable guide to arts and leisure is slated to roll out around the time of this publication, and is designed to update in real time. A three month implementation test phase will focus exclusively on the Warehouse Arts District, but the plan is to ultimately roll the calendar out citywide at no charge.
With federal and state funding currently off the table, WADA’s highly-effective projects and programs are reliant on city funding, membership dues, grants and donations, and Gottschlich stresses that every dollar counts towards ensuring the vibrant continuation of the arts in St Petersburg.
Contributions to WADA, named by Creative Loafing as the area’s “#1 Arts Advocacy Organization” are tax-deductible and play a valued and pivotal role in the important work of protecting the city’s rich creative legacy and
expanding arts access to all its citizens. ■
