Jen Ring Writes

"Seduction of Conspiracy" by Carrie Jadus, PCCA class of 1994.

Weekend Artings is back from its holiday break just in time for a packed weekend of art events in Tampa Bay. This weekend brings Second Saturday ArtWalk, show openings, show closings, a four-day-long comedy fest, and more. Here are the big events.

Comedy takes over Tampa and St. Pete during the inaugural Sunshine Comedy Fest, a four-day comedy fest featuring fifty comics performing across five Tampa Bay area venues. Thurs.-Sun. Jan. 11-14.

Powerstories Theatre stages their first production of 2024 at the Straz Center’s Shimberg Playhouse. Kenneth Jones’ “Alabama Story” takes audiences back to 1959 Montgomery, Alabama, where a librarian’s choice of children’s books attracts the attention of a segregationist senator. Starts Thurs. Jan. 11

American Stage starts their run at St. Pete’s Boyd Hill Nature Preserve with Don Zolidis’ “10 Ways to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse.” Starts Fri. Jan. 12

The Studio@620’s annual celebration of photojournalism returns. “Through Our Eyes” brings fresh perspectives from Tampa Bay area Elementary, Middle, and High School students. Opening reception Fri. Jan. 12, 6-8 p.m. Second Saturday ArtWalk Jan. 13, 5-9 p.m.

Gibbs PCCA alums descend upon the Morean Arts Center during Second Saturday ArtWalk. Sat. Jan. 13, 5-8 p.m.

The Werk hosts a closing reception for John Gascot’s “Category Is” during Second Saturday Art Walk in St. Pete. Sat. Jan. 13, 5-9 p.m.

The Dunedin Fine Art Center’s Winter exhibits open with minis and jewelry. Sun. Jan. 14, 2-4 p.m.

So many people helped me make so many great memories in 2023. I hate to trim it down to ten, but you can only post ten links to a single tumblr post.

1. Doing a first-day hike at Honeymoon Island State Park

2. Freezing my ass off at the Dunedin International Film Festival

3. Watching Mayor Jane Castor cut multiple ribbons at the historic Kress building – one for the Fringe Theatre and the other for FMoPA’s grand reopening

4. Celebrating Coachman Park’s grand re-opening

5. Seeing 4th of July fireworks from a Tampa Water Taxi on the Hillsborough River

6. Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay party

7. Biking around downtown Tampa with Tony Krol looking at murals

8. Boating around the bay with Tampa Bay Watch

9. Cramming as many Pinellas County art activities into my November calendar as humanly possible

10. Seeing people dance and paint in the streets during the Tampa Arts Alliance year-end pop-up

Stop by Creative Pinellas ' website before you dig into all those "Best of 2023" articles floating around the interwebs.

This month, Creative Pinellas' Arts Coast Magazine published two articles on the best Pinellas County art experiences. As you may have guessed, I wrote one of them.

I logged all my Pinellas County art experiences during November, aka ART'n month. I drove past countless murals, saw art and listened to Celtic music in Dunedin's Highlander Park, listened to blues music in Pioneer Park, went to a book signing, visited the Museum of Fine Arts and The Factory in St. Pete, and much more.

I created a postcard for every place I visited and every event I attended. Each card briefly introduces one of the many ways I enjoy Pinellas County's art scene.

I saw (and heard) a lot of art this November, but it's not even half of what Pinellas County has to offer.

Arts Coast Magazine editor Sheila Cowley reached out to Pinellas County artists and Arts Coast Magazine contributors to collect their favorite Pinellas County arts experiences for the Art Coast Magazine feature, "Favorite Arts Experiences in Pinellas County." They wrote about public art projects in Tarpon Springs, Gulfport, and St. Pete; unforgettable performances at The Studio @620, American Stage, and The Palladium; finding inspiration at The Dali and more.

And that's not all. Creative Pinellas' Arts Coast Guide lists even more ways to enjoy Pinellas County's art scene with family and friends in 2024.

Why prep for Christmas dinner when you can start your weekend with a Santa-themed holiday drag show in St. Pete? Thurs., 8 p.m. at The Floridian Social.

The Jazz Phools do Christmas at H’ours Creole Smokehouse in Tarpon Springs. Fri., 5-9 p.m.

Gigglewaters pairs holiday cookie-inspired cocktails with Home Alone, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and Elf this weekend. https://gigglewaters.com/movies/

Craftsman House Gallery hosts its Inaugural Procrastinator’s Ball for all you last-minute shoppers. Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

There's two days left to shop Mize's Stuff & Things & Stuff. Thurs., 6-9 p.m. and Sat., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Local artist Amply Ataraxic hosts a holiday watercolor workshop at Fancy Plants Boutique located in the back of Earthscapes Gardenroom in Palm Harbor. Sat., Dec. 23, 2-4 p.m.

Fairgrounds Scents of the Season pairs art with Christmas through Jan. 8. https://tickets.fairgrounds.art/events/e15ced74-81d2-890f-be7a-200cf4739086

And it’s your last weekend to go on a Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry Plant Museum. Thurs., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Kress Contemporary celebrates one year of programming (and the holidays) in Ybor City with art, music, and good cheer. Thurs., 6-9 p.m.

The MFA celebrates the holidays in St. Pete with live music, hot chocolate or cider, and holiday cookies. Thurs., 6-9 p.m.

Tombolo Books celebrates their 4th Anniversary with a Holiday Night Market. Thurs., 5-8 p.m.

Tampa arts leaders Amanda Poss (HCC) and Tracy Midulla (Tempus Projects) speak about growing the arts in Ybor City bright and early Friday morning at The Portico. Fri., 8-9 a.m.

Clearwater’s Coachman Park screens Polar Express in a special holiday edition of Scenes on the Green. Fri., 7-10 p.m.

Artists of Elements celebrates their grand opening in St. Pete with art, live music, food and drink. Kick off Fri., 6-8 p.m.

The Dali hosts a special holiday edition of The Dome After Dark with an ugly sweater contest, a holiday-themed interactive art activity, and holiday specials at Café Gala. Fri., 6:30-9 p.m.

The Studio@620 hosts HOLIZAAR, their annual handmade holiday gift bazaar, in St. Pete. Sat., 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Pinellas Arts Village’s Christmas Block pARTy brings artful holiday shopping opportunities to Pinellas Park. Sat., 4-9 p.m.

It’s Santa Saturday at Heritage Village in Largo. While you’re at Pinewood, create poinsettia portraits with watercolors at Creative Pinellas Sat., 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Fringe Theatre hosts their inaugural Whinge Festival, where local performing artists try out new ideas. Sat. & Sun.

Dunedin Fine Art Center and Morean Arts Center holiday shows are still up if you still have Christmas shopping to do.

I don’t know how it’s already Thursday, and you’re probably Christmas shopping this weekend anyway, but in case you need a break from all that…

Here’s what’s happening on the Tampa Bay arts scene this weekend.

Thursday, December 7

Orilla performs holiday songs from Catalonia, Spain and Latin America at The Dali.

Nate Najar’s Jazz Holiday returns to The Palladium in St. Pete.

Scrooge MacBeth premieres at The Off-Central.

Dirty Johns brings their band of naughty elves to The Studio@620 to perform “Jingle Balls."

Friday, December 8

Fairgrounds St. Pete hosts Chad Mize at Art After Dark.

Saturday, December 9

The Tour de Clay returns with stops at Ira Burhans Studio and Pottery Boys Studio in Palm Harbor and Wellman and Welsch Pottery in Lutz.

Sheila Cowley’s short play, “Twice as Spectacular” heads to the Gulfport Library. I’ll be there folding paper into rockets if you’d like to join me.

Six-String SongScapes unites art and music at ArtsXchange during Second Saturday ArtWalk in St. Pete.

Tampa Theatre hosts The Florida Orchestra Chamber Concert Holiday Brass before it travels to St. Pete on Sunday.

Sunday, December 10

The Palladium hosts The Florida Orchestra Chamber Concert Holiday Brass.

The weekend starts Thursday night

Fairgrounds’ holiday experience opens at The Factory in St. Pete . Scents of the season features holiday lights, nostalgic holiday scents, and a holiday-themed scavenger hunt.

Powerstories Theatre launches its 2024 season at Shuffle in Tampa with a free “Freedom to Read event…

HCC Gallery 221 hosts closing reception for “Leftovers." Now that you’ve (probably) eaten the last of the leftover turkey, head to HCC Gallery 221 to see what artists Lisa McCarthy and Georgia Vahue did with their leftovers.

TGIF

Gulfport’s First Friday Art Walk comes with a holiday golf cart parade.

St. Pete Collector Muffy Reeder brings Cuban art to Central Ave. for one night only this Friday…

The City of Clearwater lights their tree in Coachman Park with live music, street performers, and holiday activities.

Ballroom culture comes to The Werk Gallery in St. Pete. Vodou Revlon vogues around John Gascot paintings at the opening reception for “Category Is” Friday night.

I had the pleasure of speaking with John Gascot for my first feature story in Watermark – it’s on pg. 37.

Saturday

St. Pete Pride’s Red and Green Holiday Party brings live music, drag, and burlesque to Sunken Gardens Saturday night. The event’s sold out, but I’ll be there covering it for Watermark, so look for those photos.

Jobsite celebrates their 25th birthday with a variety show at New World Brewery in Tampa Saturday night.

Sunday Funday

97X’s Next Big Thing brings The Black Keys, Bleachers, Lovejoy, MisterWives, Little Image and Rohna to The Sound in Clearwater’s Coachman Park Sunday afternoon

Thanksgiving weekend is fast approaching. Maybe you already know where you’re taking your out-of-town family members, or maybe you don’t. For those still deciding, here are some of the best last-minute arts and culture experiences you can share with family in Tampa Bay this weekend.

1. Sanding Ovations encore in Treasure Island. When are your aunt and uncle from Alaska ever going to see professionally-sculpted sand if you don’t take them to Sanding Ovations encore on Treasure Island this weekend? Here’s a preview from 10 Tampa Bay.

2. “The Nature of Art” at The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete. There’s a lot to see at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete, especially if you’ve never been there before. If you have been before, this weekend’s a great time to revisit, as the MFA opened “The Nature of Art,” their first campus-wide exhibition, on Oct. 28. I have many things to say about how you should experience “The Nature of Art,” but you’ll have to wait for my Creative Loafing review for those extra words. In the meantime, check out this video snapshot from ABC Action News.

3. “From Far East to Far West” at The James Museum in St. Pete. Given from Far East to Far West’s focus on ancestry, it’s a great show to visit with family. Maybe you’ll learn some of your family’s history in the process. Here’s what I wrote about the exhibit for Creative Loafing.

4. Florida Stories Walking Tours. Celebrate local stories with a “Florida Stories” walking tour of St. Petersburg, Ybor City, Tarpon Springs, or Safety Harbor. The Florida Humanities Council hired local writers to help with the scripts for their self-guided walking tours, accessed through the Florida Humanities Council’s Florida Stories app.

5. St. Pete Mural Tours. There are still some spots left in Florida CraftArt’s original walking mural tour this Saturday.

And if that fills up, you can always download a map directly from the SHINE website and do your own driving tour.

6. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium promises a “Sea of Holiday Joy” and art this weekend. Get there early Friday morning, 8-10 a.m., and you might catch Santa diving with the dolphins. In addition to the usual marine attractions, CMA offers holiday crafts and activities for kids during “Sea of Holiday Joy” weekends. And thanks to a collaboration with the Morean Arts Center, Level 4 of the CMA Visitor Center hosts a collection of marine-inspired artwork for the next several months.

7. Fairgrounds St. Pete has extended hours this weekend. They’ll be open until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night. That gives you plenty of time to immerse your out-of-town family members in Florida culture via locally-made art. Locals should know that the Fairgrounds holiday experience, Scents of the Season, doesn’t open until Nov. 30. If you still don’t know what Fairgrounds is, I’m going to refer you to my 2021 Creative Loafing feature where I interviewed the founders before Fairgrounds opened to the public.

8. Impressionism on both sides of the bay. People don’t always agree on art, but everyone loves impressionism. And that’s why “Frontiers of Impressionism” at the Tampa Museum of Art and “Dali and the Impressionists” at The Dali belong on this list of things to do with your family this weekend.

9. Brew culture. We brew a lot of beer in Tampa Bay, and it’s more than good enough to introduce your relatives to. From citrus-forward IPAs to tropical lagers and Florida Weisse styles, Tampa Bay has its own unique beer culture. I like to pick up a few six packs from Crooked Thumb in Safety Harbor before family visits from out of town so they can sip on local flavors during their stay. I have yet to try their beer, but Grindhaus Brew Lab hosts a Holiday Maker's Market with Author Josh Ginsberg this Sunday in Clearwater.

Find a brewery near you using Visit Tampa Bay's Tampa Bay Brewery Map.

This week’s #FollowFriday Five is inspired by a new exhibition opening this weekend at Erica Luedtke and Finn Schult’s Heiress Gallery (@heiress.gallery) in The Factory St. Pete (@thefactorystpete). Heiress showcases images from NYC-based photographer Melissa Spitz, Time Magazine’s (@time) Instagram Photographer of the Year in 2017. Spitz’s “You Have Nothing to Worry About” (@nothing_to_worry_about), at Heiress throughDec. 30, features Spitz’s mother, who is mentally ill and struggles with addiction. There’s an opening reception for the exhibition tonight, 6-9 p.m. On Saturday evening, Nov. 17, 6-9 p.m., Heiress pairs an artist discussion with a walkthrough of the Museum of Motherhood next door (@museumofmotherhood).

Further Reading:

To learn more about Spitz and her “You Have Nothing to Worry About” series, check out her 2018 TED talk.

Maggy Duffy introduces the Museum of Motherhood in her May 2023 feature for the Tampa Bay Times.

Duffy introduces Heiress Gallery in this Feb. 2023 Tampa Bay Times feature.

There’s a lot of great opportunities to enjoy the arts in Pinellas County this weekend. So get out there and experience the arts coast.

Sanding Ovations returns — Treasure Island

Head to the sand sculpture capital of Florida for the first weekend of Sanding Ovations, a sand sculpting competition that attracts professional sand sculptors from around the world. This year’s theme is “It’s About Time.”

Fringe comedy comes to the German-American Society — Pinellas Park

Paco Erhard found the perfect venue for an encore performance of his Fringe comedy, “I can make you German.”

It’s third Saturday at Pinewood Cultural Park — Largo

It’s third Saturday this weekend – the most exciting time of the month to visit Pinewood Cultural Park, home to Heritage Village, Creative Pinellas, and Florida Botanical Gardens. All three locations host activities this weekend. There are holiday wreaths to make in the gardens, art to see at Creative Pinellas, and live music at Heritage Village.

Walk on the Wild Side at SHAMc — Safety Harbor

The Safety Harbor Art and Music Center celebrates their seventh anniversary this Sunday with live music and the traditional decorated umbrella parade.

The 26th Annual Florida CraftArt Festival — St. Pete

This weekend’s big juried outdoor arts & crafts festival is in St. Pete.

Tampa Bay Afrofuturism Festival Weekend Three — Clearwater, Largo, St. Pete

The Tampa Bay Afrofuturism Festival concludes this weekend with four big events — a Paint 'n Party at Artz 4 Life in Clearwater on Friday, 6:30 pm - 10 pm.; a staged play reading of Jake-ann Jones’ “Aq&Ree: Brother Fire, Sister Fly” at Creative Pinellas in Largo Saturday afternoon; a jazz and hip-hop showcase at The Catalyst on the Deuces Saturday night; and a Sun Ra/Zora Film festival at The Factory on Sunday.

It’s the final weekend for “White Rabbit Red Rabbit” — St. Pete

Four adventurous actors accept the challenge of acting out Nassim Soleimanpour’s script, sight-unseen, this weekend.

Arts Annual returns to Creative Pinellas in Largo

In the mood for an Artsventure in Pinellas County this weekend? Creative Pinellas has you covered.

Dunedin Wines the Blues on Saturday

It almost didn’t happen this year, but you asked for it...or someone asked for it…

Creatives Artist Collective hosts 10-year anniversary show at the historic Kress building in Ybor City

Guess who’ll be there.

Tampa Bay Afrofuturism Festival Weekend 2 brings artist talks to The Studio@620 in St. Pete

You can see the Bridges Exhibit during Art Walk on Saturday or you can visit on Sunday at 2 p.m. for a panel discussion moderated by Erica Sutherlin. Attending the artist discussion on Sunday is free, but reservations are requested.

The Morean open three new exhibitions, including their holiday show, during Saturday’s Art Walk.

Art show at Hotel Haya benefits Children’s Cancer Center

Michael Vahl & friends are showing and selling their artwork at Hotel Haya Saturday Night. Tickets are $10 and a portion of each sale goes to the Children’s Cancer Center.

Overspray Graffiti Camp hosts an Adult Night on Saturday in St. Pete

Head to Overspray for a fun twist on the Paint and Sip. $40 gets you wall space and two hours with some of the best graffiti artists in the Tampa Bay area.

Learn to make mosaics at the Warehouse Arts District Association in St. Pete

Learn to make mosaics using stained glass in this 6-session class at the Warehouse Arts District Association. $179 for WADA members, non-members $199, $20 supply fee collected at first class.

Pinellas County’s ART’n Month blasted off last week, and I have so much to tell you and so much to show you, it’s hard to know where to begin.

On Saturday, I celebrated with a trip to St. Pete Pride’s offices/outdoor courtyard to see Sheila Cowley’s “Twice as Spectacular.” I spent the past three weekends making origami props for this production (among other things), and I was excited to see the cast put them to use.

Then on Sunday, it was off to Dunedin for Art Harvest and the Dunedin Fine Art Center’s holiday show. I saw so much great art over the weekend, and eventually you’ll see it all here on my social media pages @jenringwrites.

Last week I encouraged you to follow Hotel Haya, Marcolina's Fine Arts Gallery, The Bricks, and HCC Ybor, but that's not half of Ybor. If you want to keep tabs on the Ybor's arts scene, you have to follow all the folks who've moved into the historic Kress building, and there are several, so I better get listing. Here's a start, with more to come.

The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts @fmopa

Tampa has a museum of photography, and if you haven't yet visited, now's the time. FMoPA just moved out of its inconvenient location in the Cube and into a much more exciting location on Ybor City's 7th Ave., where they're showcasing Angelika Kollin's work from Oct. 31-Dec. 10. But even if you don't visit, wouldn't it be nice to fill your Instagram feed with gorgeous professional photography like this?

Tempus Projects @tempus_projects

Tampa arts leader Tracy Midulla moved her Tempus Projects out of Seminole Heights and into Ybor City during the pandemic, where she maintains three gallery spaces - Tempus Projects, Tempus Volta, and Drift.

Department of Contemporary Art @departmentofcontemporaryarttpa

Talented young curator Emiliano Settecasi is doing great things in his new gallery space within Kress. Every time I visit, it amazes me how he continues to make such large statements from within such a small space.

The Fringe Theatre @tampafringe

How lucky are we to live in a town where we can access Fringe theatre year-round? The answer is very lucky, because Fringe Theatre is unexpected, experimental, fun, and cheap. And it just got a lot more accessible in Tampa Bay.

JZ Atalier Jewelry @jzatalierjewelry

The historic Kress Building is Samantha Zhang's home base, but she's teaching folks how to make jewelry all over Tampa. Follow her on Instagram @jzatalierjewelry to find out when and where her next workshop is.