Art Adventure

As November rolls around, cooler nights are invitations to get out and enjoy all that St. Pete has to offer. A guaranteed adventure awaits those who venture forth at the monthly Second Saturday ArtWalk, which encompasses galleries, studios and public spaces in five of the Burg’s downtown Arts Districts and waterfront.

Drive, walk or hop aboard the white Star Trolley that circulates among the Districts; whichever you choose you must settle with the fact that you won’t be able to visit all of the 40 or so galleries and studios on the list. I always find myself spending twice as much time as I planned at certain locations. 

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Like any good adventure, ArtWalks presents plenty of opportunities for engagement from meeting an artist to listening to live music or running into old friends. It’s also a great way to discover all those hip and trendy galleries you would never visit on your own. On ArtWalk night, you’re part of an art tribe and exploration is the name of the game. 

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The organizer and sponsoring entity for the monthly event is the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA), spearheaded by director Terry Marks. She feels Second Saturday ArtWalk, which takes place from 5 to 9 pm,  has evolved over time to become a unique monthly celebration of the arts, and most importantly, an economic driver for downtown artists and small businesses such as restaurants and bars. It’s become a marketing tool, as well, attracting visitors and tourists to a  culturally vibrant downtown.

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 “ArtWalk not only supports local and emerging artists, it brings a sense of community,” she says. “Other cities may have art walks, but I think ours is unique because it covers five Arts Districts. And now with the addition of the Star Trolley, we hope to encourage the use of mass transit along the walkability.”

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If you’re new to ArtWalks or your time is limited , I suggest focusing on a visit to a larger venue that offers a number of galleries and studios. At the ArtsXchange, an indoor-outdoor campus in the heart of the Warehouse Arts District,  you can wander among some 25 working studios, enjoy live music and vendors in the plaza, and visit exhibits in the Tully Levine Gallery and the Burka Lounge. Next door at Soft Water Studios, drop in and see works by highly regarded painter Carrie Jadus, and large-scale public art sculptures being planned or fabricated  at Mark Aeling’s MGA Sculpture Studio. 

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 This is where I found artist Robert Sutherland and his wife Mary in his Soft Water studio/gallery, welcoming me with a cold sangria and a broad smile. His walls are covered in a myriad of paintings big and small: mystical figures, magical landscapes, fantasy scenes. No two are alike. His signature “quad” paintings, though, stand out.

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 “The paintings are called ‘quads’ because you see four identical images,” says the artist, who can also be found playing guitar at various clubs and restaurants in Pinellas County.   He explains how the painting is placed wet on a spinning wheel and the main image “clones” itself around the perimeter of the canvas so you see four different paintings in one. “I’m the ‘Quad-Father,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. 

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Sutherland  feels Second Saturday ArtWalk “is the lifeblood of St. Pete” for local artists.  “Every artist needs an audience, we need people to see our work and get feedback.  ArtWalks help to establish you in the community, you meet your peers and establish a reputation.

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“It’s also a great opportunity for art buyers to experience a whole lot of art. I see so many regulars that come monthly, not to buy but just to experience the art. The most important thing about ArtWalk is the people.”   

A few blocks away, the Five Deuces Galleria shares a large parking lot with 3 Daughters Brewery, so the place is hopping for ArtWalk. Spread throughout  three buildings are small working studios, with a large gallery space featuring rotating artists each month. It’s like a maze finding the studios, each one a present to be unwrapped. A dizzying array of art runs the gamut from fantasy to contemporary, sculpture, fiber, ceramics,  in a varying degree of price points.  

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 Here I am drawn to the colorful eye-catching graphic style of Mark Williams; his tiny working studio draws a steady stream of walkers. I learn that Williams has quite the background in graphics and set design and his whimsical flamingo art is a top-seller.  Williams loves the opportunity ArtWalk gives to artists and local residents alike.

 “It gives emerging artists the same opportunity to be seen,” he explains.  “As an artist, it’s gratifying to hear comments and see facial expressions, that one-on-one interaction is so important. ArtWalk allows validation of your work.

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“Not everyone can afford fine art,” he adds. “ArtWalk is a great place for people to find more affordable art.”

A relative newcomer to the ArtWalk scene is The Factory, an entire city block of renovated warehouses in the Warehouse Arts District that has been transformed into an entertainment complex, with live music, shops, space for creatives, and an artists’ enclave. 

On Second Saturdays, you can listen to live jazz from the Young Lions program of Clearwater Jazz Holiday (6-8 pm), hear tall tales by The Storytellers of Old Tampa Bay (5-7 pm), and release your inner juju at Keep St. Pete Lit’s Poetry Series and Open Mic (7:30-9 pm). And, oh yes, don’t forget to peruse the stalls of several dozen arts and crafts dealers. 

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