Many neat murals all throughout the town. We really enjoyed exploring and seeing all the colorful…read moremurals

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA is home to one of the largest collections of Street Art I've seen anywhere…read morein the South. The sheer range of styles is sure to please a wide audience from mural fanatics to newbies! --- At my core is a wild & eccentric looking guy dressed in casual clothes (probably made of linen) and holding a DSLR camera in one hand and an artists paint brush in the other. I have been into the arts for as long as I can remember. I spent many a morning as a child sketching everything from the scenery outside my window to abstract thoughts that lodged into my mind. My ability to tap into my right brain continued to be developed through my high school years where I created some of my best pieces only to find them stolen after being submitted to a local art fare. I honestly don't think I ever recovered and for a long time I tried to recreate those pieces, but couldn't. As an adult, my focus shifted to architectural, landscaping  & interior design as well as photography. On ANY given day you will find me designing my dream home or working on photobook projects of my family or sketching landscaping plans for friends, family, and neighbors or hiking in beautiful scenic trails as I immerse myself in the beauty of God's artistry. My love for art is deep and infinite. You probably could not separate the molecules that make me a person from those that make an artist an artist. They are in every fiber of my being. So when I came across the mural project going on in downtown St. Pete around 2015, I nearly leaped out of my car (as I was driving) just to be among the colors and thoughts of those who created each of the individual pieces. The displays range in size from small street planters to the entire sides of buildings. In 2015, most of the murals were concentrated in alleys between Central Avenue and 1st Avenue North, from 4th Street all the way to 24th Street... but now they are literally all over the city. SHINE is a not-for-profit mural art project made up of local artists and members of the community and they have been hosting festivals for a number of years now. Each year new murals have been created and continue to enhance the city landscape for the enjoyment of local businesses, residents and tourists like me. There are paid walking tours available, but if you are crafty, you will find maps online that will self guide you on your own [free] walking tour. 2017 Mural video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVZjedi4wBg --- FINAL THOUGHTS I am completely in my element each time I wondrously drifted through the streets, alleyways and parking lots of St. Petersburg. Time seemed to be irrelevant as I was lost in each of the pieces and the creativity of the artists vision. I truly believe EVERY city should have a mural project that continuously expresses the beauty of thought. I'm so grateful my hometown of Atlanta has such a program. I am also grateful to have witnessed the beauty of this artistry alive all over St. Pete and happy to see it continues to expand and grow. If you have the capacity to truly appreciate the power of expression through art, you should make it a priority to experience these murals for yourself. But if travel is not possible, I've documented as many as I possibly could in the following pics. ENJOY! 2021 / 92

I found this cool piece of public art right before you enter the pier in St. Petersburg, Florida…read more This large free flowing net sculpture is very eye catching. The piece was made by internationally known, Tampa Bay native Janet Echelman. The title of the piece, Bending Arc is taken from Dr. Martin Luther King's words "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." Echelman decided to honor the civil rights movement because the site where the sculpture hangs was a location where local citizens protested segregation in the 1950's. The protests led to the 1957 US Supreme Court ruling that allowed people of all races to use the city beach and pool. According to the artist the new pier was designed to be welcoming to everyone. She has said "When I look at the piece moving in the wind you see these arcs move across as the wind blows through. It's a moment to contemplate the interconnectedness of the entire human race. And it's a reminder for us to be grateful for and celebrate the courage of the people who came before us. Who brought us to where we are and the job that we have to do bring ourselves forward again." The art installation was created to coincide with the open of the new 26 acre St. Petersburg Pier. Echelman has created several other net sculptures that are located all around the world. She took inspiration for this piece from historical postcards that had blue and white striped beach parasols and combined the colors with the geometric forms made by colonies of barnacles growing on the underside of the pier. When the wind blows it changes the shape of the soft sculpture. Bending arc is made of 1,662,528 light weight fiber knots and 180 miles of twine. It is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), an engineered fiber which has been turned into a thread like textile. The strands are braided together and wrapped around sewing bobbins to form the mesh netting that is knotted by hand. The sculpture is 424 feet long and it is 72 feet at its tallest point. It covers 47,500 square feet and weighs a total of 5,330 pounds. The sculpture was paid for by private donors and its infrastructure was part of the new Pier District project. Echelman's contract for the piece with St. Petersburg was for $1.47 million dollars. During the day Bending Arc is blue and white. At night it is illuminated with LED lights so that it appears purple and magenta. You can see it across the water from the parks lining the bay. There are some chairs set up under the sculpture so you can sit and watch the wind blow the netting overhead. I love public art and this is just one of many interesting elements that have been added to the new pier.

This stunning picture within a picture mural in St Pete is worth seeing. It's definitely unique and…read morevery striking, with it's own style and composition. I don't know about you but I smile every time I see it. I love the arts and St Pete has more wonderful outdoor murals than any city I know. If you know of a place with more, please let me know too!

My family and I stopped by the Greetings from Tampa postcard mural and it instantly felt like one…read moreof those must see spots in the city. The colors are bold and vibrant, and each letter tells its own little story about Tampa which makes it fun to stand there and take it all in. You can tell a lot of thought went into the details, and it really captures the personality of the area. It is also a perfect photo spot. Whether you are just passing through or exploring the city, it is one of those places that makes you glad you stopped. Super easy to find and definitely worth a visit if you are in Tampa. Good spot for sure

Ahh! It's just a cute little mural that is a neat attraction!! I found it and wanted to stop and…read moresee it!! If you're thinking about going and seeing it, GO!! Totally worth it, and there's free public parking as well!! 10/10

My husband and I loved our visit to the Imagine Museum. The creativity on display is incredible,…read moreand it's such a unique and engaging way to learn. The glass sculptures and their history were fascinating and beautifully presented. Paige at the front desk was absolutely lovely and made us feel very welcome. A wonderful experience that blends art, education, and inspiration. Highly recommend!

Imagine Museum was definitely worth checking out. There are two Floors of amazing glass art work…read more The museum is great for all ages. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and made the visit special. I highly recommend stopping by and checking out the museum. Definitely will be going back.

St.Pete Pier is one of the best attractions and a must see if you are in Tampa Bay and St…read morePetersbrurg area. The Pier has parking but it gets really busy during weekends so best to park nearby or at one of the parking garages. You will enjoy the walk towards the Pier. The area has many restaurants and bars. There are also family areas like a splash pad and playground for the kids. You will also find a small spa beach for swimming and sunbathing just in front of the Pier. Many walk ways, a park and a market all nearby. The market was closed at night though. Once you get to the Pier you'll get a great view of the bay and beautiful skyline. The Pier has a roof top restaurant called The Teak that has an amazing panoramic view. The St.Pete Pier is the perfect place to enjoy a golden hour and music from all the street musicians.Will gladly go back to visit.

A must visit if in the St Pete area! Amazing pier within walking distance of downtown St…read morePetersburg. Enjoy your leisurely stroll with street bands and musicians. Plenty of areas to sit and relax. Enjoy the ocean breeze at the end of the pier as you climb up the lookout point. Enjoy the 360 views and an amazing orange sunset dropping behind the downtown St. Petersburg skyline! The pier is clean and spacious. Restrooms are available and restaurants and bars by the look out point. Whether you want it enjoy peace and tranquility or to grab a bite and drinks with a view.... The pier is perfect Catch near by dolphins frolicking in the water or a small plane land across the bay at the little mini local airport.

The museum is small but so fun. Be sure to join the 11 am free group tour…read more The ticket is 20 dollars and worth every bit of it. The museum is a quick stop in or has a group led tour. The selections in the exhibition are beautiful. Each one is surprisingly more beautiful and different than the next one. The service in the gift shop where you purchase your ticket is especially great. You can ask questions and receive polite answers. I really enjoyed my visit. Don't forget to watch the live glass demonstration across the street at the Morean Arts center. Tips are appreciated.

What a great collection - very quick stop in activity if you are in the area. Admission comes with…read morea glass blowing demo across the street which we were lucky enough to make. To make the experience even BETTER - @DanAlexander , the featured artist was the artist at the demo. It was absolutely wonderful.

Gulfport art walk and 3rd saturday markets are wonderful! great vendors and music! Come and shop,…read moredrink, and eat!

We had a pleasant time wandering around the weird and wonderful village that is Gulfport. There…read morewere a few vendors selling stuff like homemade soap, hippy handbags and earrings. There really wasn't any pure art like paintings or sculpture but why take this whole thing literally? It's a great reason to get an espresso, have a nice walk, and then pick up some dinner. We always enjoy visiting Gulfport!

Omg this was an amazing afternoon exploring the Dalì Museum! My niece and I had a blast. The…read morearchitecture alone is a visual treat. First stop is the theater on first floor to get a brief history of Dalì. Then elevator to third floor for the exhibit room and a virtual reality headset experience (comes with admission just a short line waiting for one of the three seats). The gallery was very busy, but we managed to wave around the people to see the art in the main gallery. Oh wonderful then across the other side of the museum was a special exhibit with Giacameti sculptures and Dali. Then we were out to the dome to see the projected media experience for 35 minutes. It was such a fun afternoon spent three hours and probably could've taken a couple more. That was a nice café. I went on to try in a great gift shop worth visiting. Really wonderful experience I highly recommend it to anybody that's familiar with Dalì's work or just learning. They do a great job explaining it all. Tip get admission tickets online in advance. Line was out the door so I bought tickets while standing in line then zipped thru the other side for folks with tickets. Saved me 15 minutes! Also from the desk I could buy the Dome multimedia ticket before it sold out. Fantastic day at this museum!

Really awesome cool museum. My only issue is... it's pretty small. For $30+ I would expect there…read moremore to see. You can see the whole thing in an hour or so. Parking is $10. There's plenty of metered parking couple of blocks away. Some free two hour parking so well. Discount for residents and also Thursday night it's like $15 a ticket