Read highlights of area arts below or check out the complete list of our wonderful museums and art galleries from the links at the bottom of this page.

From Salvador Dali to an expansive collection of art galleries, the St. Petersburg/ Clearwater area has an artistic taste for everyone's palette.

Long famous for its beaches, weather and wealth of water-related activities, St. Petersburg/Clearwater – Florida’s Beach is also fast becoming the cultural center of Florida. No other beach destination in Florida offers award-winning beaches with such a variety of museums and art galleries throughout 26 unique communities.

Begin with the world famous Salvador Dali Museum. This facility offers the most comprehensive collection in the world devoted exclusively to this Spanish master. Located on the scenic St. Petersburg waterfront, the museum houses 94 oils, numerous watercolors, sketches, sculptures and other objects of art – more than 2,500 items in total.

Most Dali novices are surprised to learn that the artist was so much more than a noted surrealist. In his early years, Dali’s early works are full of wonderful landscapes, portraits and still lifes. His later works astound with fascinating double images and immense religious paintings. Of the 18 so-called “Masterworks” produced by Dali, six are located in the St. Petersburg museum.

St. Petersburg is home to another major museum with a growing international reputation. The Florida International Museum opened in 1995 and is an affiliate museum of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum features temporary exhibitions in association with the Smithsonian. FIM augments its collection with rotating exhibits from various lenders including the Smithsonian Institution, Mr. Cecil Stoughton, former White House Photographer and Mr. Robert Davidoff, Palm Beach Photographer. Past lenders for other exhibitions have included the Moscow Kremlin Museums, Greek Ministry of Culture, Fondazione Memmo, Rome and the National Institute of Peru.

The Museum of Fine Arts, also in St. Petersburg, is highly respected throughout the southeastern United States and is best known for its collection of French impressionist paintings, along with European, American, pre-Columbian and Far Eastern art. Special exhibits feature works on loan from other metropolitan museums.

Not far from the Museum of Fine Arts but ages away, is Great Explorations, an interactive children’s museum. It's a great place to spend an hour or two if the kids need a break from the beach.


The St. Petersburg Museum of History presents area history through a diverse collection of exhibits reflecting our unique location and cultural heritage. Also focused on area history, the Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum is dedicated to preserving, presenting and interpreting the area’s African American history.


The Florida Holocaust Museum in downtown St. Petersburg is the only Holocaust museum to feature continual Holocaust art exhibits and is dedicated to the memory of millions.

The third largest Holocaust museum in the United States, the facility’s centerpiece permanent exhibit is a boxcar used to transport people to Nazi concentration camps.


The Dunedin Fine Arts Center features a variety of exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations to foster the growth and development of visual arts. It is also home to the David L. Mason Children’s Art Museum. This museum presents interactive exhibits that help children, in partnership with adults, to be creative and get a new understanding of the arts.

The Gulf Coast Museum of Art at Pinewood Cultural Park in Largo is another large facility featuring a diverse exhibition schedule, workshops and educational programs. The Museum operates in conjunction with the Florida Botanical Gardens and Heritage Village as three attractions in one convenient location.

At last count, nearly 30 art galleries are located in the downtown St. Petersburg area including the state headquarters for the Florida Craftsmen Association and signature gallery for noted artist P. Buckley Moss. The Arts Center on Central Avenue offers local artists studio space and a place to display their works. In 2008 they will add the Chihuly Collection, the world’s first museum of Dale Chihuly glass, and an expanded glass-blowing facility and auditorium.

The Downtown Arts Association features a Monthly Gallery Walk in St. Petersburg. Visitors start at Gallery Central (on Central Avenue between 4th and 8th Streets) and travel from there to the Waterfront, the Dome and SoHo Art Districts and then on to 4th and 9th Streets North. Tours are given from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the second Saturday monthly.

Just west of St. Petersburg is the city of Gulfport. Gulfport’s Art Village features more than 40 galleries, studios, boutiques and restaurants all within walking distance in this pedestrian-friendly historic district. Gallery Walks with free trolley service, street entertainment and snacks run from 6-10 p.m. the first Friday and third Saturday of the month.

Numerous other galleries are located throughout the area, especially in downtown Dunedin and Tarpon Springs.
These are just some of the highlights on area arts. For a complete listing of area galleries and museums, please check the links below.

Check out What's New in area art.


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