| |
  
|
 |
|
 |
|
You Are Here: Home » Things to Do » Museums & Galleries » Cultural Crossroads »
By Cameron Stuart
Think of Florida and a wave of images comes to mind: beaches, roller coasters, palm trees and piña coladas. But in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, there's also a diverse offering of arts, history, music and theater – some world-famous, some off-the-beaten-path. Why choose between history and nature; cultural exploration and relaxation? Here, you're at the crossroads of all these routes.
Art Meets History Downtown
In between exploring the area's 35 miles of beaches, I checked out an array of art attractions and historical sites, beginning in downtown St. Petersburg.
The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg features Monet and Gauguin originals as well as rotating exhibits
I absorbed the view of the water – sparkling Tampa Bay – from the courtyard of the Museum of Fine Arts before browsing the permanent collection's Monet and Gauguin originals. The pieces hailed from different eras and different corners of the world: China's Tang Dynasty, ancient Mexican sculpture and modern work from the Sudan. The highlight was the exhibit From the Fire, tracing the evolution of Korea's ceramic tradition to a contemporary art form.
Across the street, I checked out a string of independent galleries. My favorite was the Croatian Naïve Art Gallery that sells reverse glass paintings by Croatian peasants. I met artist Iva Cepanec, who was finishing a painting in front of the only collection of his work in America.
At the nearby St. Petersburg Museum of History, I learned that St. Petersburg was the departure city for the first scheduled commercial flight in aviation history. A few blocks away, I checked out the Florida International Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate. It's current exhibit featured impressive hand-hammered Gorham silver from the turn of the century.
Downtown St. Petersburg's Mahaffey Theater hosts ballet, opera, concerts and the popular Broadway Across America series
That night – not yet having reached my threshold for art – I joined an open gallery walk (held every second Saturday of the month). First stop was the Florida Craftsmen gallery, where craftsmen statewide display jury-approved works from sculpture to jewelry. Upstairs, a gallery called The Art Space contains artists' personal studios. The nearby Arts Center, focused on concept art, will be part of the under-construction Chihuly Museum, exhibiting the work of the famous glass artist.
I started the next day with a heavy dose of history at downtown St. Petersburg's The Holocaust Museum. Most compelling were an actual boxcar used to transport people to death camps and photos of survivors, each with a description of their trials and hand-written messages to visitors.
Music and Theater Merge
Next, I caught a matinee at the nearby Mahaffey Theater, a high arts haven that hosts ballet, opera, concerts and the popular Broadway Across America series. The theater overlooks the site of the new Salvador Dalí Museum, home to the world-famous collection of paintings by the renowned surrealist.
Also downtown, The Palladium Theater, formerly a church, maintains its charming, antiquated appearance. The house manager gave me an impromptu tour to see an elevator from 1924, a Skinner Pipe organ and the tiny backstage. Downstairs features a small space with an open bar for jazz shows. Upstairs, the reworked theater contains a large balcony and a killer program of live theater.
In the evening, I strolled down St. Petersburg's Central Avenue looking for music. I found free blues at a most unlikely place – Sequins and Denim, a new downtown clothing shop. Fortunato's After Dark had a music bill for only three dollars. I passed by Jannus Landing, Florida's oldest outdoor concert venue and host to a variety of music acts. (The venue is named after Tony Jannus, pilot of that previously mentioned first commercial airline flight).
Yielding to Culture
The next day, it was time to venture north a bit. I visited Largo's Heritage Village, a historic village and museum containing some of the county's oldest buildings of note. I also climbed the Pinellas Point Temple Mound, now a city park, left by Pinellas County's original settlers.
Further north, Tarpon Springs' Leepa-Ratner Museum of Art exhibits modern expressionist art in a building that echoes this form. I was happy to get lost among this striking 20th century art for a few hours. Tarpon Springs also features sponge docks and a historic shopping village, both celebrated for their authentic Greek heritage.
Of course, no trip to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area is complete without a visit to the beach. John's Pass Village & Boardwalk in Madeira Beach offers up a hundred-or-so shops and restaurants in a re-created old-time fishing village. Historic Pass-a-Grille in St. Pete Beach features quaint art galleries and locally owned restaurants with open-air dining. In action-packed Clearwater Beach, don't miss the famous Grouper sandwiches at Frenchy's. It's no surprise that beach culture is alive and well here, too.
Cameron Stuart is a freelance writer and Florida native residing in Sarasota.
Last modified on Jan 09, 2007
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Copyright ©2007 St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. All rights reserved.