Tarpon Art Guild show to feature Lana Wengerd
TARPON SPRINGS — An artist meet-and-greet reception for an exhibition of work by artist Lana Wengerd will take place on Saturday, Sept. 12, 5 to 7 p.m., in the gallery of the Tarpon Art Guild, 161 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs.
The public is welcome to attend. Wengerd’s work will be on display through September.
Wengerd is a mixed media artist. This gives her the freedom to blend diverse materials. A major milestone in her art journey was completing the Mastery Program at the Milan Art Institute, which helped her hone her techniques and discover her distinct voice. Her life journey shines through her canvas with love, vulnerability, and a hunger to explore a constant transformation.
Wengerd creates a vibrant artscape where nature, animals, and everyday life reflect in vivid colors and magical fantasies. Her passion for animals is evident throughout her work. They feature prominently alongside symbolic elements like clouds, stars, galaxies, and scenic dreamscapes.
Muse Awards gala to celebrate inspiration
ST. PETERSBURG — The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance recently announced the 2026 Muse Awards honorees. Now in its 12th year, the Muse Awards celebrate individuals and organizations whose contributions have strengthened the city’s creative community and helped make St. Petersburg a nationally recognized City of the Arts.
This year’s Muse Award honorees are:
• Visual Arts Award: Babs Reingold
• Performing Arts Award: Jeffrey Multer, Palladium Chamber Series
• Literary Arts Award: Lorielle J. Hollaway, Founder of Cultured Books Literacy Foundation
• Art & Technology Award: Kevin Hohl
• Patron of the Arts Award: Steve & Marie Beaty
• Arts Ambassador Award: Liz Dimmitt
• Legacy Arts Award: Leslie Curran
The 2026 Muse Awards ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 2, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. General admission tickets are $85 for SPAA members and $110 for nonmembers. VIP access starts at 6 p.m. Tickets for the VIP experience are an additional $50. The event will include live performances, art, food, and celebration. Guests will also can explore the Hazel Hough Wing and “New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations.”
For information and to purchase tickets, visit https://stpeteartsalliance.org/muse/.
The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance is the umbrella organization serving St. Petersburg’s vibrant arts community by driving arts-related economic development, advocating for artists and arts organizations, providing funding opportunities, fostering arts education, and championing St. Petersburg as Florida’s City of the Arts.
Straz announces Arts Legacy Remix performances
TAMPA — A new season of Arts Legacy Remix performances will be offered at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa.
The Arts Legacy Remix series celebrates the many varied cultures and talented local artists who reside in the Tampa Bay area. Each performance is free of charge and focuses on a different theme. Following is a look at the 2026-2027 schedule of performances:
Hispanic Heritage Celebration — Friday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m., in TECO Theater. ¡A celebrar, mi gente! Enjoy a festive evening as Straz Center celebrates the rich diversity of Tampa Bay’s Hispanic community. Explore important elements of the Hispanic heritage legacy and experience its rich artistry represented by performers from countries that help shape an amazing cultural landscape.
Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration — Voices from the Movement — Monday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m., in TECO Theater
This program will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by remembering many of the important voices and visionaries who helped pave the way for his journey. Join Straz Center at the ninth annual commemoration and share songs of faith, anthems of hope and words of wisdom that demonstrate the organization’s rededication to the principles of honor, dignity and freedom for all.
Rhythms of Mardi Gras — Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m., in Jaeb Theater
Join Straz Center to celebrate the New Orleans experience at this salute to Mardi Gras as well as the legacy of Cajun and Creole music. Share the music, dance and sheer joy of this unique American city. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
All performances will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but prior registration is requested by visiting www.strazcenter.org. For more information about Straz Center for the Performing Arts and its upcoming events, visit www.strazcenter.org.
Off-Central Players to present ‘Nocturne’
ST. PETERSBURG — The Off-Central Players, a 501c3 not-for-profit professional theatre company in the heart of St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District, will continue its newest initiative, Think Inside the Box, with a performance and conversation of “Nocturne,” the haunting and emotionally charged play by acclaimed playwright Adam Rapp.
The production will run Sept. 24-26 at Off-Central Players, 2260 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg. Performance times are Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 3 p.m. All tickets are $20. For tickets, visit www.theoffcentral.com.
Rapp’s “Nocturne” is the haunting exploration of loss, forgiveness, and redemption. It is the tale of a gifted young pianist and a horrific accident that shatters his family and sends him fleeing to New York, where he reinvents himself as a writer. Fifteen years later, he returns home and confronts the guilt, grief, and fractured relationships that have haunted him ever since.
Think Inside the Box is designed to give time, space, and voice to artists and stories that deserve to be told but don’t fit the mold of traditional theatrical offerings. The production features Weston Allen Kemp, who previously starred in the Off-Central Players productions of “White” (2025) and “The Sound Inside” (2024). The production is directed by Debbie Yones, Off-Central Players artistic associate. Each performance will include a talk-back focused on the themes of the production, including men’s mental health.
“’Nocturne’ gives us an opportunity to explore some difficult subjects, but also to talk about hope, healing, and the ways art can help us find beauty in even our darkest moments,” said Yones. “Through Think Inside the Box, we invite our audiences to be more than spectators — to stay in the room with us, alongside artists, advocates, and other voices from our community, and, if they choose, become part of a conversation that continues after the final words of the play.”
Art Everywhere to showcase Pinellas County’s creative culture
Pinellas County artists and art organizations will have their largest platform yet to display the area’s amazing creative culture during the Art Everywhere celebration this fall. From the first week of November to the first week of December, nearly 30 creative minds will present the St. Pete-Clearwater destination with a variety of dynamic cultural offerings, such as music festivals, art shows, hands-on public art projects, film and theater premieres, literary events, and dance showcases at area beaches, parks, museums and galleries, theaters and local attractions.
The Art Everywhere experience will collectively shape the destination into a vibrant month of art experiences thanks to the efforts of Creative Pinellas awarding $350,000 in arts tourism funding to the selected arts organizations and artists.
“Pinellas County creatives once again prove that they consistently generate ideas worthy of investment,” said Todd Wellman, Creative Pinellas funding director.
Art Everywhere grant recipients include the Beach Art Center, Clearwater Sister Cities, Cultured Books Literacy Foundation, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin Fine Art Center & Junior League of Clearwater Dunedin, Dunedin Public Theater, FloridaRAMA, Gulfport Arts and Heritage, Morean Workshop Space, Museum of Fine Arts of St. Petersburg, Opera for Earth, Penny Lane Beatles Museum, Print St. Pete, projectALCHEMY, Safety Harbor Art and Music Center,
Sami Mangione, Shopapalooza Festival by LocalShops1, Soft Water Gallery, Suncoast Jazz Festival, Sunscreen Film Festival, Tampa Bay Arts Passport, The Dalí Museum, The Deuces Live Inc., The Florida Holocaust Museum, The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, Tigertail Asian Film Festival, Tombolo Books, and the Warehouse Arts District Association.
Art Everywhere funding is being provided by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater to position Pinellas County as a premier cultural destination while strengthening its creative economy. Creative Pinellas directed the grant program, which received nearly 140 grant applications, with outreach and event support provided by St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and Clearwater Arts Alliance.
Visitors and residents will explore Art Everywhere experiences across the county, from the first week of November to the first week in December. The name Art Everywhere is an ode to Pinellas County having “more art per square mile than anywhere in Florida,” according to the county’s tourism agency Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.
Two major events will bookend Art Everywhere: St. Petersburg Museum Week and Clearwater Illuminations: Lantern Festival & International Night Market.
Creative Pinellas is a 501(c)(3) arts and cultural organization established in 2011 as the designated Local Arts Agency for Pinellas County, providing advocacy, funding and support for artists, non-profits and the broader cultural community of Pinellas County. The organization also collaborates with municipalities across the region on impactful public art projects. Learn more at www.creativepinellas.org.
Imagine Museum to take part in Free Museum Weekend
ST. PETERSBURG — Imagine Museum is welcoming the community for Arts Alive! Free Museum Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19-20, offering extended hours and free admission to its first-floor galleries.
Back by popular demand, the annual celebration provides visitors with an opportunity to experience Imagine Museum’s world-class collection of contemporary glass art while supporting creativity, inclusion, and the local arts community.
Admission is free with advance Eventbrite registration. For information, visit https://www.imaginemuseum.com/free-museum-weekend/.
“Arts Alive! Free Museum Weekend is a wonderful opportunity to open our doors to the community and make contemporary glass art accessible to everyone,” said David Flatt, executive director of Imagine Museum. “We are especially proud to partner with Autism Inspired Academy and to showcase the creativity and accomplishments of their students through Inspiring Perspectives: Student Voices from Autism Inspired Academy.”
Throughout the weekend, guests can explore one of the nation’s premier collections of contemporary glass art across Imagine Museum’s first-floor galleries. The museum’s collection features breathtaking glass sculptures by artists from around the world, offering visitors an opportunity to discover the beauty, innovation, and diversity of contemporary studio glass.
The weekend will also feature Inspiring Perspectives: Student Voices from Autism Inspired Academy, a special exhibition showcasing artwork created by students of Autism Inspired Academy. The exhibition celebrates student creativity and provides an opportunity for the community to experience the unique perspectives and artistic accomplishments of local students.
Imagine Museum is proud to partner with Autism Inspired Academy, a local nonprofit school dedicated to empowering students with autism through individualized education, life skills development, communication support, and meaningful community engagement. During the weekend, guests will have the opportunity to make optional donations directly supporting the academy’s students and programs, with 100% of donations collected during the event benefiting Autism Inspired Academy.
Free admission and parking will be available with advance Eventbrite registration. Because last year’s event reached capacity, guests are encouraged to reserve their free timed-entry tickets in advance to secure their preferred entry time.
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