St. Petersburg is the city of the arts! We have it all – museums, art galleries, film festivals, live music, literary arts, a world-renowned mural festival, arts festivals, and an amazing culinary scene. People from all around the world travel to our beautiful city to experience all we have to offer in arts & culture.

Over 15 years ago, the city experienced a true renaissance transforming from being a sleepy city downtrodden with closed storefronts to a burgeoning artistic and culture epicenter that spans seven distinct artistic districts in St. Petersburg. In this episode, we will talk about the arts scene in the Waterfront Museum District!

The Waterfront Museum District runs along Beach Drive to 3rd Street between 7th Avenue North and 7th Avenue South along the beautiful waterfront of Tampa Bay, which now features the St. Pete Pier. This high-end luxury area includes several of our most popular arts museums, gourmet restaurants, and shopping destinations. This area also holds some of the areas’ most popular arts and crafts festivals throughout the year. The museums of the Waterfront Museum District include the Dali Museum, the St. Pete Museum of History, and the Museum of Fine Arts.

My personal favorite museum in St. Pete – The Dali Museum – opened in 1982 with an additional building added in 2011. This is the epicenter of fine art in St. Pete. They have a rotation of amazing exhibits that bring in famous artists such as Van Gogh and Frida Khalo. Their current featured exhibit is The Visit by Uruguayan-Spanish artist Yamandú Canosa. Virtual reality, art workshops, live music, coffee with a curator, and poetry at the Dali are just a few of the highlights of this museum.

For world-class entertainment look no further than The American Stage Theater Company, the Palladium, and the Mahaffey Theater to add to the artistic and cultural scene in this district. The American Stage Theater will be hosting the Tony-award winning “Green Day’s American Idiot” musical which runs from September 7th-October 2nd. This month the Palladium hosts a variety of musical, comedic, and theatrical productions including “Nunsense” from September 9th-25th.

The Mahaffey Theater also boasts an impressive lineup of entertainment throughout the year, “Amadeus Live” and JC Albert – The Secret of Illusions are amongst two shows in September. Next month, we will delve into what started this artistic renaissance in St. Pete – murals! We will talk to local muralists who worked to beautify the city with their unique artistic style.

Part of the next episode will also include information on the annual SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival which runs from October 14th-23rd. Local, national, and international mural artists will converge upon our city adding 17 new murals to the downtown St. Petersburg area. It is a can’t miss for any art lover!