Second Saturday ArtWalk is a St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA) economic strategy to develop small businesses.
“The ArtWalk Logo was updated to give new energy and prominence to Second Saturdays in St. Petersburg,” states Terry Marks, CEO of SPAA. “We have added advertising on WUSF to encourage our community to go out and experience the arts. We intend to continue to promote our artists in every way and keep focused on improving the ArtWalk experience.”
ArtWalk originated over 25 years ago when gallery owners developed “Gallery Walk” to drive business for the downtown area by offering opportunities for the public to meet artists and see them at work. Held once a month, patrons easily strolled from one gallery to the next. With our increasing number of artists, studios, and creative businesses, we saw the emergence of five distinct arts districts that were not within walking distance of each other. A trolley service was added in 2012 to facilitate the distances between venues and prior to COVID, led to around 4,000 visits to studios and galleries every month. Over 200 artists greeted their guest in some 40 studios and galleries with 20+ ArtWalk stops.
Starting in March of 2020, ArtWalk took a hit as did ALL of the arts & culture venues across the world. Trolleys stopped, galleries closed, studio work was limited and sadly some didn’t survive the pandemic. Now, two years later, vaccinations are widespread and COVID numbers are decreasing.
It is our hope that rebranding ArtWalk with a new logo and energy will encourage visitors, locals and art collectors to return to the world of art with excitement. “With the new logo we aimed to capture the experience and spirit of the ArtWalk event here in our sunshine city. Art and artists shine on St. Petersburg as brightly as the sun and make it a destination for visitors and collectors alike.” –Mike Toth, logo designer.
Please join the Central Arts District, EDGE Business District District, Grand Central District, Warehouse Arts District, Uptown Arts District and downtown Waterfront District every Second Saturday of the month! April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, August 13, etc. Studios and galleries stay open late and welcome visitors from 5-9 pm. And while the trolleys are still not running due to a labor shortage, these venues are happily waiting for your exploration, conversation, purchases and inspiration! Make an evening of it and stop for dinner, drinks or dessert at a local restaurant.
You can find a listing and map of participating galleries and studios, at stpeteartsalliance.org/artwalk.
The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance coordinates the St. Petersburg Second Saturday ArtWalk with the EDGE District, the Grand Central District, Uptown Arts District, and the Warehouse Arts District associations.
