FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: St. Petersburg, Florida, (September 14, 2023) – The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA) is excited to welcome Ryan Griffin as a member of the SPAA Board of Directors.

Ryan Griffin, Shareholder/Lawyer at Johnson, Pope Bokor, Ruppel & Burns, LLP is a state and federal civil and commercial trial lawyer. Ryan also owns local hospitality concepts: The Mandarin Hide (St. Pete), Mandarin Heights (Tampa), Trophy Fish (St. Pete and Tampa), El Cap (St. Pete), and Perry’s Porch at the St. Petersburg Museum of History, which is currently under construction. 

Being born and raised in St. Pete, Ryan is heavily involved in the community serving as the past chair of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the past chair of the Grow Smarter Strategy (St. Pete’s equitable economic development strategy), the current president of the St. Petersburg Bar Association and he currently serves on the board of directors for Bayfront Health Philanthropy Council.  Ryan is also a member of the Dali Museum’s Guild as well as supporting numerous other local museums and art initiatives in the community for over 15 years. 

Griffin states, “The Arts have been such an economic driver for the city of St. Pete for many years, and a distinguisher for our City nationally in terms of tourism.  More importantly, the arts have become an invaluable part of the fabric and culture of St. Pete.  I am thrilled to do whatever I can to contribute to this effort for the benefit of generations to come.”

SPAA is excited for Ryan’s contributions to further our vision of strengthening and sustaining the art and cultural community within St. Petersburg through collaboration, economic growth, education, and adequate and consistent funding.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: St. Petersburg, Florida, (September 7, 2023) – The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA) is excited to welcome Ralph Benton as a member of the SPAA Board of Directors.

Ralph Benton is a Business Analyst with Lumen Technologies.  Benton states, “I've worked in large and small corporations for decades, and now it is time to put all the things I have learned to a higher purpose. I want to help the SPAA get to the next level by asking questions, making suggestions, exploring new ideas, and doing the work to achieve what might seem out of reach.”

Benton goes on to say, “My goal is to make St. Pete a world-class arts destination, on par with Santa Fe and other regional hubs for the arts. We can do this by partnering with for-profit, non-profit, and governmental communities to drive both the demand for and supply of quality art. Let's go!”

SPAA is excited for Ralph’s contributions to further our vision of strengthening and sustaining the art and cultural community within St. Petersburg through collaboration, economic growth, education, and adequate and consistent funding.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: St. Petersburg, Florida, (September 6, 2023) – St. Pete’s world-class arts and culture welcomes Pinellas County residents to celebrate this year’s Arts Alive! Free Museum Day on Saturday, September 23, 2023, as select museums and galleries waive admission charges.

Participating locations and highlights include:

• The Dali Museum
  
  • FREE gallery admission for Pinellas County. Does not include the Dalí Alive 360° experience—this can be purchased for $15.
  • Online reservations are highly recommended. Walk-ups will be available as space allows.
  • Upon arrival, guests will need to show their pre-reserved ticket and Pinellas County ID for entry.
• The Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg
  
  • Complimentary museum entry for Pinellas County residents with a valid ID
• The James Museum
  
  • Reserve your timeslot online ahead of time once registration becomes available.
  • Limited walk-up tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event but admission cannot be guaranteed without a reservation.
• Imagine Museum
  
  • To ensure a comfortable experience, entry will be based on timed tickets.
  • Swing by their retail store for exclusive items and souvenirs that commemorate this special day.

Parking for Free Museum Day is available in any of the downtown garages. Visitors are encouraged to ride the Sunrunner, St. Petersburg Trolley Downtown Looper or the Central Avenue Trolley.

Arts Alive/Free Museum Day is produced by the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, the City of St. Petersburg and participating cultural organizations based on the currently paused national Smithsonian’s Free Museum Day.

Be a part of this grand celebration of art and community! For more information about this and other arts and culture endeavors, visit the websites of the City of St. Pete or the St. Pete Arts Alliance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: St. Petersburg, Florida, (August 22, 2023) – The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA) is excited to welcome Jason Mathis as an honorary member of the SPAA Board of Directors! Jason Mathis serves as the CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership: a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to thoughtful growth and urban redevelopment. The Partnership’s mission is to champion community prosperity through purposeful, transformative projects.

In addition to his work with the Partnership, Jason played a key role in developing the 2020 Comprehensive Arts Strategy and supporting the implantation of tactics to support artists and arts organizations.  Jason is part of the St. Petersburg cohort for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative focused on equitable redevelopment of Tropicana Field and was a member of the original Emerging Leaders Fellowship program with the International Downtown Association. In 2013, Jason was named a White House Champion of Change for the Utah Compact, a family-focused, business-friendly approach to immigration reform.   In addition, he is a past board member of the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, and was Vice Chair of the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City.

"Art is an essential part of the fabric of our community and contributes to our quality of life, economic growth and shared love for St. Pete,” Mathis said. "It’s an honor to support the Arts Alliance and I'm grateful to help strengthen their important work."

SPAA is excited for Jason’s contributions to further our vision of strengthening and sustaining the art and cultural community within St. Petersburg through collaboration, economic growth, education, and adequate and consistent funding.