The magazine cover for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, dated January 29-February 4, 2026, featuring the title "Fertile Ground" in large, cursive grey font. The subtitle reads, "Meet 14 emerging Tampa Bay artists to watch in 2026." The background is black, dominated by a vibrant, symmetrical orange moth illustration surrounded by white stars, green leafy vines, and crescent moons.The Jan. 29, 2026 cover of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Credit: Illustration by Clancy Riehm. Design by Jack Spatafora

When former Creative Loafing Editor-in-Chief David Warner decided to feature up-and-coming Tampa bay actors and dancers in this year’s Spring Arts Issue, the idea soon expanded to include visual artists as well.

We reached out to some of the best curators in the Tampa Bay area—people whose job is to discover new artists and showcase their artwork in local art centers and museums.

Among them is Amanda Cooper, Chief Curator for the , whose “Fresh Squeezed: Emerging Artists in Florida” exhibition enters its 10th year in 2026. Cooper now receives applications from visual artists across the state and discovers exciting new talent every year.

Tracy Midulla, Founder and Director of , is known for her keen eye for talent and for supporting contemporary artists throughout the region.

Robin O’Dell, Executive Curator for the , is always out on the scene, supporting her colleagues and helping keep Tampa Bay’s photography scene alive and well.

We asked these folks to recommend an emerging artist or artists to watch in 2026.

The more artists we spoke with, the more we considered what it means to emerge. The definitions vary. In one sense, it means “to become.” Other sources define it as moving out or away from something and coming into view, becoming apparent or important.

What does it mean to become an artist in Tampa? Does it mean leaving the corporate world to pursue the arts full-time? To replace one’s cubicle with a studio, art markets and murals? To have one’s first solo show or big public art commission? To re-establish one’s career in a new country after fleeing one’s homeland? To be named a city’s photo laureate? To create a body of work that fills a 200-page book? To graduate with your Master of Fine Arts?

As you’ll discover from the artists featured in this issue, it can mean any of these things.

With each interview, we dove deeper into the people and places that actively support emerging artists in the Tampa Bay area, and we came back with a great list of places to visit and shows to see in 2026.

A studio portrait of a person with short, curly dark hair and a warm, closed-mouth smile. They are wearing a navy blue ribbed polo shirt, heart-shaped silver drop earrings, and several layered necklaces—including one with a teardrop-shaped pendant—all set against a solid grey background.Clancy Riehm at Dave Decker Photography in Ybor City, Florida on Jan. 12, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Tampa artist Clancy Riehm has a busy year ahead of her

A studio portrait of a person with curly brown hair and tortoise-shell glasses, looking down thoughtfully at a professional camera they are holding against their shoulder. They are wearing a black crew-neck t-shirt, posed against a solid dark grey background.Zack Wittman at Dave Decker Photography in Ybor City, Florida on Jan. 12, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Zack Wittman’s latest project documents Tampa’s last cigar factories

A studio portrait of a person with long, wavy brown hair featuring blonde highlights and a shaggy fringe. They are wearing a black "TIGERSEX" sleeveless t-shirt, bright red lipstick, and multiple facial piercings, including a septum ring and a lip piercing, all set against a solid grey background.Jesi Cason at Dave Decker Photography in Ybor City, Florida on Jan. 12, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Meet Jesi Cason, St. Petersburg Month of Photography’s Photo Laureate

A studio portrait of a person with wavy brown hair, a beard, and glasses, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. They are wearing a blue and white vertically striped button-down shirt and have black gauge earrings, all set against a solid grey background.Patrick Carew at Dave Decker Photography in Ybor City, Florida on Jan. 12, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

New work from Tampa artist Patrick Carew explores what it means to experience HIV in the post-prep era

A studio portrait of a person with short, curly grey hair and a bright smile. They are wearing vibrant red cat-eye glasses, silver hoop earrings, and a black crew-neck top, posed against a solid grey background.Mary-Helen Horne at Dave Decker Photography in Ybor City, Florida on Jan. 12, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Second-act Tampa artist Mary-Helen Horne discovers printmaking while planning her retirement

A studio portrait of a person with dark hair styled in a high bun, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. They are wearing a grey textured turtleneck sweater, bright red lipstick, and small silver fish-shaped earrings, all set against a solid grey background.Tatiana Mesa Paján at Dave Decker Photography in Ybor City, Florida on Jan. 12, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Tatiana Mesa Paján was doing well as an artist in Cuba—and had to start over when she fled to Tampa

A studio portrait of a person with a dark beard and a red baseball cap, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. They are wearing a unique, multi-colored button-down shirt featuring yellow and blue tie-dye patterns, a "Yosemite National Park" patch, a "Jake" name tag, and an American flag patch on the sleeve, all set against a solid grey background.Fary Charles (aka Junkyrd) at Dave Decker Photography in Ybor City, Florida on Jan. 12, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Tampa artist Fary Charles channeled rage, disappointment, and a desire to prove himself into his latest solo show

Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | BlueSky

This article appears in Jan. 29 – Feb. 04.

Related