One of the biggest art exhibitions in Tampa Bay (by both attendance AND sheer size) returns to St. Pete this weekend. The outdoor, international juried art show Embracing Our Differences announced its 2026 exhibit season, including a month-long run in St. Petersburg’s Poynter Park (1000 3rd St. S.), running March 7 through April 12.
The celebrated art show is now in its third-consecutive year in St. Pete after returning in 2024 for the first time in 21 years. Well over 400,000 people visited Embracing Our Differences last year, exploring the amazing, larger-than-life pieces by artists and students from across the globe. As St. Pete continues to burnish its reputation as one of the country’s greatest cities for the arts, exhibitions like this truly stand out. This year’s rendition is a must-see.
For the length of the exhibition, Embracing Our Differences is free to view, open from sunrise to 11 pm daily. There is also an exhibition in Sarasota running now through April 19 in Bayfront Park. Learn more at embracingourdifferences.org.
Embracing Our Differences is an enormous exhibition in both physical and emotional scope, presenting a brilliantly illuminating collection of work that seeks to unite a world facing so many fractures. Each year, tens of thousands of entries pour in from across the world, and this year’s exhibition is set to be one of the best and biggest yet.
While you can visit the outdoor spectacle anytime during its stay, we highly recommend checking out the Grand Opening celebration this Saturday, March 7, taking place 1-4 pm in Poynter Park. The free party will be filled with live music performances, delicious offerings from food trucks, and interactive, family-friendly activities hosted by local community and arts organizations. More than a dozen local stars will be on hand providing interactive fun, including the Dali Museum, American Stage, Creative Clay and more.
Since getting its start in Sarasota in 2004, Embracing Our Differences has used the power of art and prose to promote inclusion, kindness and respect. Much of their work is centered around their annual international art exhibition, a juried exhibit consisting of 50 billboard-sized works of art, each accompanied by an inspirational quote.
Beginning on March 7, Poynter Park and the Bayboro Harbor waterfront will become the epicenter of that work and inspiration. The park is located at 3rd Street and 9th Avenue South along the southern portion of the USF St. Pete campus.
As the exhibition gets closer, we highly recommend keeping an eye out for special event dates for Embracing Our Differences. Activations include:
We should also mention that groups of 10 or more can schedule private tours, and it makes for an excellent field trip for local schools.
