Credit: c/o James Hartzell
St. Petersburg’s warehouse district has a few post-Halloween treats for art lovers this weekend.
On Sunday, Nov. 2, Bayboro Brewing hosts an artist reception for “Cotton Candy Daydream”—a spooky-meets-sweet exhibition featuring Orlando-based artists Cake Marques and MikeyBear McGrath.
Curated by St. Pete’s own James Hartzell, the free event runs from 4 p.m.-8 p.m., overlapping with Natalie Kulka’s Songwriters Round, a Nashville-style showcase of original music and the stories behind the songs.
Marques and McGrath may hail from Orlando, but they’re no strangers to St. Pete’s art scene—or to Hartzell himself. The three have shown together in multiple exhibitions over the years, and Hartzell says he’s long admired the technical quality of their work.
“Whether it’s a painting of a peregrine falcon or a spooky clown, Cake’s stuff blows my mind,” Hartzell told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “And I really like the vibrancy you get from Mikey’s pieces.”
In “Cotton Candy Daydream,, the duo’s work lands somewhere between contemporary pop art and surrealism. Marques paints realistic oil portraits on canvas or panel, while McGrath paints dreamlike imagery in bold, illustrative strokes—often in shades of pink—using acrylics on wood.
The show’s title came from the artists themselves.
“There are some shared colors that are reminiscent of cotton candy, but not in everything,” Hartzell told CL. “I think it’s kind of like a state of mind.”
“Cotton Candy Daydream” brings spooky, mystical vibes to Bayboro, despite not exactly being a Halloween show—Hartzell cites Marques’ tribute to “The Shining,” painted in the style of American Gothic, and a spooky clown.
Credit: c/o James Hartzell
Bayboro Brewing, which opened in St. Pete’s Warehouse Arts District in March 2020, has always been art-friendly, according to Hartzell.
Their earliest publicly documented art event, held in conjunction with the SHINE mural festival in October 2021, coupled a Spraycation beer release with a tattoo art show, live music, live mural painting and walk-in tattoos.
Around the summer of 2022, the brewery established itself as a regular exhibition space with Chad Mize’s “Melted.”
Hartzell started curating the space full-time in May of 2024 and has featured more than a dozen St. Pete-based artists since then. “Cotton Candy Daydream” marks his first show featuring artists from outside St. Pete—a testament to the growing cross-city dialog between Central Florida’s art scenes.
Visitors can browse about 20 artworks in the show, most of which are available for purchase via QR codes posted next to each piece.
“Cotton Candy Daydream” runs through Nov. 31 at Bayboro Brewing, located at 2390 5th Ave. S in St. Petersburg.
Credit: c/o James Hartzell
Credit: c/o James Hartzell
Credit: c/o James Hartzell
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This article appears in Oct. 23 – 29, 2025.
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