![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/powerstoriespredictor.jpg\")
Powerstories Theatre presents \u201cPredictor\u201d in July (Chaz D Photography)<\/p>\n Powerstories Theatre presents \u201cPredictor\u201d in July (Chaz D Photography)<\/p>\n
July is a big month for Powerstories Theatre\u2019s new Executive Artistic Director Clareann Despain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Powerstories\u2019 2026 season picks up steam, she\u2019ll oversee her first production as executive director, playwright Jennifer Blackmer\u2019s \u201cPredictor,\u201d which tells the story of Margaret \u201cMeg\u201d Crane, inventor of the home pregnancy test. Despain, Powerstories\u2019 artistic director since the start of 2024,\u00a0 took the reins as executive director in late March. The first few months on the job haven\u2019t been dull.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting, it\u2019s thrilling, it\u2019s terrifying, and I\u2019m loving every minute of it,\u201d Despain says.<\/p>\n
Powerstories founder Fran Powers formed the theater company in 2000 as an outlet for women-led productions that tell the often untold stories of women\u2019s contributions to history and the personal stories of contemporary women. \u00a0After more than 25 years leading Powerstories, she passed the torch to Despain, her hand-picked successor.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s retired from the role of executive director, not from being involved, not from being a vital force in our community, and not from being a creative being who has lots to offer,\u201d Despain says of Powers. \u201cShe\u2019ll never retire from those things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despain has decades of theater experience. She\u2019s directed a laundry list of local productions and worked in theater management across the Tampa Bay area and the country. She\u2019s worked in community theater, with Stageworks, and served as the producing artistic director of the Straz Center\u2019s Produced series in the Jaeb Theatre. In addition to her theater bona fides, Despain is committed to Powerstories\u2019 mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like when Fran started this company years ago, she built something for me,\u201d she says. \u201cIf she had known me then and had me in mind, she couldn\u2019t have done any better. They have built something that feels like a gift for me. I was always the little girl who wanted to know about what the women did. What are girls doing? How are women contributing? Where are my leaders? Where are my role models? So I\u2019ve always hunted stories of exceptional women and day-to-day women who make a difference. Because when you begin to scratch the surface of women\u2019s history, you learn day-to-day women sure make a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despain is also focused on promoting and growing the Powerstories program providing sponsored tickets to local nonprofits for free. THrough the program, which Despain has named STAGE, supporters have helped provide tickets to MacDill Air Force Base, Project Return, PFLAG, and Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has always been part of Powerstories mission to give away tickets to nonprofits and to folks who can\u2019t access theater another way,\u201d Despain says. \u201cWhen I first came on board, I said, \u2018This is amazing! I had no idea. Let\u2019s give it a name. We\u2019ve gotta let people know that this is happening so they can reach out if they want tickets, or contact us if they want to sponsor them.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPredictor\u201d runs July 17th through 19th and 23rd through 26th at Stageworks Theatre in Tampa\u2019s Channel District. Crane, the play\u2019s real-life protagonist, will make two special appearances during the second weekend of the run: a meet-and-greet before the July 24th 7 p.m. show and a talkback session after the 2 p.m. show on the 25th.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as Meg found out we were doing the play, she said, \u2018I\u2019m coming!\u201d Despain says. \u201cWe\u2019re over the moon.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As for the rest of the 2026 season, Powerstories will present a staged reading of playwright Joe DiPietro\u2019s \u201cConscience\u201d from August 14th-16th at Stageworks. \u201cConscience\u201d tells the story of Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress and the first senator who publicly rebuked Sen. Joseph McCarthy for his false and public accusations that communists had infiltrated the government, film industry, and other American institutions.<\/p>\n
In October, Powerstories will cross the bridge to Pinellas County for a second year in a row to present a show in collaboration with St. Petersburg\u2019s The Studio@620. Their production of Kelundra Smith\u2019s \u201cThe Wash,\u201d a play inspired by the Atlanta washerwomen\u2019s strike of 1881, is at The Studio@620 October 1st through 11th. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The season wraps with a Powerstories holiday tradition, Fran Powers\u2019s musical \u201cRaising Twelve on a Nickel and a Prayer,\u201d which runs December 16th through 20th at Hillsborough College\u2019s Studio Theatre on the Ybor City campus.<\/p>\n
For more information, go to Powerstories Theatre<\/a><\/p>\n Westshore Alliance\u2019s \u201cArt in the Air\u201d<\/p>\n The Westshore Alliance\u2019s banner art display \u201cArt in the Air\u201d is up and on view along Boy Scout Boulevard between West Shore Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway. On view until early September, \u201cArt in the Air\u201d features 35 banners adorned with artwork by 15 local professional artists and several student artists from the MacDonald Training Center. The artwork depicts sights and scenes around Tampa Bay: a waterfront sunset, shorebirds,\u00a0tropical plants, docked boats, historic Ybor City, and more.<\/p>\n The Westshore Alliance is also accepting entries for its\u00a0 World Photography Day photo contest through July 31st. Contestants may submit up to five photographs. Entries must be photos taken within the boundaries of the Westshore District.\u00a0 Winners will be announced on World Photography Day (August 19).<\/p>\n For more information, go to Art in the Air<\/a> and World Photography Day contest<\/a><\/p>\n Tampa Bay Archives Awareness Week events\u00a0<\/p>\n Tampa Archives Awareness Week, the annual exploration of the city\u2019s history, runs July 12th-18th with exhibits, programs, tours, and other events at the Tampa Bay History Center, Henry B. Plant Museum, Sacred Heart Church, Tampa International Airport, USF Libraries Special Collections, J.C. Newman Cigar Company, Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Library, C. Blythe Andrew, Jr Public Library, and John F. Germany Library.<\/p>\n The City of Tampa, Tampa General Hospital, and Tampa Firefighters Museum also have online documents or events.<\/p>\n For more information and a full schedule of events, go to Archives Awareness Week\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMapping the 14th Colony\u201d at Tampa Bay History Center<\/p>\n \u201cMapping the 14th Colony: British Florida and the American Revolution is on display at the Tampa Bay History Center through November 29th.<\/p>\n As the title indicates, the exhibit explores Florida\u2019s role during the American Revolution.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the original 13 American British colonies joined the fight for independence, East Florida and West Florida remained loyal to the British crown,\u201d a description of the History Center website says. In \u2018Mapping the 14th \u201cColony: British Florida and the American Revolution,\u2019 visitors can explore the history of the British Floridas from their transfer from Spain to Great Britain in 1763 through the Revolution and their return to Spain under the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Featuring dozens of original maps and charts, this exhibit offers a fresh look for America250 at a surprising chapter of history and reveals the place of the Florida colonies in the nation\u2019s founding story. From loyalists in St. Augustine to the capture of Mobile and Pensacola by the Spanish in support of the revolutionary cause, Florida\u2019s role during the American Revolution is a fascinating, if often overlooked, part of the story.\u201d<\/p>\n For more information, go to Mapping the 14th Colony<\/a><\/p>\n St. Pete galleries\u2019 Venezuelan earthquake relief fundraiser<\/p>\n Neighboring St. Petersburg contemporary art galleries ARTicles and D-Gallerie are hosting a fundraiser for Venezuelan earthquake relief at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 11th. \u00a0<\/p>\n The \u201cArt Solidarity for Venezuela\u201d exhibit and silent auction will feature artwork donated by local and international artists. All auction proceeds, 10 percent of event-night sales at ARTicles, and 10 percent of sales in July at D-Gallerie will be donated to the Carlos Carrasco Foundation. The foundation, which veteran MLB pitcher Carlos Carrasco and his wife, Karelis, lead, is supporting immediate on-the-ground humanitarian and community relief efforts in Venezuela, a press release says. The fundraiser, at 1234 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N., is presented in partnership with local Venezuelan restaurant Carupano Kitchen.<\/p>\n For more information, go to D-Gallerie<\/a><\/p>\n FMoPA fundraiser, anniversary exhibit<\/p>\n From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 18th, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA) \u201cYbor Gangster Speakeasy\u201d fundraiser will feature author Paul Wilborn reading excerpts from his new book, \u201cThe Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall,\u201d the story of the 1955 bludgeoning and murder of the Tampa crime boss in his Ybor home. Tickets are $50 until July 11th, when they rise to $60.<\/p>\n The anniversary exhibit \u201cExposure: 25 Years of FMoPA,\u201d which showcases pieces from the museum\u2019s permanent collection, runs July 23rd through December 6th. \u201cExposure\u201d features work by well-known international photographers such as Sally Mann, Nan Goldin, and Martin Parr, as well as local artists like Bud Lee, Selina Roman, and the late David Hall. A 25th anniversary celebration is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 25th.\u00a0<\/p>\n Also at FMoPA, the 2026 International Photography Competition exhibition is on display in Gallery 2 through August 2nd.\u00a0 The FMoPA website also has an online exhibition<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more information, go to FMoPA<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Cuore Mia\u201d at Tempus Projects<\/p>\n Tempus Projects\u2019 summer group exhibition \u201cOh, Cuore Mia\u201d is on display July 16th-September 17th at the Tempus gallery in Ybor City’s Kress Contemporary. The exhibit is a celebration of the historic, yet ever-changing Ybor and features work from19 artists: Abby Araniego, Todd Bates, Ryan Cahanin, Heidi Clapp-Temple, Chris Coxwell, Suzanne Camp Crosby, Dave Decker, William Downs, FAX 727-289-3069, Kendra Gaunt, Joe Griffith, John Gurbacs, Latonya Hicks, Micheal Hooker, Michael Jones, Luca Molnar, Anat Pollack, Matthew Drennan Wicks, and Theo Wujick. Artwork and \u201cvintage ephemera\u201d from private collections will also be on exhibit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n For $20, there\u2019s an exhibit preview fundraiser from\u00a0 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on July 11th. The opening reception is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 16th.\u00a0 There will also be Exhibit-related programming by writer and musician Paul Wilborn, artist Jon Seals, and Palimpsest Book Studio, dates TBD.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n For more information, go to Tempus Projects<\/a><\/p>\n America250 exhibits, artist projects\u00a0<\/p>\n The Woodson African American Museum of Florida, Pinellas County\u2019s Heritage Village history museum and park, and arts organization Creative Pinellas have America250 exhibits and initiatives in the works.\u00a0<\/p>\n Through a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution\u2019s Museum on Main Street initiative and Florida Humanities, The Woodson and Heritage Village are each hosting a traveling version of the Smithsonian\u2019s \u201cMany Voices, One Nation\u201d exhibit.<\/p>\n At Heritage Village, the exhibit \u201cMany Voices, One Nation: Stories of Democracy in Our Parks\u201d uses historic photographs, personal stories, interactive experiences, and community perspectives to celebrate local heritage and help tell the larger American story, a Heritage Village Facebook post says.\u00a0 The exhibit opens during an 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 11th event celebrating the museum\u2019s 50th anniversary and the country\u2019s 250th.\u00a0<\/p>\n For more information, go to Heritage Village<\/a><\/p>\n The Woodson is holding a grand reopening ceremony at noon on July 11th to mark the completion of a six-month renovation project. The Woodson\u2019s America250 exhibit, \u201cMany Voices, One Nation: Our Community,\u201d will also open in July.<\/p>\n For more information, go to The Woodson<\/a><\/p>\n Creative Pinellas has selected six Pinellas County artists to receive National Endowment for the Arts grants supported with America250 funding.<\/p>\n Artist Kirk Ke Wang’s art installation honoring Chinese-American horticulturist Lue Gim Gong, dubbed \u201cThe Citrus Wizard\u201d<\/a> for saving the Florida citrus industry, will be unveiled at 11:30 a.m. July 11th during the Heritage Village anniversary celebration. \u201cThe Citrus Wizard\u201d unveiling event will also include a cultural performance by Rebecca John and Riona John and one by Baozheng Li and Zhaorui Sun. \u00a0<\/p>\n From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on August 1, artist Vanessa Cunto\u2019s \u201cPaths Like Past\u201d<\/a> exhibition opens at ARTicles Gallery and Fine Art Services in St. Petersburg. The exhibition features large-format drawings that explore \u201cthe intersection of nature and human impact in shaping the future identity of the United States,\u201d according to a Creative Pinellas description.<\/p>\n From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August 28th at St. Pete City Theatre, Dave and Heather Hamar present \u201cThe Women of my Life,\u201d <\/a>an evening of original music and personal storytelling that will include the debut of a song crafted in collaboration with 25 Pinellas residents that explores the country\u2019s past, present, and future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to those grant-funded projects, filmmaker, writer, theatrical director, and producer Erica Sutherlin is working on a film, and Colombian-born filmmaker Felipe Zamudio is making a documentary. Both will debut in the fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n For more information, go to Creative Pinellas America250 grants<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cONE\u00a0 BY ONE\u201d at FloridaRAMA<\/p>\n \u201cONE BY ONE,\u201d a free gallery exhibit curated by St. Pete artist Luke Heath, is on display at FloridaRAMA in St. Pete\u2019s Warehouse Arts District through August 2nd.<\/p>\n The exhibit features 144 original 12\u2033 x 12\u2033 works by 72 artists from the Tampa Bay region and beyond.\u00a0 From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 18th, Heath will moderate a free panel discussion featuring local arts leaders John Gascot, Regan McCreight, Lance Rothstein, and Kirsten Hutchings.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n ADA celebration at Straz<\/p>\n At 7 p.m. on July 24, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Mayor\u2019s Alliance for Persons with Disabilities and Hillsborough County Alliance for Citizens with Disabilities, will celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with an evening of entertainment and community advocate recognition awards.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/artintheair.jpg\")
Westshore Alliance\u2019s \u201cArt in the Air\u201d banner art installation (Westshore Alliance)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/elrelojmug.jpg\")
J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is part of Archives Awareness Week (J.C. Newman)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/tempusohcuore.jpg\")
\u201cOh, Cuore Mia\u201d opens July 16th at Tempus Projects. (Tempus Projects)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/kirkkewang-1024x576.png\")
Kirk Ke Wang\u2019s \u201cThe Citrus Wizard\u201d debuts at Heritage Village July 11th (Creative Pinellas\/Kirk Ke Wang)<\/p>\n