Future Joy to present Joyful music, arts festival<\/p>\n
ST. PETERSBURG \u2014 Joyful, a music and arts festival, will take place on Saturday, Jan. 31, 4 p.m. to midnight, at Synergy Arts Collective, 415 20th St. S., St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n
Tickets start at $45. Visit https:\/\/ezregister.com\/events\/42091\/<\/a> or www.futurejoymusic.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Joyful is presented by the dance music duo Future Joy. The lineup will feature performances by Future Joy, Disco Cowboy, and J-Rose Loops with special guests Maddy O\u2019Neal, Marvel Years, Sacred Snow and Sugar Nova. There will be live art, fire dancers, and vendors.<\/p>\n Future Joy is the vibrant power couple of Emily Cooper and Zach Simms, a genre-blending, high-energy fusion of DJ performance and live instrumentation. Hailing from both Denver, Colorado, and St. Petersburg, they\u2019ve been igniting and uniting dance floors and festival stages for years. Combining the best of funk, house, bass, pop, drum and bass, hip-hop, techno, jazz, dubstep, and beyond, Future Joy delivers a boundary-breaking sound that turns every set into an explosive, joyful experience. Both members sing, DJ, and play keys, while Zach brings an extra blast of energy on tenor, baritone, and bass saxophones.<\/p>\n Future Joy has brought their sonic celebration to iconic festivals like Bonnaroo, Hulaween, Treefort, Elements, Secret Dreams, Oregon Country Fair, Resonate, Joshua Tree Music Festival, and Memphis RiverBeat, among many others. They\u2019ve shared the stage as direct support for artists such as The Polish Ambassador, Moon Hooch, BoomBox, SunSquabi, Manic Focus and Marvel Years.<\/p>\n Dunedin Fine Art Center to host open house<\/p>\n DUNEDIN \u2014 The Dunedin Fine Art Center will kick off the holiday season with an annual open house on Saturday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 1143 Michigan Blvd, Dunedin.<\/p>\n This free, family-friendly event is the perfect way to discover new creative opportunities, shop local, and enjoy a festive Saturday surrounded by art.<\/p>\n Guests will have the chance to meet and watch 20-plus DFAC faculty members as they demonstrate techniques across a wide range of mediums. From painting, weaving, ceramics, and pastels to jewelry, wood turning, drawing, and more, visitors can see firsthand what DFAC\u2019s Winter Session classes offer. It\u2019s an ideal opportunity to connect with instructors and find the perfect class to kick off the new year.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s open house also features special area sales by the ceramics department, printmaking department, and the jewelry studio. Students and faculty have been creating and collecting work all year for these once-a-year sales. Proceeds help support and grow DFAC\u2019s beloved studio programs.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss DFAC\u2019s 39th Annual Holiday Invitational, \u201cDeck the Halls & Walls,\u201d still on display. Wander through galleries filled with original artwork and browse more than 1,000 handmade ornaments, each crafted by local artists and ready to take home. It\u2019s the perfect companion experience to the Open House \u2014 and the perfect way to spend a Saturday in Dunedin.<\/p>\n Plan to spend the day exploring demos, shopping handcrafted art, and enjoying the creative energy of DFAC during one of its most cherished annual traditions.<\/p>\n For more information, visit www.dfac.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Author reading set at Barnes & Noble<\/p>\n ST. PETERSBURG \u2014 Local author Donna Parrey will be the featured Storytime reader on Saturday, Dec. 13, 11 a.m., at Barnes & Noble, 2501 Tyrone Blvd., St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n Parrey will be reading her children\u2019s holiday giftbook, \u201cThe MuttCracker.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy book features 15 breeds of dogs in the classic \u2018Nutcracker\u2019 storyline,\u201d said Parrey. \u201cIt appeals to dog-lovers of all ages as well as fans of the holiday ballet.\u201d<\/p>\n Parrey was first inspired to write the book back in 2002 when her daughters were rehearsing for \u201cNutcracker in the Park,\u201d a beloved annual outdoor production that was staged in Straub Park back then.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d be sitting in the park with other performers\u2019 parents, some of whom brought their pets to romp,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery once in a while I\u2019d see a dog that seemed like a great fit for one of the dancing roles, and my mind started churning.\u201d<\/p>\n The first edition of \u201cThe MuttCracker\u201d included Parrey\u2019s hand-drawn and colored drawings.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m no artist, but I knew what I wanted,\u201d she said. \u201cI took the pages to a print shop, had them copied, cut, collated, and punched for spiral binding. Then I hand-assembled them and tied a red raffia bow at the top. Voila! My book was created!\u201d<\/p>\n She distributed them to the dancers and family members.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t until Parrey retired that she revisited \u201cThe MuttCracker\u201d and decided to pursue publication.<\/p>\n While Parrey has authored other books, \u201cThe MuttCracker\u201d holds a special place in her heart.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe that I\u2019m now celebrating the 10-year anniversary of \u2018The MuttCracker\u2019 becoming a published holiday giftbook.\u201d<\/p>\n TIGLFF announces format changes<\/p>\n Due to funding changes and challenges facing LGBTQ+ arts spaces, the Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival announced recently that it will be pausing the separate St. Pete festival planned for January 2026. Instead, the 36th Tampa and St. Pete Annual Festival programming will return together in September 2026, restoring the pre-pandemic format.<\/p>\n In a press release, the TIGLFF board of directors said: \u201cThis change is part of a larger evolution of our beloved organization. We are rebranding to just TIGLFF, keeping our name while introducing a fresh logo and new colors, and dropping the acronym to mirror other longstanding organizations like PFLAG and GLSEN. This change honors our history while embracing a broader, more inclusive vision beyond just \u2018gay\u2019 and \u2018lesbian.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The organization also plans to expand its programming beyond film to include other queer arts experiences such as art markets, fine art experiences, and other community-centered events. Recent initiatives, such as the community picnic added to the Trans Film Festival, have demonstrated the power of shared experiences in strengthening the local arts community. The organization seeks to expand on this model.<\/p>\n \u201cYour voice matters, and we want your input on what kinds of experiences and programming you would like TIGLFF to provide to the community,\u201d the press release said. \u201cWe will soon be launching a public form to accept submissions for your input on what kinds of films and additional events you’d like to see.\u201d<\/p>\n For information, visit tiglff.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n