{"id":72308,"date":"2025-12-05T10:38:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T10:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/72308\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T10:38:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T10:38:09","slug":"discover-the-emerging-artists-transforming-st-petes-arts-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/72308\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover the Emerging Artists transforming St. Pete\u2019s arts scene"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

When you need to find your creative spark again, St. Petersburg is an arts hub that can help you reignite that artistic fire. At the heart of this energy is Florida CraftArt, a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing the creative economy by engaging the community through Florida\u2019s fine craft artists and their work. Each year, its Emerging Artists Program is an incubator for rising talent, offering these early career artists the support, visibility and community they need to grow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s cohort of Emerging Artists is hosting an exhibition to showcase their work at Florida CraftArt January 10\u201324, 2026, and it will be free to view in the gallery at 501 Central Avenue. You can read more about the individual artists here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Showcasing the 2025 Emerging Artists<\/p>\n

The 2025 Emerging Artists<\/a> class showcases eight talented makers from across Florida, representing a vibrant mix of fine craft disciplines:<\/p>\n

Molly Duff-Clarke (St. Petersburg), ceramics<\/p>\n

Mary-Helen Horne (Lutz), printmaking<\/p>\n

Daria Kidd (St. Petersburg), jewelry\/metals<\/p>\n

Rachel Kinbar (Winter Park), ceramics<\/p>\n

Lisa Ramudo (Tampa), fibers<\/p>\n

Fan Su (Bradenton), glass<\/p>\n

Sofia Vidal (Boca Raton), ceramics\/jewelry<\/p>\n

Amanda Westenberg (St. Petersburg), ceramics<\/p>\n

As part of the program, these artists receive professional development, promotional support, and mentorship, all leading up to their public exhibition at Florida CraftArt\u2019s gallery.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/p>\n

Attend the January 2026 exhibition<\/p>\n

The 2025 Emerging Artists have been participating in the program from July 1, 2025 and will continue to into February 28, 2026. Their work exhibition takes place January 10\u201324, 2026. <\/p>\n

The exhibition opens with a launch event and brings together collectors, community members, and fellow artists eager to discover new talent. A curated selection of artwork is also displayed for sale in the Florida CraftArt retail gallery, providing early insight into what resonates with retail customers. <\/p>\n

Participants are also invited to a dedicated networking event that brings together former Emerging Artists, collectors and sponsors. It is designed to help them learn directly from those who have built successful craft careers in Tampa Bay and beyond.<\/p>\n

Acceleration For early career artists<\/p>\n

Artists accepted into the program will receive a benefits package valued at over $1,000. These resources are designed to help them strengthen their professional practice and confidently step into the next chapter of their careers. Benefits include:<\/p>\n

$250 honorarium<\/p>\n

Business mentoring with renowned experts<\/p>\n

A professional photo session with local photographer Brian James, including a headshot and photos of artwork<\/p>\n

Invitation to a Write Your Artist Statement workshop<\/p>\n

500 printed postcards featuring artwork<\/p>\n

One-year Florida CraftArt membership<\/p>\n

This foundation of support helps participants refine their professional presence, experiment with new techniques and sharpen their understanding of the business side of being an artist. The experience is structured to help them thrive well beyond the program year.<\/p>\n

A community that uplifts its creatives<\/p>\n

Beyond the support artists receive from Florida CraftArt, the program thrives because it is deeply rooted in a community that believes in the power of the arts. I Love the Burg, one of St. Pete\u2019s most influential community platforms, is a proud supporter of the Emerging Artists Program. Their involvement helps expand visibility for participating artists and reinforces the shared mission of nurturing creativity across the city. <\/p>\n

Artists and art lovers can experience this momentum firsthand at the program\u2019s exhibition. To learn more about the program and stay updated on the 2026 application, visit the Florida CraftArt Emerging Artist Program<\/a> page. If you feel ready to take the next step in your creative career, keep an eye out and apply as soon as applications open.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When you need to find your creative spark again, St. Petersburg is an arts hub that can help…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72309,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-72308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72308"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72308\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}