Steve Schadt is a Tampabay area large format aerial photographer and more.  You can check out Steve's excellent work here.

Here is one his aerial photos of Snell Isle. 

Here is one of his shorescapes.

This summer the Morean Arts Center has sponsored a "Hidden Ticket Treasure Hunt".   One hundred 'glass' tickets will be hidden at various locations in downtown St. Petersburg.  Finding one will get you two complimentary tickets to see the Chihuly Collection, the Morean Arts Center, Glass Studio and Hot Shop.

Have some fun and see if you can find a ticket.

I would imagine this falls under art or probably more like statement art.  But isn't all art a statement of sorts?  Anyway this piece here by  Chow Hon Lam pretty much sums up the brillance of making weapons.

American Style magazine has given St. Petersburg the top rating again as an Arts Destination for mid sized cities.  St. Petersburg has a very active arts community and totally deserves this ranking.

This video to me is a great piece of art.  It is very creative and fun.  It is accomplished with stop motion techniques.  You can sometimes see ghost images of the people creating the work.

Randy Cohen from a post on ArtsBlog lists a top ten of reasons to support the arts.  You owe it to yourself to read thru the list. For some reason when the buget axe falls the arts always seem to be in the way.  Here in St. Petersburg and Pinellas county we are experiencing budget shortfalls like everywhere else.  These ten reasons listed by Cohen should be read by all public officals involved in making decisions that effect our economy.

In St. Petersburg we have a thriving arts community.  Whatever the City, County and State can do to help support this arts community is a wise ecomonic decision.

Here are just two of Randy Cohen's reason to support the arts.

9. Stronger communities…University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates. A vibrant arts community ensures that young people are not left to be raised solely in a pop culture and tabloid marketplace.  

1. The arts are an Industry…arts organizations are responsible businesses, employers, and consumers.  They spend money locally, generate government revenue, and are a cornerstone of tourism and economic development. Nonprofit arts organizations generate $166 billion in economic activity annually, supporting 5.7 million jobs and generating nearly $30 billion in government revenue. Investment in the arts supports jobs, generates tax revenues, and advances our creativity-based economy.

OK,  here's one more reason to support the arts.  Tourism is Florida's biggest industry.  In St. Petersburg we have the new Dali Museum,  the new Chihuly Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Florida Craftsman Gallery and the Morean Arts Center.

3. Arts are the cornerstone of tourism…arts travelers are ideal tourists—they stay longer and spend more. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that the percentage of international travelers including arts and culture events during their stay has increased annually the last six years.

What this city, county and state should be doing is increasing their support for the arts.  It just makes ecomonic sense to do so.

Katherine Mathisen’s ceramic work.