Image courtesy of Dalí Museum
By Lilly Cannon
St. Petersburg is a city built on art. Creative works engulf the city, from street murals to painted mailboxes to live performances. It can be hard to keep up with, even for long-time residents. So where to start?
Luckily for students who want an intro into the local creative community, this year’s “Arts Alive!” celebration spotlights four museums at the heart of St. Petersburg. Ranging from the iconic Dalí to the naturalist treasure-chest that is the James Museum, students will be able to enjoy exhibitions with discounted or even free admission on Sept. 23. This Saturday, it will be hard for the harshest critics to resist spending the day inside.
To help students on this journey here is a comprehensive guide to the best that St. Petersburg museums have to offer:
The Dalí Museum
An internationally-lauded monument, The Dalí is a quick walk from the university campus, and a visual treat even from the outside, with its glass pyramid exterior designed by Yann Weymouth. The museum also offers free admission to USF students all-year, but don’t wait to visit or you’ll miss some of the most immersive exhibitions in the city. “Where Ideas Come From” pulls from Dali’s archives to take visitors through the eponymous artist’s creative process. The sketches on display provide visitors a glimpse into Salvador Dalí’s unpolished side, adding a vulnerable lens onto the museum’s permanent collection. Most recently in September, an exhibition on Surrealist giant Leonora Carrington weaves her personal life together with her prolific career to show the rise of a brilliant woman creative in the early 20th century. Together, these exhibitions are enough to take up one art-lover’s entire day.
The Museum of Fine Arts
Sandwiched between the pier and Central Avenue, this museum takes visitors through a millennia of art and culture. For history nerds, the MFA permanent collection is a must-see without even considering the rotation of innovative artwork in neighboring halls. For dog-lovers, the newest collection “Best in Show” warrants a dose of cuteness-overload, in its curation of the history of the best boys in art. From royal canine companions to ancient statues of our four-legged friends, this exhibition ponders the enduring connection between pets and people in all manners of sculptures, paintings and photographs. Next door, a watercolor collection pulls from the MFA’s vaults to create a meditative experience as a palate-cleanser in between the gorgeous pops of color. Feel free to mull over the breathtaking artwork at the museum’s Clementine Café. Although this museum only offers free admission to Pinellas residents on Saturday, non-resident university students can get discounted tickets year-round.
The James Museum
The newest addition to St. Petersburg’s museum scene, the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art boasts an impressive body of naturalist artwork on its upper floors, on top of meticulous indigenous beadwork and paintings from native artists. All-together, this immense bounty of work can be daunting, but the James Museum offers a breath-taking experience no matter what room you peruse through. Artists who are looking for sketching subjects should turn to the “Wildlife Gallery ” for almost uncannily realistic depictions of American ecosystems. Fans of craftsmanship don’t have to look further than “The Jewel Room,” a collection of indigenous jewelry from some of the most skilled communities in the world. After exploring the galleries, students can pay a visit to the ground-floor Canyon Café to enjoy a cool drink and look out onto the modern art-installments on Central Avenue.
Imagine Museum
Farther north of the city, The Imagine Museum hosts dreamy glass artworks from masters such as Dale Chihuly and pieces from the expansive Trish Joy collection. With a wide range of installations, visitors will be overwhelmed with the brilliant colors and awe-inspiring architecture of these pieces. The Italian collection in particular investigates the renaissance origins of glasswork, and provides a historical touch to this underrecognized art form. This final installation will provide a memorable modern-art experience to finish one’s museum journey. Although admission is free on Saturday, students should book their tickets in advance as space is limited.
