Pictured Above: Leo Gomez is known for his immaculate hand-lettered murals.
Courtesy of Leo Gomez
By Annalise Anderson
St. Petersburg is home to a rapidly growing arts community with a designated arts district, four art museums, numerous galleries and regularly held artist events.
The city and its artists were not left unscathed by the COVID-19 economic downturn. Many creative businesses have been forced to adapt in order to avoid becoming coronavirus casualties.
Americans for the Arts reported that in 2015 the nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $166.3 billion in national economic activity. It estimates that the national economic impact on those arts and culture organizations has reached $14.1 billion. Of that, an estimated 983 of Florida’s organizations have felt a $40,000 median impact.
John Collins, executive director of nonprofit organization St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, said that many local artists were not established as businesses at the start of the pandemic, making them ineligible for government relief money and unemployment.
Since March, local artists have been forced to adapt to online promotion of their work. According to Collins, many artists relied on in-person events to sell their work. However, Collins said that an Arts Alliance survey revealed most local artists did not have a website or digital store and that some only had a Facebook page.
“You don’t sell art on Facebook; you don’t sell theater tickets on Facebook,” Collins said. “Everybody likes you a lot but that doesn’t pay the rent.”
Collins emphasized the importance in creative collaboration during this time.
“Artists have always been a little antisocial,” Collins said. “But now is a time where they all need to learn how to network and collaborate and step up. When we come out of this, the people who are still operating will be stronger…”
Jim Woodfield, St. Petersburg fine artist and owner of Woodfield Fine Art Gallery, had to close his gallery to the public for several months and increased his online presence but said “online sales were not sufficient to keep up with sales from walk-in customers.”
“Social media is a good tool, but most savvy collectors like to see art in person before they make decisions to buy,” Woodfield said. “I have had to rely on my retirement income, and grants and loans from local and federal sources to keep enough bills paid to keep me in operation… Art is low on the priority list for most people in a pandemic.”
Woodfield worries that “it may be too late” to save his business and anticipates having to close his gallery doors sometime next year if the virus persists.
Chad Mize, St. Petersburg muralist and owner of MIZE Gallery, has remained busy with commission work and online sales throughout the pandemic.
Courtesy of Chad Mize
“It’s definitely been a challenging time, but I’ve been fortunate enough to have work,” Mize said. “I’ve built my business and my brand over the last 20 years, so I feel like I’m in a good place.”
Mize said that he has seen a decrease in gallery sales and in revenue from local vendor partnerships that typically rely on the city’s tourism.
St. Petersburg muralist Leo Gomez said COVID-19 presented him “many challenges” as an artist.
Courtesy of Leo Gomez
“The majority of my works are collaborations with local businesses and since they have faced monetary challenges, their challenges have affected my business as well,” Gomez said. “Things move slower than usual; budgets are smaller and many projects are put on hold.”
Fewer commissions allowed Gomez to invest more time into developing and diversifying his business by focusing on hand-lettering and hand-painted signs.
“I’ve been able to switch from one to the other based on client demand,” Gomez said. “Expecting that all my income will come from one of these alone is not realistic. One must find work where it is needed.”
Cody Doerbecker, a graphic design senior at USF St. Petersburg, said that COVID-19 has left him unmotivated to create.
“During spring semester of 2020 when classes got moved to all online, I found it really hard to be motivated enough to create good work for my classes,” Doerbecker said. “Being stuck at home seemed like I would have more time to do work but, in turn, it made me lazy and uninterested in art.”
Doerbecker is confident in continuing to pursue a creative career. He believes that the pandemic won’t impact the future of art, but rather it will offer a subject for artists to create around.
“COVID-19 won’t change my plans on my future with graphic design, I believe it’s going to be up to me to make that decision,” Doerbecker said. “…Art will continue to thrive, and with time, go through changes as it always has since the beginning of time.”
St. Petersburg’s annual SHINE Mural Festival kicked-off on Saturday and runs through Sunday. Local and visiting muralists paint walls around the city during the visual arts marathon. In a partnership with PangeaSeed Foundation’s Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, this year’s participating artists will create murals centered on ocean conservation.
