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Downtown Clearwater businesses will host the final Downtown Clearwater Art Walk that will feature a curated art exhibit and live artwork by a local artist from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31.

Diana Aitken, who lives in Clearwater, will exhibit her artwork at Second Century Studios, 331 Cleveland St. in Downtown Clearwater. She will also demonstrate how she creates her artwork and discuss what inspires her.

Second Century Studios will also feature a photography exhibit from the Florida Center for Creative Photography.

The Tampa Bay Society of Photographic Artists will host “The Abstract Expression,” an exhibit at Pour Yours, 522 Cleveland St. The Stacie Krupa Gallery of Art, 628 Cleveland St., will host its grand opening.

Other locations displaying art along Cleveland Street include Chiang Mai Thai and Sushi, Kara Lynn’s Kitchen, Marlene Rose Gallery, Clear Sky on Cleveland, Tony’s Pizza & Bar, Grindhouse Coffee, La Fondita de Leo, Buzzazz Business Solutions and Downtown Vaporium.

All participating Downtown Clearwater locations will have food and drink specials.

The event will also feature an opportunity for guests to explore Downtown Clearwater by receiving a Downtown Clearwater Art Walk Passport. Visit all participating locations, get your passport stamped and enter a raffle to win a stay at a Clearwater Beach hotel.

Pick up the Downtown Clearwater Art Walk Passports by visiting Second Century Studios from 6 to 8:30 pm. Friday, Aug. 31.

The event is coordinated by the Downtown Clearwater Merchant’s Association and sponsored by the Clearwater Downtown Development Board.

Learn more about the Downtown Clearwater Art Walk by contacting Anne Fogarty France, the city of Clearwater’s downtown manager, at anne.fogarty-france@myclearwater.com.

 

 

Second Century Studios announces the city of Clearwater’s Employee Art 2.0 – this is the second art exhibit at the gallery featuring employee art.

 

The art will be on display from Aug. 1-24 at Second Century Studios, 331 Cleveland St. The studio will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday.

 

The exhibit features the artwork of 10 city employees presenting a variety of styles, themes and techniques. Employees submitted metal sculptures, oil and acrylic paintings, photography, digital art and quilling designs.

 

A closing reception, which is open to the public, will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24.

 

The exhibit will feature a People’s Choice Award, where visitors to the studio throughout the month of August can vote on their favorite work of art. The city’s Achievement Awards Committee will also select a Choice Award from the exhibit. Both awards will be announced at the closing reception.

 

Second Century Studios is an art space located at the corner of Cleveland Street and Osceola Avenue in Downtown Clearwater that has been supported by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Second Century Studios has hosted a number of art exhibits and art classes since its September 2017 opening.

 

The space also serves as a location to introduce the public to future Downtown Clearwater initiatives, including planned enhancements to Coachman Park, Cleveland Street and the Downtown Gateway.

 

To learn more about the art exhibit, Second Century Studios or Imagine Clearwater, contact Anne Lopez, the CRA’s executive assistant, at anne.lopez@myclearwater.com or (727) 562-4039.

The second Downtown Clearwater Art Walk will feature a curated art exhibit and the live artwork by an up and coming spray painting artist from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 27.

Caleb Kirby will be in person painting his artwork and taking art suggestions from the audience at Second Century Studios, 331 Cleveland St. in Downtown Clearwater. The 15-year-old artist has quickly developed an original style that covers a variety of themes, including galaxies, landscapes and animals.

Kirby has been sketching and drawing since he was in second grade. He got turned onto spray painting art and is fascinated with the process, the styles and the results.

“I try to tell a story in my art,” said Kirby, who is in ninth grade and lives in Hudson.

More than 10 businesses will host the Downtown Clearwater Art Walk and all participating Downtown Clearwater locations will have food and drink specials.

The event will feature an opportunity for guests to explore Downtown Clearwater by receiving a Downtown Clearwater Art Walk Passport. Visit all participating locations, get your passport stamped and enter a raffle to win a stay at a Clearwater Beach hotel.

Pick up the Downtown Clearwater Art Walk Passports by visiting Second Century Studios from 6 to 8:30 pm. Friday, July 27.

This event will be the second Downtown Clearwater Art Walk this summer. The final one will be held August 31.

The event is coordinated by the Downtown Clearwater Merchant’s Association and sponsored by the Clearwater Downtown Development Board.

Learn more about the Downtown Clearwater Art Walk by contacting Anne Fogarty France, the city of Clearwater’s downtown manager, at anne.fogarty-france@myclearwater.com or (727) 562-4044. Visit DowntownClearwater.com to learn more about activities and events.

The city of Clearwater’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is issuing a call for individuals, small businesses or organizations who are interested in taking over Second Century Studios in Downtown Clearwater.

The space could be used to host an art gallery, pop-up retail business, live performances or community events. The CRA is also open to hear from applicants who propose creative ideas or ventures that will help draw traffic to Second Century Studios and Downtown Clearwater.

The CRA will cover the rent and utilities of Second Century Studios while the pop-up retail business, art gallery or organization that is selected occupies the space.

Apply today at https://clearwatercra.typeform.com/to/bBKc3t.

Second Century Studios is located in a corner space on the ground floor of the Water’s Edge Condominium Tower, located at 331 Cleveland St. The CRA opened Second Century Studios in September 2017. A number of art exhibits, art classes and community events have been hosted in the space.

Second Century Studios was also created for the city to showcase some of its plans for Downtown Clearwater, including the enhancement of Coachman Park, Cleveland Street, North Marina Master Plan and Mercado/Public Plaza in the Downtown Gateway.

Contact Anne Lopez, the CRA’s executive assistant, at anne.lopez@myclearwater.com or (727) 562-4039.

 

Call Summary

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The city of Clearwater’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), in partnership with the Clearwater Public Art and Design Board and the Downtown Development Board, is seeking artists to design and paint a series of murals on public and private properties throughout Downtown Clearwater. Applications are due on Monday, July 9, 2018, and the selected artists will be notified by Friday, July 20, 2018. Murals must be completed by January 31, 2019. The budget for each mural will range from $5,000 – $20,000 depending on the size and complexity of the artwork.
Project Description

The Clearwater CRA is charged with implementing the downtown vision for Clearwater, Florida, which is the city’s historical center. The 2018 Downtown Redevelopment Plan recommends the use of public art to create a high quality public realm. As part of its public art strategy, the CRA is commissioning artists to design and paint five to seven murals that will be visible to the public as they are walking and driving through Downtown Clearwater.

Art Goals
This is the first large scale mural project in Downtown Clearwater, and it will help set the tone for future public art projects. The CRA seeks to establish a visual look and feel that distinguishes Downtown Clearwater from Clearwater Beach and surrounding communities. We are seeking experienced mural artists with a strong point of view and the ability to create complex, engaging designs. Artists are welcome to use Clearwater’s history, signature events and physical environment as inspiration; however, the final designs must go beyond the simple visual representation of an object or event.

Mural Locations

The following sites have been confirmed to receive murals. The exact size of the mural and location on the building will be determined in collaboration with the CRA staff, the artist and the property owner.

1. Garden Avenue Parking Garage – 28 N. Garden Avenue

2. The Flag Company – 1360 Cleveland Street

3. Creative Contractors (trail side) – 620 Drew Street

4. Commercial Building – 512 Cleveland Street

5. Clearwater Tower Parking Garage (the portion facing Station Square Park) – 33 N. Garden Avenue

Budget

The project budget for each site will range from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the size and complexity of the work. The budget will cover the artist’s fee, travel costs and materials.

Artist Eligibility and Application Requirements

This call is open to artists and teams of artists with professional experience in public art and murals. Please submit the following items contained in a single PDF or Microsoft Word document:

• A one-page resume or short biography
• 3-5 photographs or links to photographs of past murals
• Identify the mural site(s) you are most interested in and a corresponding project budget including the artist’s fee, estimated materials costs and travel costs (if applicable)
• Contact information for 2 references from past mural clients

Deadline and Submission Address

Applications are due on Monday, July 9, 2018 at noon (EST) via email to Anne Lopez, the CRA’s executive assistant, at anne.lopez@myclearwater.com

Selection Process

Each application will be reviewed by a panel of CRA staff, representatives of the Clearwater Public Art and Design Board, participating property owners and representatives of the Downtown Development Board. The highest scoring artists will be asked to participate in a phone interview to determine the right pairing of property owner and artist for each mural site. Selected artists will be notified by Friday, July 20, 2018.

Panel Selection Criteria

The review panel will consider the following factors for each application:

• Ability to meet the project’s artistic goals
• Ability to collaborate with clients
• Ability to meet the Project Timeline
• The proposed budget for the work

Project Timeline

The call will close on Monday, July 9, 2018, at noon. The panel will conduct its review between July 10 – July 19, 2018. The selected artists will be notified by Friday, July 20, 2018. Murals must be complete by January 31, 2019.

Questions
Contact Anne Lopez, the CRA’s executive assistant, at anne.lopez@myclearwater.com or (727) 562-4039. Additional information about the CRA can be found at www.downtownclearwater.com

The city of Clearwater’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will provide financial assistance to help business owners and property owners in Downtown Clearwater improve the appearance of their commercial buildings.

The city of Clearwater recently amended its Facade Improvement Program making business and property owners along Cleveland Street and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard in the Downtown Gateway eligible to receive a $25,000 grant or more to improve the facade at their commercial property.

The CRA can match dollar for dollar up to 50 percent of the total construction cost for façade improvements. Grants $25,000 or less can be approved by the CRA director for a quicker application and approval process than the previous program.

Additionally, the Facade Improvement Program applicant can receive a $4,000 grant for architectural design assistance.

With the $4,000 grant, paid directly to the architect, the applicant can receive expert advice from an architect about the project, its feasibility and possible budget. The architect will also provide designs or drawings showing the suggested changes to the facade, preliminary colors and possible signage.

The grants under the Facade Improvement Program cover major facade alterations, cosmetic improvements, public art, signage, awnings and painting.

“Building a beautiful, walkable downtown is key to supporting new businesses,” said Amanda Thompson, the city’s CRA director. “The CRA trustees are ready to match new investments that improve the appearance of the buildings in Downtown Clearwater’s Community Redevelopment Area.”

Each application will be evaluated through a point system by the CRA staff, who will determine if the facade improvement meets the requirements and how much grant money will be awarded to the applicant.

To apply for the Facade Improvement Program or to learn more, visit downtownclearwater.com/doing-business/incentives-grants or contact Anne Fogarty France, the city’s downtown manager at anne.fogarty-france@myclearwater.com

 

Beer from 50 Florida breweries, live bands, a diverse array of food vendors, a variety of art and craft vendors and representatives from the Clearwater Threshers will come together for the second annual Downtown Clearwater Craft Beer and Music Festival set from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 19 in Downtown Clearwater.

Breweries from Tampa Bay and the state will be on hand to offer a taste of their finely crafted brews, and a variety of local bands will take to the stage to perform throughout the day and evening.

The second annual Downtown Clearwater Craft Beer and Music Festival will be held on the 500 and 600 blocks of Cleveland Street (east of Fort Harrison Avenue) in Downtown Clearwater.

Admission to the event is free. Free parking is available throughout Downtown Clearwater and the city of Clearwater parking garages located near the event site.

The event is family friendly. Organizers have enhanced the children’s play area with face painting, a rock climbing wall, games and two bounce houses. Local downtown restaurants will also be open to serve guests.

The festival is sponsored by the House of Beer Brewing Company, the Clearwater Downtown Partnership, Clearwater Downtown Development Board, the city of Clearwater’s Community Redevelopment Agency and the city of Clearwater’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Learn more about the Downtown Clearwater Craft Beer and Music Festival dunedinhob.com/craft-beer-fest.

For more information, contact Anne Fogarty-France, the city’s downtown manager, at (727) 562-4044 or anne.fogarty-france@myclearwater.com.

Downtown Clearwater’s Second Century Studios announces a new contemporary art exhibit that will bring its first artist from outside the state.

A Kinetic Installation by Atlanta-based artist Amy Landesberg will be exhibited from April 24 through May 25 at Second Century Studios, 331 Cleveland St.in Downtown Clearwater. Second Century Studios is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and it’s also open weeknights and weekend evenings on occasion. Check DowntownClearwater.com to learn more.

Landesberg’s installation, entitled Plasti-Plast, presents 27 kinetic objects on three low platforms. Each sculpture is six-inches wide, 10-inches tall and 14-inches long, and each sculpture is made of cast plaster, fiber, wire and operates with a rechargeable battery. Landesberg used discarded household items to create Plasti-Plast, including mops, brooms, scrap electrical wire and broken window shades.

The artwork reflects the play “Rockaby” by Samuel Beckett, and the 27 pieces serve as a reflection on automation, among other of life’s uncertainties, worries, humor and sorrows.

Landesberg is a mixed media artist and an architect who uses her creativity and architectural expertise to create bold and introspective works of art that make people reconsider the purpose of utilitarian items in our everyday lives.

Landesberg has been a professional artist for more than 30 years. She has had more than 20 solo exhibits both nationally and internationally, and she has won awards and grants, including in painting and sculpture from the National Endowment for the Arts/Southern Arts Federation and the Moulton Andrus Award for Art and Architecture from the Yale School of Architecture.

Landesberg’s exhibit serves as a continuation of the goal for Second Century Studios to connect art and the public in Downtown Clearwater. Second Century Studios also exhibits city of Clearwater initiatives of plans and projects for Downtown Clearwater.

In the future, the city of Clearwater’s Community Redevelopment Agency will issue a call for artists to exhibit more artwork at Second Century Studios, and it will host pop-up shops and other programs at the studio.

“The public has approved an ambitious plan to reimagine Downtown Clearwater with a new park and amenities that will allow residents to interact with the bay,” said Amanda Thompson, director of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. “Ms. Landesberg is an architect and an artist with a deep passion for connecting the urban and natural environment. The Plasti-Plast installation is a fitting metaphor for the Imagine Clearwater plan – it takes objects that have been discarded and reimagines them as something beautiful and living.”

Visit AmyLandesberg.com/PLASTIvideo to see a presentation of her latest exhibit.

To interview the artist, contact José Patiño, public information specialist with the city of Clearwater, at (727) 562-4664 or jose.patino@myclearwater.com

Work is being done behind the scenes to move forward with the future enhancements to Coachman Park, and we want to keep you abreast about what is happening.

At this point in the project, the city’s consultant, Stantec, and its sub-consultants are working on the Imagine Clearwater Master Plan Concept Validation and Pre-Design. The city is currently conducting additional site surveys of the area, and it is researching and providing information on past public and private utility projects in the area.

Stantec’s team is compiling all of this data for use in its plans for the project. In addition, Stantec and its sub-consultants have recently completed several noise studies of the existing band shell. The consultants are carefully evaluating that data as well as the existing site conditions in and around Coachman Park.

Stantec and a small group of city staff recently met to discuss some of the park concepts and the results of the noise studies. There will be additional meetings and further discussions to refine some of the design elements.

The state legislature recently passed and Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill that amends the Special Act of 1925, allowing for the city to move the bandshell along the waterfront as proposed by the consultants. The Special Act of 1925 prohibited “carnivals or shows of any character” on a 500-foot stretch of land running north of the Memorial Causeway Bridge.

In November, voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the City Charter, which allows for the Imagine Clearwater plan to move forward at Coachman Park and for enhancements along the downtown waterfront. For additional information, visit myclearwater.com/residents/imagine-clearwater-new or contact Amanda Thompson, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency director, at Amanda.thompson@myclearwater.com.

Jennie Pearl, founder and creative director of Bazaar Art, will host an exhibit spanning several decades of her artwork.

 

The art exhibit, entitled Bohemian Years: A Collection of Pearls, will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 20 at Second Century Studios, 331 Cleveland St. in Downtown Clearwater. Pearl’s art exhibit will be on display at Second Century Studios until May 10.

 

Pearl, a muralist, digital artist and photographer, will present a collection of her artwork spanning 30 years. Her art exhibit will include acrylic paintings, photography and works on paper. Pearl describes her artwork as eccentric, spontaneous, enticing and encompasses a broad combination of artistic and creative styles.

 

The April 20 art exhibit will also include a Bazaar Art Artist Throwdown featuring three local artists, live music and light refreshments.

 

Pearl has a partnership with the city of Clearwater’s Second Century Studios. She has hosted several art exhibits at Second Century Studios that have featured the artwork of local artists, and she has hosted several art classes at Second Century Studios.

 

Along with the local artwork, Second Century Studios also offers an opportunity for the city of Clearwater to promote initiatives designed to help create an attractive and engaging Downtown Clearwater for years to come.

 

The city initiatives include:

Imagine Clearwater, a master plan designed to revitalize the Downtown Clearwater waterfront. The plan proposes a design for an expanded and improved waterfront park and recommends a set of projects that will serve to activate Downtown Clearwater.
North Marina Master Plan, a design plan to enhance the Seminole Boat Ramp and attract commercial, retail, restaurants and more residential to a 64-acre area that covers Clearwater Bay to the west, Pinellas Trail to the east, Cedar Street to the north and Eldridge Street to the south.
Cleveland Streetscape Phase 3, a project aimed at enhancing Cleveland Street in Downtown Clearwater into a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly street. The roadway will be improved and made safer by adding landscaping and decorative lighting, improving sidewalks, enhancing on-street parking and adding bicycle lanes along the corridor, which stretches along Cleveland Street from Missouri Avenue to Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard and Cleveland Street to San Remo Avenue.
Mercado/Public Plaza, a concept to create a market area and community gathering place with local vendors, weekend markets, music shows and movie nights all in Clearwater’s Downtown Gateway.
Second Century Studios is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

 

For more information, contact Anne Fogarty-France, the city of Clearwater’s downtown manager, at anne.fogarty-france@myclearwater.com or (727) 562-4044.