By Caron Schwartz
Bored at the DMV? The new Pinellas hARTbeat mural, which decorates the waiting area, should provide relief. Artist Jason Harvin captured the spirit of St. Pete with iconic imagery, including the St. Pete Pier and our beloved pelicans, on the walls of the 34th St. N tax office.
Missing persons detective Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium, is coming to the Mahaffey. The beloved TV personality and best-selling author is renowned for comforting folks with the revelation that their deceased loved ones are still with them – just in a different way. Tickets available now for the 4/23/2026 show. https://bit.ly/mahaffey-caputo
Author, author Former St. Pete City Administrator Alan DeLisle brings to life an unknown founding father in a new historical novel. The Unforgettable Forgotten Patriot tells the story of James Otis Jr., a Massachusetts attorney, legislator, and activist who helped spur the American Revolution, but died before the Declaration of Independence was written.
I got your Dalí right here Italian authorities seized 21 suspected forgeries attributed to Salvador Dalí from a show titled Dalí, Between Art and Myth in the northern city of Parma. “It was difficult to understand why someone would want to organize an exhibition of such low-value works,” said Diego Polio of Rome’s ardue of $850,000 to $1.4 million.
Or learn to paint with Jack Providenti during Impressionism the Easy Way. The award-winning artist/instructor shares how to create a dramatic, light-filled impressionistic landscape or seascape, indoors or outdoors, oils or acrylics, without having to draw. Thursdays 9:30-noon or 1-3:30pm at DRV Gallery. https://bit.ly/drv-painting
Pianists wanted Applications are open for the Rebecca Pennys Piano Festival. Talented soloists enrolled in collegiate programs are invited to apply for the tuition-free program, which will be held at USF Tampa 6/27-7/17/2026. Application deadline 2/2/2026. https://bit.ly/rppf-fest
Creative Pinellas is proud to launch Arts Annual 8, its signature exhibition and fundraiser that celebrates the extraordinary creativity of our community. Pinellas County may have voted to defund this local arts agency, which has been a lifeline for artists – but we can vote with action and generosity. 11/21, 6-9pm. Artists and sponsors invited to participate. https://bit.ly/creative-pinellas-party
This magic moment Tickets are on sale for Penn & Teller’s 50th Anniversary Tour. From humble beginnings 50 years ago busking on the streets of Philadelphia, to the longest-running resident headline act in Las Vegas history, magic’s legendary duo – Penn Jillette and Teller – continue to defy labels. At the Mahaffey, 1/29/2026 at 8pm. http://bit.ly/mahaffey-penn
Hungry? Step into the world of the American Jewish deli and discover how food tells the story of immigration, adaptation, and community. I’ll Have What She’s Having: The Jewish Deli explores how Jewish immigrants brought traditions from the old country and created a cuisine that is now a beloved part of American culture. At the Florida Holocaust Museum thru Jan. 2026. http://bit.ly/jewish-deli
Call for artists DRV Gallery invites artists to apply to showcase their original artwork to raise awareness for the cause of their choice during the gallery’s fourth annual Art for a Cause. Submission deadline 12/13. Opening reception and awards 1/17/2026, 5:30-8:30pm. https://bit.ly/drv-artist-cal
We’re No. 3! Tampa International Airport, that is, according to Condé Nast Traveler’s 38th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey of best airports in the US. The layout, the SkyConnect people-mover, and the artwork made it stand out to readers. http://bit.ly/cnt-airports
Picturesque Patterson A new installation at the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement (MAACM) celebrates Margaret Jordan Patterson (1867-1950), a pioneering American printmaker and painter. Rejecting rigid outlines, she employed rich purples, blues, and golds to create florals and landscapes that pulse with modernist vitality. www.museumaacm.org
Swift synchronicity When Taylor Swift “sampled” an Art Nouveau painting for her The Fate of Ophelia music video, Swifties noticed. Now they are descending on Wiesbaden State Museum in Hamburg to view Friedrich Heyser’s painting of Ophelia. So that’s how you get Gen Zs to museums!
Lives of everyday objects Experience The Poetry of Objects, a solo exhibition of still-life paintings by Fran Failla, whose work transforms everyday items into visual meditations on memory, emotion, and presence. Tarpon Art Gallery, 11/1-30. Opening reception with the artist on 11/15 from 6-8pm. www.tarponartguild.com
Battle-tested Join the Florida Museum of Photographic Art (FMoPA) for the opening reception of The Soldier’s Lens. The exhibit showcases the original and deeply personal perspectives of active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. 11/6, 5:30-7pm. www.fmopa.org
Going for Baroque The St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts presents In Caravaggio’s Light: Baroque Masterpieces from the Fondazione Roberto Longhi. Caravaggio’s electrifying style – intense naturalism, raw energy, and radical use of chiaroscuro – swept across Europe, inspiring a generation of artists who gathered in Rome to join the Baroque movement. On exhibit thru 3/22/2026. https://bit.ly/mfa-caravaggios
Baroque bookworm In conjunction with In Caravaggio’s Light, the MFA introduces the Baroque + Bottle Book Club, a literary series in partnership with independent bookstore/wine bar Book + Bottle. You’ll read Raven Leilani’s Luster, a darkly comic novel that echoes the raw humanity at the heart of Caravaggio’s work. 11/20, 6-8pm, at the museum. https://bit.ly/mfa-book-club