The Artisan Magazine - March 2023

The Ale and the Witch

Downtown St. Pete’s Craft Beer & Live Music destination since 2011

MARCH ‘23 MUSIC CALENDAR

FRIDAY 3/3, 7-10pm - Ashley Smith and the Random Occurrence

SATURDAY 3/4, 4-7pm - Matthew Frost Band

SUNDAY 3/5 , 4:20-7:37pm- The Cherry Garcia Band w/ Waynard & Gilman

FRIDAY 3/10, 7:30-10pm - BOHO Sideshow

SATURDAY 3/11, 4-7pm - George Pennington and the Odyssey

SUNDAY 3/12 , 4:20-7:37pm - Uncle John’s Band

FRIDAY 3/17, 7-9:30pm - Urban Gypsies of Florida (Saint Gypsy Day)

SATURDAY 3/18, 4:20-7:30pm - Rich Sheldon Band

SUNDAYS 3/19 & 26, 4-7pm - Josh Nelms Sunday blues special session

THURSDAY 3/23 , 7-9pm - Billy Sokol Trio

FRIDAY 3/24, 7-10pm - Jimmy Griswold Trio

SATURDAY 3/25, 4:20-7:30pm - Rich Whiteley & Company

• Open air multi-level outdoor courtyard

• All ages

More

FRIDAY 3/31, 7:30-10:30pm - Antelope (a tribute to the band Phish)

Every Wednesday, 7-9pm -Witchgrass Wednesdays live bluegrass

Downtown Location (Tower Plaza Courtyard)

111 2nd Ave NE Saint Petersburg, FL 33701

2nd Saturday Artwalk - St. Pete is from 5 to 9 but the Market starts an hour early and goes to 10 PM Markers,

“Murals in Mind” Gallery Opens

The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA) has launched the Murals in Mind Gallery activating 12 existing SHINE murals with virtual performances (music, drama, poetry, song, dance, meditation) to be experienced in-person in front of each mural.

SPAA is working to evidence the power of art to help heal, communicate and change the way in which we perceive our world. With the help of their outstanding muralists and performing artists, this collaborative gallery promotes wellness through art. Murals in Mind (MIM) shifts negative perceptions and offers hope and help for dayto-day living. SPAA understands that Murals in Mind is not therapy, but rather therapeutic in nature. This 24/7 accessible gallery is a public and daily reminder that there is hope, help, and resources to provide a shift in thinking, feeling and action.

SPAA is grateful to all those that have made this project possible, including the generous support of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Love IV Lawrence and the expertise of Dr. Paige Dickenson from Eckerd College, who is trained in trauma and art therapy, for making this project come to life.

Added to the expertise of the artists involved, is technology made possible through PixelStix, and videography from Sunsation Media.

“This project was conceived through the passion and understanding of the power of art to heal.” States Terry Marks, CEO. “As our community continues to rise after so many challenges, it is evident how much we all have endured. The way to lift spirits from loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress is to continue to utilize art as a healing tool. Murals, music, dance, drama, poetry communicate and lift our outlook towards hope and happiness. That is the core of Murals in Mind, our valentine to our friends and neighbors and to the city we love.” Go to stpeteartsalliance.org/muralsinmind to find the locations of each mural and how to tour the Murals in Mind Gallery. Remember to bring your headphones!

The Artist Enclave of Historic Kenwood

2023

Artist Studio Tour – “Art in the ‘Wood"

Sat. & Sun. - March 18th & 19Th - 10 am to 5 pm

This tour is free, self-guided and open to the public.

Come to “The ‘Wood” and enjoy two days exploring the Art & Culture filled neighborhood of Historic Kenwood. View the exhibits of 30 artists at 21 different stops. Experience works ranging from emerging artists to internationally recognized professionals. Radio St. Pete will be broadcasting music from stops along the tour!

This self-guided tour includes work by ceramicists, sculptors, jewelers, photographers, multi-media artists, fine art painters and performance artists. This year’s theme, “Art in the ‘Wood,” allows collectors and visitors to soak up the uniquely artistic landscape, visit with artists in their studios, and enjoy live

demos throughout the two-day tour. Learn about the creative process and what steps an artist takes to bring their ideas from concept to completion. Kenwood Gables Boutique B&B, 2801 7th Ave. will again host an exhibition of artwork of the Enclave during the tour with map pick-up and information available. Treat yourself to a new piece for your collection or pick up gifts for friends and family!

For information and maps for the studio locations: https://www.kenwoodartistenclave. org/artist-studio-tour/

St. Petersburg Arts Alliance Announces Six MUSE 2023 Awardees!

For the past nine years, the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance has been celebrating the diversity of all the arts and culture in St. Petersburg, and pays tribute to the remarkable talent and variety that can be discovered around every corner of our amazing city including the annual celebration of six outstanding 2023 MUSE award winners! These winners are stellar representatives of our “City of the Arts” to the world! Congratulations goes to:

• MUSE Arts Ambassador Award Honoree - Katie Deits/Florida CraftArt - "I was totally SURPRISED and THRILLED to be selected for the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance MUSE award for Arts Ambassador. St.

Pete is a great arts destination and I am SO HAPPY to be part of it as the CEO of Florida CraftArt! Many thanks for the honor. If anyone wants to come to the huge and REALLY fun party they throw for it, it's March 3."

• MUSE Literary Arts Award HonoreeMaggie Duffy - “I’m thrilled to receive this award from the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance,” said Duffy, who has worked professionally in the local art scene as a gallery manager and curator. “Covering the arts is a dream job, and to be recognized for doing it is a true honor.”

• MUSE Patron of the Arts Award Honoree

- Belinda Dumont - “The main thing about St. Pete is the people, and the Arts. They have always been of the utmost importance to me, and they are all in themselves so very worthy of support. For 20 years a supporter of the Florida Orchestra, I’ve been able to be on their board for many of those years.”

• MUSE Performance Arts Award Honoree

- Alexander Jones and projectALCHEMY - "This is such an honor. Thank you St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and our awesome community support in St Pete"

• MUSE Art & Technology Award Honoree

- Mikhail Mansion - "I'm deeply honored to be awarded this year's Muse Award for Art + Technology by St. Petersburg Arts Alliance. I'm always amazed at the level of support this area extends to the creative community; it's rewarding to know that my contributions are too becoming part of that legacy.

• MUSE Visual Arts Award Honoree - Catherine Woods - "Surprised and delighted! Having recently installed the SunRunner art glass panels, it is wonderful to be honored at this time. Looking forward to the MUSE party, and sharing the love with my fellow award winners!"

Maggie Duffy Mikhail Mansion Katie Deits

Catherine Woods

Belinda Dumont Alexander Jones

Robin O'Dell has also been a contributing writer for such publications as Arts Coast Magazine, Bay Art Files, and Image Magazine. Her former positions include Curator of Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg and Curator of Collections at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa.

Maureen is a direct descendant of carnies, carpenters and fishermen. She is the author of three books of poetry, Exploring My Options (2006), Longing for the Deep End (2011) and Feast (2021). She founded the literary arts organization, Keep St. Pete Lit

Robin O’

By Danni Matter

PEACE, UNITY & HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS

“Peace, unity and higher consciousness” Ajeva’s website reads. The St. Petersburg-based band believes in spreading this message through their music, with “infectious grooves and driving energy.” Ajeva (pronounced ahJAY-vuh) first began playing together in March of 2013. The name means “one soul”, and according to band members:

"It represents the oneness of being in a band, and how you have to work together. It also speaks to how we are all connected and going through life together.”

Members Reed Skahill (vocals), Taylor Gilchrist (bass), Lyndon Thacker (guitar/keyboard) and Michael Nivens (guitar) all hail from different cities, with Taylor being the only St. Petersburg native. But over the last decade, Ajeva has become well established within the local music scene.

In their early days, Ajeva primarily played reggae and rock music. However, with each album they’ve released, the genre of music has evolved. Today they describe their style as progressive funk, rock, and jam. And they’ve got plenty more in the works, too – a full album and nine tracks yet to be released. If you watch videos of their past performances at such beloved local venues as The Floridian Social Club, you’ll notice many people in the crowd dancing along. This is certainly a testament to Ajeva’s lively stage presence and funky guitar riffs. Although they’ve also graced the stages of Jannus Live, Ringside Café, and many other venues across the Eastern US, they recall Hulaween 2022 as their most memorable live show.

“The lineup, atmosphere, and people make it such a unique experience.”

When writing songs, the band finds inspiration in the way that many artists do – through love, heartbreak, accomplishments, making up stories, and listening to new music. The laidback Florida vibe is present in many of their songs, evoking the feeling of relaxing on a sunny beach. Ajeva regularly plays with other acts local to St. Pete, and band members highlighted some artists they enjoy: Honeywhat, Tropico Blvd, and Future Vintage, to name a few. In addition to playing different venues, Ajeva has also been featured on local radio stations such as WMNF 88.5. You can tune in and listen to their tracks on Spotify and Youtube, and follow on Instagram @AjevaMusic to find out when you can catch their next show!

In Studio Listen now

The Patron Saint of Downtown Music: Meet Brett Andress

Proprietor of The Ale And The Witch

By Edward Craig

The next time you step into the Ale and Witch, the funky little downtown craft beer joint owned by local resident Brett Andress, have a look behind the bar. Up high, crowded in on all sides by brewery promotions, beer descriptions, and pithy slogans (“GOOD BEER AIN’T CHEAP, CHEAP BEER AIN’T GOOD”), you will see a chalkboard with some staggering numbers. This is where Brett logs by calendar year the number of live music shows he has staged both inside and out of “The Witch” (as bon vivant and concert regular Tracy Kennard of this magazine’s staff dubs the place). Some of the numbers defy belief— in 2012 there were 436 shows, in 2013 a slight dip to 435—while another number brings back dark memories of a difficult time—2020’s Year of the Pandemic, a mere 115 shows, by far the low water mark in the venue’s history. Altogether, we are talking about over 3,400 shows since Andress launched his uncertain venture in 2011. That’s a lot of craft beer served. But far more important, that’s a lot of people drawn to downtown St. Pete—to shop, see a movie, eat a nice meal, visit a museum—and lest we forget, it’s a lot of musicians getting paid. How did we come to enjoy this unheralded amenity of downtown living? Our tale begins with a broken-down moving truck on the side of I-275 and a young entrepreneur’s per-

sistent dream.

Brett Andress was born 50-some years ago in Pennsylvania and grew up mostly in New Jersey, attending Rutgers University before zigzagging around various easterly locations, seeking his fortune. The saloon business wasn’t exactly in his blood—his father was an equine pharmaceutical merchant—but after years of working in the restaurant and bar industry it became his calling. So, after some preliminary scouting, in 2001 he moved from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to St. Petersburg, confident that his varied experience would land him a job here. He had a Sears credit card and a few bucks to rub together, enough to rent a moving van and head south to The Sunshine City. As fate would have it, he made it all the way to the I-275/I-4 interchange before his truck broke down. He got a tow to his new digs, unpacked, and settled in, his only friend at the time his loyal border collie, Monet.

At first, Andress worked a string of jobs in the iconic downtown restaurants and bars of yesteryear, most notably at Redwoods on Central Avenue, where he saw a live music scene begin to take shape in places like The Garden, also on Central, which then featured regular live jazz. Looking around, he envisioned how downtown St. Pete might become an arts and entertainment mecca back when few other

people could. According to Andress, the evolution of live music downtown shifted from those modest gigs at the Garden and a few other random, scattered venues (e.g. State Theater, the first Ringside), to a scene clustered around the Baywalk area (now Sundial), then to Beach Drive, and finally back to Central Avenue.

Now of course the entire greater downtown area is lit up, and there are new hotbeds gaining traction all the time. But that was far from clear back in the early 2000s. Yet Andress knew where he wanted to be. “I would get off work downtown and start walking, crisscrossing the area between 4th Street and Beach Drive, 5th Avenue North and 5th Avenue South, looking for the right space.” Then one day, in August of 2010, he found it, The Courtyard Shops at Plaza Tower, right in the middle of it all. He owned a modest home on the south side and didn’t have a lot of money, but somehow, he convinced the building owner to approve his business plan for a craft beer tavern. Using his imagination, he noticed there was a large common area out front which just might be perfect for hosting live music. This is how his Ale and Witch odyssey began.

The challenges were many. Craft beer was still a novelty in 2010. There were very few local breweries back then whose products he could feature. And the whole down-

town area--at least compared to today--was still on shaky legs as an entertainment destination. He needed to make a splash and get people’s attention somehow, so he made a pivotal early decision that his promotional budget would be devoted entirely to paying for live music performances. That’s still true today, to the great benefit of live music lovers throughout the Bay Area, but particularly for downtown dwellers, many of whom figured out they could walk or ride a bicycle to his always free, consistently high-quality shows.

So, on January 26, 2011 the Ale and Witch first opened for business, staffed by veteran bar employees Andress knew from local establishments where he’d worked (some of them still work for him today). Three days later, on January 29th, it featured its first live concert, held inside the bar, a Bulgarian chanteuse named Geri X. The official grand opening was the following week, on February 3rd, when a jazz ensemble named The Shiny Shoes Band kicked things off. It wasn’t until a month later that the musicians migrated outdoors, with local stalwart Kirk Adams finally breaking in the outdoor plaza. These early experiments were well-received, if only modestly so. Then came a game-changing date. In April of that year the popular Tampa Bay Blues Fest was scheduled to take place in nearby Vinoy Park. So Andress booked a

When you love a Witch! And some Ale.

local favorite, blues guitarist extraordinaire Damon Fowler, to christen the festival with a night-before event April 7th at the Witch. The show blew up big time, everyone came, the place was packed wall-to-wall, there was barely room to breathe, the bar rang up huge sales, and Andress had his “Aha!” moment--this would be the path his business took to commercial success.

In the early days, the novelty of the live music craft beer bar concept and scarcity of similar entertainment options made for many more big crowds, which Andress did his best to accommodate with as many as ten live shows a week. Meanwhile, the neighborhood around him struggled to adapt. There were noise ordinance complaints, citations given to bands loading and unloading equipment in the alley, and other challenges, all of which The Witch would eventually overcome. The place was a hit. This early smashing success lasted for several years, until an onslaught of competition (and an unsuccessful restaurant venture by Andress upstairs) forced him to scale things back somewhat. These days he knows exactly what kind of crowds he can draw in any given season, on any

given night, with any given band or genre of music. He knows when bad weather isn’t worth fighting against. But the numbers don’t lie. The man still puts on a lot of shows. It’s obviously what he loves to do. He has done well, but Andress doesn’t drive a Ferrari. He still lives in that same modest house on the South Side, and he still shows up to work every day. Regulars are accustomed to seeing his tall, slim figure moving around like a shadow, his trademark ballcap on his head, ever vigilant, bussing empty beer glasses and pushing in chairs, a polite smile at the ready. It’s what the man does. He hires good bands for a craft beer party four days a week. And we’re lucky to have him.

The musicians who have performed at the Witch since that fateful grand opening in 2011 include Grammy winners, Superbowl halftime performers, and other award-winning artists. To his everlasting credit, Andress has also featured a wide variety of charitable promotions over the years, including celebrity bartenders like former mayors Rick Baker and Rick Kriseman pouring drafts and raising money for good causes, a chili cookoff headlined by S.P.P.D. and S.P.F.D., his “Every Quarter Counts” campaign to donate twenty-five cents from every sale to local charities, to mention just a few. And local fine artists are grateful that the walls of his establishment have long featured their work for sale commission-free.

There is a quote from writer Kurt Vonnegut which has resurfaced recently in online memes. “You meet saints everywhere. They are people acting decently in an indecent society.” This is an apt way to look at the generosity of Brett Andress. He has delighted us all dozens if not hundreds of times with his free shows, while also managing to sell a lot of beer in the process. He’s certainly no saint in the literal sense, and he has farther to go before earning his own statue. But if he stopped tomorrow, he just might deserve a commemorative plaque at the corner of 2nd Ave North and 1st Street— “Here Brett Andress brought great aesthetic pleasure, revelry, friendship, a sense of community, and many musician paychecks to downtown St. Pete.” He has certainly earned our strong patronage. So come have a listen. Bring your well-behaved children, your well-behaved dog. And when you see Brett, tell him thanks, and spring for a round of frosty libations for you and your friends. It’s how we roll in downtown St. Pete.

"The show blew up big time, everyone came, the place was packed wall-to-wall, there was barely room to breathe..."

AKIKO KOTANI

By Danni Matter

It was a bright and balmy morning when I arrived at Akiko Kotani’s Gulfport studio. The open door allowed a bay breeze to drift in, and natural sunlight to fill the space. I was greeted by Akiko, who has been creating art in Gulfport since 2014. She walked me through several pieces that were on display, from woven tapestries completed in the 1980s to a new project currently being worked on. Through a variety of mediums, Akiko explores the significance of the mundane activities that make up everyday life. Many of her pieces also relate to topics such as women’s issues and the natural world.

Before arriving in Gulfport, Akiko made quite a few other stops along her journey. She was raised in Waipahu, Hawaii, and earned her bachelor's degree in fine arts from the University of Hawaii. After graduating, she made the transition to life in New York City, which she recounts as being a formative time. As this was the 1960s, now-famous artists such as Mark Rothko and Yayoi Kusama were personally hosting shows and gallery openings in the city. Experiencing this art movement firsthand and making connections influenced Akiko’s career, but she eventually left New York behind. For two and a half years she lived in Guatemala, studying weaving techniques taught by Mayan natives. She then settled down in Western Pennsylvania, which would prove to be influential in its own way – it was, as Akiko recalls, a sort of “culture shock”. Going from the city that never sleeps to a much more rural and conservative setting made for a difficult adjustment. However, the slower pace provided her with much more time to focus on creating.

Akiko furthered her education at Tyler School of Art in Elkins Park, where she earned her master’s degree in fine art. She then began teaching at the university level, which was an unexpected source of fulfillment. As she instructed these young artists who were often unsure about their path, Akiko found she enjoyed offering input and guidance. She taught students at Tyler for a year before going on to teach at Slippery Rock University, where she holds the title of Professor Emerita. Her personal art career underwent advancements during this time as well, including a prestigious acquisition. Akiko had kept in touch with her colleagues from New York, who continued to assist her with getting shows in the city. In 1977, one of these shows ended up being especially beneficial – it was attended by curators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They asked to see more of Akiko’s work, which stunned her.

“I was a nobody!” She laughed. “It was an out-ofbody experience.”

First Light, 2010 - silk stitched on paper mounted on wood 4h x 22w x 6d inches

Inspired by the first light of day

Fierce Wind #1 to #4 - 2021 graphite on Fabriano 30"h x 50"w (4 up) Drawings depict my impressions of Iceland at Hvitahus artist residency.

Rain at Annaghmakerig - Paper, w/Graphite, Annaghmakerig Suite Carousel artwork image

Black on White #5 Silk stitched on handwoven silk canvas 34h x 26w inches, framed

Soft Walls, 2017 - crocheted polyethylene, 8.5h x 18w x 3.5d / 8.5h x 13w x 3.5d feet, SKYWAY , Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersburg, FL

She ended up meeting with a panel of six curators from the museum, who greeted her with a disclaimer: although they were looking at her work, it did not necessarily mean that the work would be accepted. The Met has strict guidelines regarding their collection, and also receives an abundance of pieces from artists unsolicited. However, after some deliberation, the panel decided that they wanted one of Akiko’s pieces! Titled Sawtooth Series, the piece is made up of three large woven panels. It is currently available for viewing on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website.

After spending a few years in the position of Adjunct Professor at Koç University in Istanbul, Akiko retired from teaching in 2000. However, her globe-trotting certainly did not end there. During our conversation, she recounted an artist residency she attended at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland. There, storms coming in from the open expanse of the North Atlantic Ocean sweep across the island before they reach mainland Europe. This type of rain was unlike anything Akiko had experienced previously. The intense way the wind whipped across the landscape prompted her to create the graphite drawings titled Rain at Annaghmakerig. This is one of the pieces I had the pleasure of viewing in Akiko’s studio. The drawings impart a strong impression of movement, prompting the viewer to imagine gusts of wind tugging grasses back and forth. The Vermont Suite and Hvitahus Suite, created in Vermont and Iceland respectively, were also the results of artist residencies Akiko has attended.

When it comes to living in Gulfport, Akiko describes the atmosphere as “comfortable” and “funky”; an accurate characterization of the small yet artsy town. It was only after she made her most recent move to the Sunshine State that she began creating large installations like the piece featured on the cover of this issue, Red Falls. One of Akiko’s early influences was her sister-in-law's mother, who crocheted cup cozies using plastic from shopping bags which had been cut into strips. She had a utilitarian approach to the task, never viewing it as a form of art.

“It was just something she did, and she was very happy doing it...but when I saw the forms, I saw it as sculpture.”

Akiko has long been fascinated with the idea of culling a technique down to its bare essence; much of her art involves exploring the most elemental form of different processes, including that of her sister-in-law's mother. The concept of scaling up a very simple method to create something large inspired her most recent series of sculptures.

At first glance, Soft Walls (completed in 2017) appears to be made of fabric, with a texture similar to that of a sweater or scarf. It is, however, crocheted from plas-

Continued on next page

tic in the same way the cup cozies were. There are a few differences, such as the size of the finished piece – Soft Walls is eight and a half feet tall by eighteen feet wide! Akiko also modified the traditional crochet stitch to accentuate the dimensionality of the large strips of polyethylene. While visiting her studio, I watched her work with a wooden crochet hook, specially made to accommodate the size of the project. The process is simple, yet repetitive, and undoubtedly time-consuming. She pointed out the irregularity in the stitches, recalling what her mother once told her:

“’You have to practice!’ – my stitches were not even and regular. In fact, when I used to go to beautiful museums in Shanghai or Japan, and see these beautiful hand worked things, how precise they are...it really was [done that way] in order to emulate a machine. In my mother’s mind, that was the goal, and her work was like that.”

Rather than follow the tradition of machine-perfect stitches, Akiko introduced her own “language” to the art form. As the strips of plastic are joined together, they become a sort of journal. The emotions Akiko is experiencing, the music she is listening to, and the thoughts crossing her mind are translated into physical form with each loop of the hook. No two parts of these sculptures are the same, new patterns and textures can be observed from every angle.

Since 2017, Akiko has created a total of five works using this method, including Red Falls. The striking red hue of the polyethylene

used in this piece was symbolically chosen – Red Falls is a piece which addresses the abuse of women in the home. Stitching and crocheting are tasks traditionally assigned to women and are skills that many learn from a young age. In this piece, the stitching serves as a representation of all the repetitive homemaking activities that women have been doing for centuries.

“It is not valued” Akiko says about this kind of work. “This relates to the low value of the plastic.”

Working on Red Falls was an enlightening experience, as she noted she was not fully aware of the sheer number of women who have experienced some form of abuse. As she interacted with those viewing her work, she gained a whole new appreciation for the resilience of women despite these circumstances. That is the true intent of Red Falls – to serve as an acknowledgement of the strength it takes for abuse victims to keep on living.

Now 82 years old, Akiko has no plans to retire from creating art. However, she does admit that she hopes to create on a smaller scale within the near future. As stunning as her large sculptures are, constructing them can be quite strenuous. Another phase in the cycle of life and art may be coming to an end, but that is necessary to allow space for potential new projects. It goes without saying that Akiko’s contributions to the art community have been substantial, and we are happy to have her here in our neighborhood! ARTicles Gallery in St. Petersburg currently has some of Akiko Kotani’s work on display, for any art lovers who are interested in viewing.

Florida Contemporary 2021/22, Installation I Drawing, Artis Naples Gallery - The Baker Museum, Naples, FL (partial view of Dale Chihuly Sculpture)

"Indigo" Jones

CITY OF POETS: “C O P S"

Bob Devin Jones

When the poets and the scribes arrive at the monthly poetry shout at the Dali Museum something, something magical often mystical happens

You can tell by the quality of the listening several delicious things on the breath of anticipation are about to commence some several poets are there to turn up the silence… it is perforce a well-curated line-up

Thank you HPW the poets give vox

The assembled (us) there to receive with a giggle like Sunday service with the pastor you had drinks with the previous Saturday night… and you giggle some more

But then the order of worship begins

And you are being served

The poem catches its breath and we are all in the room where it happens… and it does… happen we take Manhattan and then we take Berlin Leonard Cohen knew that for a city to occur, for it to prosper (if you will)

it (the city) needs must have an oral assault… ‘love is not a victory march’

Some nutrition travels by the words given Given voice by the poets through to the canals of the ear

A journey that may be rehearsed, re-heard or witnessed, but never repeated never repeated never repeated…

This past month four poets jarred the floor at the Dali proffered ear candy with nettles, thorns and variegated roses

The poets invited you to listen Compelled you to sit there and be fed

Between the object and the verb

Dared you to journey between the subject and the rhyme

“Listen to the knife, make love to the rind”

Prepositions are not a victory march either I know this because Tyler Gillespie gave it vox on that necessary Thursday in early February Where the poem held my breath as I could not Sitting in the Dali Theatre, next to the scribe Brooks Peters

In memorial for what may never be

As in his poem Chrysalis where the “viridescent wings” almost refuse to open Yet they do open and they make us, like poet Curtis Davis

“dug my own grave, once or a few times”

But digging a grave is nothing like dying, not even remotely you die (regrettably) only once

Never repeated

Never repeated… the do over (thankfully) is embedded in the poem So when the former Poet Laureate of the city

Helen Pruitt Wallace

Summons the current Laureate of the city Gloria Munoz to read her poems

“We relearn the world for each other”

It is not absence that makes the heart grow fonder, but rather the calamity of insisting that it does…

Thank you Helen for curating POETRY AT THE DALI, it is a lovely, love note to the city

“This road trip to everywhere” I am most delighted to take my soul has grown deep like the rivers as I speak some of the names of the seminal scribes that continue to foster The City of Poets

LIZZ STRAIGHT: CREATIVE SCRIBE OG

GLORIA MUNOZ: POET LAUREATE CITY OF ST PETE

HELEN PRUITT WALLACE: CURATOR OF POETRY AT THE DALI

DENZEL JOHNSON GREEN: NEPTUNE

POETRY + ART MAGAZINE

BROOKS PETERS: CREATIVE SCRIBE OG

MIESHA BRUNDRIDGE: POET SERIES @ 620

MAUREEN McDOLE: KEEP ST PETE LIT

TYLER GILLESPIE: “THE THING ABOUT FLORIDA’

PETER MEINKE: POET LAUREATE STATE OF FLORIDA

VENUS JONES: PLANETARY WORD GENIOUS

ROY PETER CLARK: “AMERICA’S WRITING COACH”

BRIAN DUNCAN: CREATIVE SCRIBE OG

JOHN BAMBERY: CREATIVE SCRIBE

PEYTON JONES: CREATIVE SCRIBE OG

ERICA SUTHERLIN: “OUR MISS BROOKS, GWENDOLYN; THAT IS”

LANGSTON HUGHES…

HUMBLY SUBMITTED BY BOB DEVIN JONES

“I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers…”. - Langston Hughes

Welcome to Keep St. Pete Lit!

Do you read? Do you write? Do you live in or around St. Petersburg? Well then, check out Keep St. Pete Lit, where we celebrate and promote the area’s literary community. Whether you’re a writer, a reader or just love the arts, we want you to help us Keep St. Pete Lit.

Read and Write on, my friend!

KEEP ST. PETE LIT celebrates and promotes greater St. Petersburg’s literary community – past, present and future – through arts, education and events with a literary twist. We are readers, writers and lovers of words who strive to bring an approachable, engaging literary component to St. Petersburg’s vibrant arts community. Our headquarters are located at 2622 Fairfield Ave S. St. Petersburg within The Factory St. Pete.

Founder Maureen McDole

Life in Poetry

By Maureen McDole Founder and Executive Director of Keep St. Pete

Shotgun Feathers

It is cuatro de julio and the girl sits under an oak tree listening to cicadas. A man walks toward her carrying a rifle and a plate of chicken wings— hands her the wings and points the rifle up toward the sky.

The bird sings even as the branch groans.

The mother lies on the floor, pregnant body a blur. A man crouches— vulture over limb.

Look how well the bird sits in her nest.

For most of my life, I equated my value with other people's perception of me. I was a classic people pleaser. This manifested into full blown terror when I realized at the age of 28, after years of confusion about what to do with my life, that I was a writer, specifically a poet. I could talk all day about the value and importance of poetry, but in most circles it's not appreciated at all.

Often, one of the first things people say to me when I tell them I am a poet is, "I really hate poetry." Now, hate is a strong word, so imagine the inner strength I had to muster to continue to follow my dream when most people saw it as useless. We live in a capitalistic society, so your value corresponds with your bank balance. All I could think was, how the hell will I support myself as a writer?

This question haunted me. You can imagine my frustration and sadness when I was repeatedly reminded that the world didn’t see what I was meant to do as important; it only saw my writing as valuable if it equalled money in my pocket or literary fame. I was hopelessly angry about this when I was younger, but luckily I channeled these feelings into my writing. Ha!

As artists we often create for the sheer joy of it. Yes,

some of us hope for a financial return on what we create, but often that’s the furthest thing from our minds when we’re in the creative process. Unfortunately, most of us need money to live on Earth. Does this mean that my art is not important, because it doesn’t yield an immediate financial return? Does this mean I need to walk away from what I love doing most in the world? No. Even if I never received a cent from my writing, I would still do it.

This is the fuel that keeps me writing everyday. It's hard to keep at something when everything says, what's the point? It's exhausting, but I have been fortunate to surround myself with a creative community who finds value in what I write. My passion for poetry led to the creation of the literary arts organization that I founded, Keep St. Pete Lit. I often joke that it supports my poetry habit. I also have found people who can help me get my writing out into the world, including this magazine. Was it easy? No. Is the creative life for everyone? No. But, I have never doubted that I am meant to be a writer and I know that no matter how bumpy the road gets, I will find my way through, this is my life's work.

It is what I am meant to do, regardless of what other people think of it or my bank balance. •

The girl cowers in a corner inches from a man cleaning guns. One bullet escapes— blood pools around her ear. Girl, never pluck the feathers.

The hood is propped up on the father’s yellow Datsun. Birds at the girl’s feet rehearse a choreographed danzón. A stream of gasoline finds her eyes.

Birds of blind fate won’t soar.

It is the last December in the hall of the shotgun apartment. A man walks toward the father carrying a rifle and a string of paper wings— raises the rifle to his head.

With the cage door open—

The mother says blood is thicker than water.

But blood persists, says the girl rinsing feathers at the kitchen sink.

Promise

I lined her eyes and held her wrists still. I carved her neck long so that when the rains came she might hold it above water. You will not drown, I promised her. But then her mouth and eyes filled and I let them.

Vertebrate Birthright

The chosen bird with the wingspan of a seed. The canary feather, the empty cage of the mother’s hips, the carcass. The bird’s song—its trills, of course, its wings. These are the kind you search for in the marsh:

whole and broken, real and imagined, extinct. In the beginning, you were bird-like, like bird, toothless, skeletal, chosen for your inability to fly, your propensity to fall. Your failure. A barrage of war cries. A fourchambered heart. Curated bird parts—this is your legacy.

Letisia Cruz is a Cuban-American writer and artist. She is the author of Migrations & Other Exiles (Lost Horse Press, 2023), which won the 2022 Idaho Prize for Poetry, and The Lost Girls Book of Divination (Tolsun Books, 2018). She is the recipient of a 2022 artist grant from the St.Petersburg Arts Alliance and was selected as a 2022 Dali Dozen Emerging Artist for her project Rituales: An Exploration of Faith in the Caribbean.

Lit

“Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”

-M. Scott Peck

—Letisia Cruz

Sea Shell

Your brine-hardened back is arched against a ruthless world, yet firelight seeps through scars, gouges chiseled on careless days.

I recognize our brotherhood— marooned vagabonds who both prefer liberty to the shelter of the coral reef.

Your black etched grooves show scrimshaw character, like dirty fingernails or the wrinkles at the corners of my eyes.

Ivory ridges stand in relief, square as teeth smiling along your edge, a seafarer’s shore-leave grin.

My fingernails strum while you return

Bordeaux Simple

On a hillside, on a blanket, on our third glass of red, as I listen to her hair whisper on bare shoulders, she leans into mocha dusk and asks: What first attracts you to a woman?

And there is no escape. Curves sashay through my mind as night binds me like a straitjacket. I want to say the answer is more like Burgundy than Bordeaux, complicated, though it’s not. I think I might tell her the "eyes” but can’t see hers in the darkness and haven’t yet learned their color.

She carefully breaks the bread and my silence, my body stuttering, as I flick away crumbs like doubts. Then a truth I never knew existed tumbles from my lips: The smile, I say. Not the window to the soul, but the gateway.

And in that moment, life is Bordeaux simple, as Burgundy lips part, the door swings open bright and white, and she welcomes me in.

Balloons (for Joel)

My son’s best friend, six years in remission, leaves the pre-prom party, comes to me, puts a hand on my shoulder, sits, says I look sad.

I tell him I’m fine, cloak my deceit in a throaty laugh, ask why he’s not inside flirting.

Joel just shrugs, as if he has a lifetime of time, says he’s spreading his wings, soaring to Florida this fall for college. His smile warms the cold Ohio spring, refills my deflating middle age with the lightness of possibility. Then he’s gone— back to the party, worrying about finals, graduation, prom night.

Three years later, his friends gather in an early April drizzle, each clinging to the string of a helium balloon. Mine is red, my son’s is green, Joel’s Mom’s is blue.

When the eulogy ends, we let them go, bleeding all color from Ohio into a polka dot sky. I guess I’ll always see those damn balloons

and his smile in my mind until the sky dons a polka dot rainbow for me.

I hug my son, afraid to let go,

John Vanek is a physician, novelist, and poet with works published in numerous literary journals and magazines. He has garnered awards in both fiction and poetry, and has been invited to read his work at colleges, the Akron Art Museum, the Cleveland Clinic, and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. His Father Jake Austin Mystery Series features a Catholic priest protagonist (a 21st century Father Brown). His poetry is available in Heart Murmurs: Poems. He now lives happily as an ink-stained-wretch in St. Petersburg, where he teaches a poetry workshop for seniors and enjoys swimming, hiking, sunshine, good friends, and red wine.

Ken Rollins

By Robin

Ken Rollins is a beloved local arts professional with an impressive career of over thirty years of heading up numerous museums. He served as the Executive Director of the Museum of ArtDeland, the Polk Museum of Art, Gulf Coast Museum of Art, and was Interim Executive Director of the Tampa Museum. Overseeing major expansions and tangible growth in each of his roles, he is revered among his peers. His receiving of Lifetime Achievement Awards from both the Florida Art Museum Directors Association and the Florida Association of Museums attest to that.

What many people may not know is that he is also one of those rare people who put their money where their mouths are and buys art from local artists. His collection is impressive and varied. Local artists in his collection include: Theo Wujcik, Lance Rodgers, Jeff Whipple, Maria Emilia, Jack Brite, Susan Supper, Leslie Neumann, Rocky Bridges, Charles Parkhill and way too many more to list. His home is a beautiful cacophony of color and texture, filled from floor to ceiling with beautiful paintings, drawings, sculptures, and ceramics.

After returning from serving in Vietnam, Rollins received a Master’s Degree in Ceramics and Sculpture from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and lived as an artist for years before decid-

ing to go into arts administration, so he knows a little bit about the difficulties of making a living as a working artist. Besides the attraction of supporting artists, he likes works that employ humor or metaphor. The idea of an underlying backstory intrigues him. His collection is as varied as his interests, intellect, and wide swath of creative friends.

Despite being eighty years old, he still currently heads up Rollins Fine Arts with his son, the Harvard-trained architect Noah A. Rollins. It is a consulting company that represents over 100 artists and works with architects, developers, interior designers, and collectors to place art in appropriate settings. Interesting past projects include the relocation of the monumental John Henry sculpture, “Big Max,” to downtown’s Straub Park for a limited installation and sculptor Eric Higg’s monumental installation for the Element condominium tower in Tampa.

The best collectors realize that they can’t take it with them, and make sure that their precious items are shared. Rollins has been generous over the years donating artwork to The Tampa Museum of Art, The Leepa Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs, Dunedin Fine Arts Center, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, The Studio@620, and the St. Petersburg College Foundation. No longer actively collecting, he has reached out to local museums to see if they

are interested in legacy bequests. Many institutions have chosen items for their collections including the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Polk Museum of Art, Museum of Art-Deland, and the Tampa Museum of Art, among others. So far over sixty pieces are bequeathed and more are pending.

When asked what advice he might give to collectors first starting out he had some sage guidance. He suggested that the more you know, the better your choices will be. He encouraged budding collectors to visit art festivals and gallery and museum openings and to meet and talk with artists. Makers can explain things and give an added perspective to the work. He encourages people to not be intimidated and pointed out that people make aesthetic decisions every day about what they wear or what car they buy, so buying art can be an easy extension of that. Find something that speaks to you and bring it home. Some artists might even let you make payments over time.

St. Petersburg is continuously ranked as a top arts and cultural destination among cities its size. It’s important to support our local artists if we want them to stay and thrive here. Follow Ken’s example and surround yourself with beautiful things. It can bring such joy to not just yourself, but also everyone around you.

O’Dell

Susan Supper - 1985

Ken Rollins Ceramic

John Briggs - SelfPortrait Jeff Whipple - Carol with Lights

Creative Clay. The name does not even begin to define what this dynamic cultural arts center is about. Headed up by its indomitable leader, CEO Kim Dohrman, it has been helping people with disabilities achieve full and inclusive lives since 1995.

This mission is achieved through a cornucopia of services and opportunities.

Perhaps the most recognized is their Community Arts Program. The facility provides teaching artists and open studio space to adults with developmental and/ or physical disabilities where they create paintings, drawings, ceramics, and crafts. These are offered for sale through the Good Folk Gallery and gift shop, which offers monthly themed exhibitions and retail products.

Creative Clay refers to the works as Folk Art, and indeed, for many years hosted a Folk Art Festival (Folkfest St. Pete) that exhibited both well established artists like “Missionary” Mary Proctor (in the collection of the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Art, Smithsonian Institution, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Creative Clay

By Robin O'Dell

in New York) alongside the artists of Creative Clay. Sometimes also called outsider art or naïve art, these items are generally handmade by artists with little or no contact with the conventions of the art world. While the artists at Creative Clay do have teaching artists who help guide themes and encouragement, the participants are left to share their own unconventional ideas and elaborate fantasy-based worlds. The results are wonderfully surprising feasts of color and imagination.

Lest you think it is just visual arts, they also have the Willi Rudowsky and Hal Freedman Performing Arts Studio as well as provide opportunities with theater and videography.

If that’s all they did, it would be a lot. But, there is so very much more. There is the Transition program that offers vocational arts training to adults aged 18 to 22 in partnership with Pinellas County Schools. They also offer an apprentice program called Artlink, which provides one-on-one mentorship, on-the-job training, pre-placement training and supported employment services. In addition to the gallery, there is also a small portion of their 5,000

square foot facility given over to Creative Thrift, where you can purchase repurposed art supplies for a name-your-price amount. Are you now asking yourself why you haven’t visited?

There are so many ways to participate and support this worthy cause. Come buy artwork and cards from the gallery. Come to one of their many upcoming events including a monthly outdoor Friday Art market and monthly exhibits for the SPAA’s Second Saturday ArtWalk. Attend their premiere fundraising party, Spring for the Arts, which will be at NOVA St. Pete on April 21. You can also join the Good Folk Society and donate a monthly amount and get all kinds of sweet swag. Give a sponsorship or join the Visionary Society and include Creative Clay in your estate plans. Or just give a one-time donation. Better yet, buy them a building with a kiln space, dance studio, recording studio and small theater. That would be a game changer!

Creative Clay gives its member artists fifty percent of all works sold, thus making them actual working artists. Acknowledging the cliche, CEO Kim Dohrman

gives this advice to other aspiring artists, “...do what you love and love what you do. Learn the business of being an artist if you want to make a living at it.”

This group of people, both those who work tirelessly to make it all happen and those who participate, offer inspiration about the impact that art can have on individual lives and those of our community. Hopefully, Creative Clay will be around and thrive for another twenty-eight years.

Upcoming events:

Each month during the Pinellas County Schools’ calendar year, Creative Clay’s Member Artists host an outdoor Friday Art Market on the first Friday of the month. Art Market features art for sale in a variety of mediums (ceramics, jewelry, cards, paintings, garden stones). Also featured is Member Artist karaoke, live music by a local musician, and an on-site food truck. The remaining Art Markets for the 2022-2023 school year will be:

• March 3, 10 a.m.-2p.m.

• April 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

• May 5, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Creative Clay hosts new exhibits in its Good Folk Gallery each month, opening during the second Saturday ArtWalk. Creative Clay is open 5-9 p.m. during ArtWalk. The Good Folk Gallery is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Spring for the Arts – April 21, 6-9 p.m., NOVA St. Pete. This is Creative Clay’s premier fundraising party, and it’s an opportunity to enjoy a festive atmosphere while seeing Creative Clay’s mission in action. Member Artists are present, performing with Sparks Collaborative Ensemble and selling their art. Gourmet food by Island Flavors and Tings, silent auction, and local live music TBA.

Upcoming Exhibits:

• Women Artists in Art History –March (Women’s History Month) –Creative Clay’s Good Folk Gallery

• Fidelio Exhibit at St. Petersburg Opera Company - Art by the artists of Creative Clay, as inspired by Beethoven’s opera, Fidelio, Feb. 27-March

...inspiration about the impact art can have on individual lives and our community.

How long have you been in St. Pete and when did you open your gallery? Can you give us some background?

My husband and I moved to St. Pete at the end of 2010 after I retired from my first career. I initially rented a small studio space in the Warehouse Arts District of St. Pete, and in 2015 I got the opportunity to open Woodfield Fine Art Gallery on Central Avenue. While I was in my studio, I got to know several other artists, and found that there were very few outlets for them to show their work, and the only time they could open to the public to sell their work was during St. Petersburg’s second Saturday ArtWalk. This allowed me to commit to only representing local artists once I opened Woodfield Fine Art Gallery.

Where do you think St. Pete stands with regards to art and culture compared to other cities Tampa, Miami, New York, etc. What do you see in 20 years?

While St. Petersburg has made huge strides in building its cultural arts scene in the last few years, there are still areas for improvement and growth. I believe we are already leaps and bounds ahead of Tampa and building on the reputation of the world-class art museums we have, we could easily compete with larger art markets such as Miami, and even New York City. This can happen if the city and county more

Jim Woodfield

10

QUESTIONS

Woodfield Fine Art

2323 Central Avenue St. Petersburg, Florida

fully partner with local arts organizations, and work to ensure that all the talent we have locally can afford to stay here. Realistically, artists have helped build our city, and have turned neglected areas into areas of high-demand real estate, and now the artists are struggling to be able to afford to live here. It would be nice to see the same emphasis placed on the arts as has been placed on sports lately, especially since the arts generate a larger economic impact for the area than do sports. Proper attention to the arts along with collaborations and improved infrastructures, such as, convention centers and municipal cultural arts centers could improve St. Petersburg’s chances of better competing with the likes of Miami (Art Basel) and even New York (Art Hamptons) in the next 20 years.

Your gallery represents over 30 local artists. What does it take for an artist to be part of your gallery? What criteria do you use?

We currently represent 38 local Tampa Bay area artists. Many of our artists have been with us for most of the 7+ years that we have been open; however, each year we have added between two and five new artists to our gallery. Some of the new artists replace artists that have left the gallery, and some we bring in on a trial basis to see how well their work will be received, and if it will sell. We have a good cross section of

emerging artists along with more seasoned professionals. When considering new artists, we look for quality of work, uniqueness, and whether the artist has worked to establish a following.

Is there a particular “style” of art that you find sells better than another? Do you have a favorite?

The answer to this question changes throughout the year, often with the seasons. Rather than “style”, I believe it is best to distinguish art by its genre. I consider four genres when looking at art, representational (with sub-categories such as realism and impressionism), abstract (conceptual to expressionist), surreal, and pop/op art. From those genre, representational art has been more successful at my gallery over a longer period, but there have been consistent surges in the popularity of expressionist abstract art. I do have a favorite, but I would not be doing a good job as a gallerist if I expressed my favorite. Realistically, I love most art genres.

Over the course of a year what kind of turnover do you have with artists?

While art is my passion, the gallery is a business, so when something doesn’t sell, regardless of how much I might love it, it needs to be removed to make room for something new that will sell. Fortunately, I haven’t had a high turnover rate. Artists

become part of the Woodfield Fine Art Gallery family, and even when they leave the family we try to stay in touch, and I will continue to keep tabs on their websites and recommend them when I think they have something a customer might want.

Do you find most of your buyers of art are local, or visitors?

Again, this answer is seasonal. I have built a fairly strong following of local collectors, but they are often outnumbered during the high tourist season of the winter months.

Do you know how many of the artists that you represent make a living as artists, as opposed to it being a part-time hobby thing?

My concern as a gallerist is how good the work is, and how well it sells. I have the biographies of all the artists we represent, but I don’t keep tabs on how much each depends on the sale of their art to survive.

You are an artist yourself. Yet you put much of your time into your gallery and representing other artists. Why is that?

I have always been a parttime artist, and I am fine with the gallery taking precedence over the art I might produce. The gallery has an oft-published motto, “Pursuing a Passion, Realizing a Dream.” Art is a passion more than an avocation for me, and I

have spent most of my 68 years pursuing that passion. Surrounding myself with the beauty that other artists create is a dream realized. We can spend a lifetime chasing our passions, and very few reach the point where they have realized their dreams. I have done just that. Do you have a few bits of wisdom you could provide for beginner, emerging and experienced artists? Please elaborate.

Beginners – you will continually improve as you work, but don’t be so arrogant as to think of yourself as best. Once you are the ‘best’ there is no room left to grow which leads to stagnation. Also, be prepared for rejection, and don’t let rejection stop you from producing art. Eventually, your work will pay off. Emerging – keep honing the skills that have shown you the beginnings of success, and don’t be tempted to take creative shortcuts. Experienced –you have reached a peak as a professional artist, now learn to market yourself, so that you can skyrocket beyond that peak.

Final words?

Gallery representation does not guarantee success as an artist. The gallery and the artists must work together to build recognition and a following. While the gallery spends a lot of time and money promoting the artists it represents, the artists must continue to actively promote themselves.

Aluna's Zodiac

MARCH 2023

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20)

– Happy birthday Pisces! Saturn enters your sign for the first time in 29 years and stays there for nearly three! It will help you get focused and remain disciplined with meditation and other spiritual practices. You’ll also be well-respected at work. You can meet goals of all sorts since you believe you deserve the results of your efforts! Pluto’s change of sign empowers your intuition, so believe in yourself, even if others don’t understand where you’re coming from.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) —

Saturn’s change of sign brings commitment to your meditation practice and gives patience in developing your intuition. You can also release old resentments that hold you back, whether they are about others or yourself! Mars finally changes signs and helps you make big strides at work. Also, you can have major breakthroughs with childhood issues or traumas that keep you from the personal fulfillment you desire. Powerful friends come into your world who walk their spiritual talk!

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

— Venus is in your sign and opens doors for relationship harmony, as well as self-love! You value yourself so you can speak up, setting and maintaining healthy boundaries. Pluto moving into Aquarius allows you to dare to follow your uniqueness, especially in career. Believe in your awesomeness! Saturn changing signs helps you find friends who are as loyal as you are. Release codependent connections!

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

— Pluto’s shift of sign asks you to put more effort toward spirituality. Really commit to yoga, mediation, prayer, or whatever connects you with your deepest soul. Don’t be afraid to uncover issues within yourself. Healing can happen once these things are uncovered! Also, you can have an amazing job offer that’s the culmination of many years of work. Open up to financial abundance!

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

— Mars finally enters your sign after the long retrograde in

Gemini! You’ll feel more physical energy as well as be mentally able to set goals and achieve them. Relationships will also have extra sizzle! Pluto is bringing a healing of any trauma or betrayal that keeps you from intimacy. Saturn’s change of sign renews your faith in the Universe. Remember affirmations and practice feeling them in your heart, not just repeating them in your mind.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) — As heavy-hitters Pluto and Saturn change signs, meditate on relationships. Watch out for power imbalances or manipulation. Also meditate on fear of intimacy. You’ll be able to create more safety in partnerships and to be able to explore the depths of connection in a way you never have before! With Mars also shifting into a new sign, you can rid your subconscious of resentments that drain you, while still maintain healthy boundaries with any “toxic” people.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)

— Make sure you take care of yourself as well as you take care of others! Saturn and Pluto have major planetary changes that awaken you to the value of your own needs. Meditate on relationships and see if there’s a healthy give and receive, not just all give! Cultivate new friends and activities to reflect you higher level of self-worth. Also begin a self-compassion practice. It’s a vital nutrient your soul craves!

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)

— It’s vital for you to remain true to yourself when in a relationship. You can meet someone with whom there’s a powerful connection, but balance that passion with time for your own goals and self-care. Work can also explode with amazing possibilities now that Mars has finally changed signs! Make sure to set healthy limits here as well. It sounds silly, but a daily practice of deep breathing (focusing on the exhale) will revamp your health on many levels. Try just a few minutes a day!

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

— As Mars changes signs, you’ll feel re-inspired about spiritual practices. Try a new form of med-

itation or yoga. You might even travel for fun, but you’ll still have a significant shift that brings more peace and healing to your heart. Make sure you stay true to yourself in relationships, but don’t be so rigid as to shut people out. Many planets are helping you trust more, so watch out for over-scrutinizing people who want to get close.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 –Dec. 21) — Saturn and Pluto’s change of sign ask you to deep dive into your childhood issues or traumas. You might start therapy, or find a way to reframe memories so you feel more self-esteem and empowerment. Also, career options can open up. Even if you’ve been waiting a long time, everything is coming together! Take time to praise your body in meditation. You’ll notice your energy level and health improve. Make time for fun activities to lower stress!

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) — You can start a new relationship, but make sure they respect your work goals. Pluto’s change of signs increases your ambition and you need a partner who honors your internal power! Current

connections must also adapt to your increased self-esteem and shift of focus. Meditate on the spirituality of abundance and prosperity. Release any “poverty consciousness” so you can enjoy a life with less financial struggles!

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) — Pluto moves into your sign for the first time in nearly 300 years! It’ll work with you periodically for about 25 years! Find the power in your unique gifts and talents. Don’t make excuses for who you are! You’ll draw relationships that honor your individuality. You can also contact regenerative powers in your body through yoga, qigong or quantum meditations. You can re-make your mind and thoughts more easily to heal from trauma or negative “programs”.

Aluna Michaels is a second-generation astrologer. She also holds a Masters in Spiritual Counseling and has been teaching and consulting for more than three decades. Her book “Spiritual Gifts of the 12 Astrological Signs” is on Amazon in Kindle version and as an E-book on her website. Aluna is available for appointments in her home, by phone or Zoom. Call (727) 239-7179 (landline so no text!) or call/text (248) 583-1663 or visit www.alunamichaels.com

Viewing a Jeff Aeling painting can be a humbling experience. Not solely due to his formidable mastery, but also because the viewer is often, by design, rather insignificant in the face of the artist’s perspective. A primary trait of many of Aeling’s landscapes is that they “open out.” The vastness of the scene, devoid of any trace of human existence, is so great that it spills beyond the confines of the canvas. The horizon falls somewhere in the lower portion of the composition, and the focus becomes about the awe-inspiring immensity of nature in all its breathtaking splendor, mutability and power. The viewer is a mere dust mote on a smallish planet under an unending sky passing overhead, a seemingly endless array of moons, planets, galaxies, and nebulae in the unseen universe beyond. It is strangely calming and liberating. Other compositions contain objects, typically trees, that relate to a more individual scale, and serve, Aeling says, as surrogates for human figures. And one can see this: the palms in the paintings I have seen are as a cohort assembled at the water’s edge, watching and waiting for something. They are immediately relatable: I feel as if I know these trees, or that I have stood with others in their stead at some time.

Aeling was born in 1958 in Iowa City, Iowa to a medical student and his wife. Soon after graduating, his father joined the army and became a military physician, and the family moved repeatedly, as military families do. Postings in Hawaii during Aeling’s early adolescence, and Colorado immediately thereafter, introduced him to surfing and skiing, in turn fostering a strong love of nature and a tremendous reverence for its beauty and sheer supremacy.

Unlike painters of old, Aeling is not limited to painting the landscape en plein air, nor does he care to. Relying on outdoor conditions requires the artist to create a synthetic moment; an amalgam of conditions over a period of time, and Aeling prefers to honor actual, singular moments that will never be replicated. Thus he has become a sort of landscape paparazzo, spending a great deal of time staking out interesting views and waiting for magic to occur. Are the spacial relationships compelling? Are the proportions pleasing? It is a quest for good, sturdy bones that he might begin to hang a painting on. Time of day is crucial. The middle part of the day is fine for discovering bones, but he will find no meat there. The sun is too directly overhead, the shadows too short. The light’s intensity bleaches the landscape, leaving it flat, pale, and insipid. He will return during the morning hours, or those shortly before sunset when the shadows lengthen, depth returns, and the clouds take on otherworldly hues. During these periods of “high transition” light changes rapidly, and he must work quickly, collecting as many images as possible lest the perfect fleeting conditions escape the click of his shutter. If he is lucky and he has planned well, something will be worthy of committing brush to canvas—three percent or fewer of the images he captures will make the cut.

If Aeling’s name seems familiar to you, it could be because he is elder brother to Mark Aeling, the celebrated local sculptor known for the First Flight monument at the St Pete pier, as well as so many others locally and across the nation. Aeling the painter is every bit as successful, his work in half a dozen museums, in corporate collections too numerous to mention, and featured, over the years, in scores of articles. He even landed the cover of American Art Collector magazine.

Jeff Aeling Jeff Aeling

By Lisa Lippincott

It was during a recent visit with his Florida family that Jeff Aeling laid the groundwork for his newest series: works depicting the landscape in and around St Petersburg. It is a testament to the guidance of his local relations that he was able to find pristine vistas in an area so densely populated that scarcely a speck of privately-held land has gone undeveloped. But these staid, reverent paintings speak to a Florida that existed before all that, before condominiums and cell phone towers dominated the land. A Florida that you have to squint hard and narrow your focus to see here now.

Jeff Aeling’s Florida landscapes go on view at Soft Water Gallery Saturday, March 11 with a public reception from 6 – 9 pm. The exhibition continues through May 6, 2023. For viewing hours, please visit softwatergallery.com.

Hair by Amy Alvarez of Sand Hair Co