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Photos by Adam Lowe
Looking for a holiday that’s more than sea and sand? Need some art in your life? Why not head off to St Pete in 2016?
St Pete has lots to offer the artists and art appreciators amongst you – it has a thriving arts community and is a great spot to appreciate the classic masterpieces or the undiscovered creations scattered across the city’s architecture.
For starters, you can head to The Dali Museum to gorge yourself on the surrealist’s paintings, sculptures and visionary explorations. This is the largest collection of Salvador Dali’s work outside of Spain, housed in a museum which is itself a work of quirky of art. The museum has 1,062 triangular-shaped glass panels which offer panoramic views over St. Pete’s beach.
For the budding painters amongst you, Painting with a Twist offers informal evening classes with a strong social element. A team of instructors will guide you as you create artwork, drawing on Dali’s corpus, whilst sipping away on your own booze with friends.
However, if painting isn’t something you fancy dabbling in, you can take a look at the Chihuly Collection. Consisting of multi-part glass sculptures, many of which seem inspired by natural formations, the collection exhibits the work of world-renowned artist Dali Chihuly. If you visit the glass centre, you can try your hand at glass blowing. There are various classes (ranging from 30 minutes to two days) allowing you to pick up a new skill and take home a bit of Chihuly.
If you prefer to be an observer rather than getting your hands dirty, there’s plenty of street art to admire around every corner. Interactive maps are readily available online and the city’s tourism website features a list of the best places to visit. Murals range from a tribute to Twiggy, positive life affirmations, animals and pieces that represent local businesses and artists. We even got to add our own name!
For more information about upcoming exhibitions and the artwork in and around St. Pete/Clearwater, visit visitstpeteclearwater.com.
