Tampa Bay's arts scene eyes a post-pandemic resurgence

The government opened up, offices and restaurants are returning, and now — finally — the arts are coming back to Tampa Bay, too.

The state of play: Our arts scene, especially in St. Petersburg, is about to enter a roaring 2020s renaissance.

• Just like St. Pete's artists were among the first to bounce back after the 2008 recession, Warehouse Arts District Association president Mark Aeling expects a similar post-pandemic resurgence.

What's happening: The light at the end of the tunnel will get a little brighter when the association is breaks ground today on its Arts Education Center, which will be live-streamed at 4pm on Wednesday.

• The center will have three classrooms and a spring-loaded dance floor when it's completed — hopefully by the end of the summer.
• The association will use it to provide arts education for at-risk youth, evening classes for adults and a continuation of its current platform teaching artists how to operate their own businesses.
• Want to help? The association is searching for a consultant to design the curriculum as well as an education coordinator.

More signs of life: Theaters and museums are opening, reopening and rebranding across the area.

• Second Screen is back. Its first provocative pop-up screening is next Tuesday, 83 Degrees Media reports.
• State Theatre is back as Floridian Social Club will host concerts again in downtown St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

• Magicians and husbands Chris and Ryan Zubrick are permanently anchoring their family-friendly act in St. Petersburg, with the opening of the Zubrick Magic Theatre scheduled for this summer, Creative Loafing reports.
• After its major renovation, the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg received five masterpieces on loan, designed to "expand the museum’s inclusivity with works by Black, female and LGBTQ artists," per the Times.

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