Things to Do

Three years ago, Jason Harvin just wanted to paint a few walls in his new Riverview house. But as soon as he laid on his first pieces of painter's tape it was over — he was in love.

What's happening: Harvin has come a long way since then. Now, he's tackling the whole side of a building as a 2021 SHINE muralist, one of 19 artists adding new murals to St. Petersburg over the next week.

Water Street Tampa is happening, lease by lease and grand opening by grand opening.

• Construction for the $3.5 billion eat-work-play-stay development that's reshaping downtown Tampa started in 2018. Phase One will be complete by 2022.

Why it matters: The massive 56 contiguous acre development has nearly doubled the footprint of downtown Tampa and will be a showpiece for the future of sustainable urban waterfront design.

The season of the witch has begun.

• To celebrate the release of our friend Lorraine Monteagut's book "Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color," we asked her to share three witches of color to follow around Tampa Bay

You've got your tickets and your sunscreen, but which of the more than 40 acts at Gasparilla Music Fest should you definitely not miss?

🎧 We asked Ken Apperson, a long-time musician who spent the pandemic listening to and interviewing local bands for Coda Project and WMNF's Live Music Showcase.

If you've been thinking about getting a "winter" garden going, now's the time.

• A slew of plants do well in central Florida's mild winter, when average highs are in the low 70s. Here's a handy guide from Florida Gardening.

The thought of a night at the museum used to make me think of animal and caveman exhibits coming to life, a la a certain Ben Stiller movie.

• Now, the night at the museum I really want is a chance to grab a blanket, fill one of the century-old mugs with hot cocoa and curl up under the warm light of the stained glass lamps at the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement.

What's happening: The MAACM opened in downtown St. Petersburg on Tuesday. I hightailed it over, expecting to see exquisite yarn and macaroni art. I was not disappointed to instead see ornate furniture, lighting and pottery works.

Artist Ya La'ford, whose work seems to be everywhere lately, has designed a new labyrinth-shaped public art piece for Tampa's West River redevelopment that focuses on the "ancient form of walking meditation."

Called "Boulevard Flow," the center of the piece is a raised 10-foot sphere made of aluminum laser-cut panels arranged in a geometrical maze, representing the movement of people, the oak canopies and the flow of the nearby Hillsborough River.

• Surrounding the sphere is a landscaped labyrinth the artist hopes "becomes a reflective and pleasant space to enjoy a positive relationship with the natural world in the backdrop of an urban setting."

Where to find it: The piece will be located at 1345 W. Main Street, in the courtyard of the development bordered by I-275, Rome, Columbus and the Hillsborough River.

More than 50 artists will be featured in the Weird Florida show at Coastal Creative on Thursday.

• Two weird, wonderful ones caught our eye: Camilla Byrd and Cesar Garcia.