Ask Local Experts

19/10/2021

Check out St. Pete Supports Arts' candidate endorsements for the Nov. 2nd local election!

Also, check out the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area's analysis of the charter amendments and referendum question here:
https://lwvspa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021-November-Ballot-Issue-Analysis-4.pdf

2021 St. Pete Election

22/09/2021

30/07/2021

We sat down with Kofi Hunt last November to talk about local organizing in St. Pete and what's at stake as we head into our local election next month...

He also shares some words of wisdom for other local organizers so they don't get burnt out.

"It's incumbent upon all of us to be active in our democracy..."

"The problems of the world will take as much as you're willing to give and more. So... you try to really organize and bring other people to the cause so they can help to carry the load."

Shout out to Richie Floyd for St Pete City Council and Pinellas Democratic Socialists of America

29/07/2021

We sat down with Jabaar Edmond of the Community Development And Training Center, Inc and DreamMakerz Productions last November to talk about community organizing in St. Pete!

Jabaar's wisdom, clarity, and compassion go a long way. He does the work and knows that his efforts and organizations are not the only ones, nor should they be! He emphasizes a "collective impact model" where transformation, not transaction, are the heart and soul of engagement.

Reach out to Jabaar here on Facebook and/or visit cdatcenter.org to learn more about how you can get involved! Or, you know, get involved in your own neighborhood association! That's how Jabaar got started...

27/07/2021

“My question is: do you see us as artists or do you just see the art?”
James Oleson of Bloom Collective

26/07/2021

Check out this graphic which shows our artist survey responses. Most don’t apply for grants because it’s not worth the time or because they don’t qualify, with the most common answer being “sometimes with varying degrees of success.”

Full survey here:
https://forms.gle/cfjsbbV9z956CCzp6

26/07/2021

26/07/2021

Affordable housing is the #1 concern of St. Pete artists that we surveyed - much to no one’s surprise! Check out the chart of the top concerns of artists in St. Pete who completed our survey.

If you're an artist in St. Pete, and you haven't already, please take our survey:
https://forms.gle/ED4tR2UKGGJUHWV46

26/07/2021

26/07/2021

23/07/2021

St. Pete Supports Arts
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Derek Donnelly aka kicks off our artists’ questions with an invitation into empathy.
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Do you know what it’s like to live and work as an artist?

22/07/2021

Pop over to St. Pete Supports Arts to follow this campaign!

25/02/2021

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I can’t wait to come together with community allies, local businesses, and organizations in the indoor and outdoor space at .tv next Saturday, 2/27 from 10am-2pm to foster connection, trust, and progress toward race equity in St. Pete!
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We’ll be raising funds for - a grassroots organization focused on engaging and enabling historically disempowered citizens through voter registration and “rolls to the polls” events, urban agriculture education, arts accessibility, financial learning and assistance, and more! We are really proud to be helping with their very first fundraiser so they can continue to do amazing direct action work!
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We’ll be starting our event with a community movement class - a collaborative labor of love by , , , and - from 10:30-11:45am. JOIN US LIVE ON FACEBOOK! (Link in bio).
Then, we’ll open up into our Arts and Vendor Exhibition, featuring , , , , food vendors and , and musical guests and .

24/02/2021

Check out this collaborative interview about Progress Through Partnership: Community Event and Fundraiser for Tri-Partisan Canvas and the COMMUNITY MOVEMENT CLASS - Progress Through Partnership happening this Saturday at Coastal Creative!

Tri-Partisan Canvas ♥️

15/02/2021

What does race/systemic racism have to do with health?
Turns out, a whole helluva lot.
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If we’re not addressing racism, we’re not being effective when it comes to improving health outcomes for our citizenry.
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Check out and for more information about St. Pete’s history and about - a community event and fundraiser. All proceeds benefit Tri-Partisan Canvas, a grassroots organization carrying out direct action in our south side communities, as well as civic research, and voter empowerment.

Quote from

27/01/2021

Dunno about y’all, but I’m excited to begin anew - more aligned, more accountable, more aware.
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Let’s do this 🤘🏼
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16/01/2021

There are several reasons we chose to feature and the - and it’s not just because she has an amazing backyard garden.
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1. Permaculture makes the difference. Jen designs her ecosystems with intention - in a way that includes the human element and in a way that closes as many loops as possible (i.e. doesn’t produce waste, but rather reincorporates byproducts into energy cycles of their own).
2. Community! Jen didn’t do this alone. She asked for help and fostered relationships through the . Our culture of American individualism keeps us poorly-resourced (and more wasteful), so I love the way Jen and the St. Pete TimeBank transcend this limitation. We are stronger, healthier, and happier together!
3. This information is actionable! You can drop compost at Jen’s house (or at a compost collection site near you via or ). You can research permaculture communities and time banks in your area. And, Jen is available for hire - as a teacher and as a permaculture designer.
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Like so many things, it’s not just what you do but how you do it. And, and small improvement makes a difference! The less waste you produce, and the more you enrich the soil in your area, the more you improve the microclimate. And, the more of us do that, the more we affect the macroclimate!
Now to get multinational corporations on board... the largest producers of waste. But we’ll save that for another episode 😉

16/01/2021

, here’s a shorter snippet from Jen Andreani's longer piece on her permaculture project.
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No shame! We know you’re busy... so here’s a 2min video instead of a 9min one 😉
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Trying to put permaculture into practice is challenging! From the compost to setting up the beds... even Jen, whose certified in permaculture design (PDC) was having trouble - so - she tapped into community with the St Pete Timebank Public Page to ask for help!
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Community came together to learn with Jen and to set up the systems she’s still using today. Moral of the story: you’re not alone and if you ask for help in the right places, people will be delighted to show up with you 💚🌱