Clearwater Arts Alliance helps city shine through public art

Stroll along the 400 to 600 blocks of Cleveland Street in downtown Clearwater, and large-scale sculptures of rainbow-colored birds, a metal horse, and a teal seahorse will stop you in your tracks. 

Drive through the streets of Clearwater, and painted storm drains and traffic signal boxes decorated in vibrant landscapes and designs are sure to catch your attention. 

Step inside the Clearwater Main Library, and you’ll discover a spacious gallery filled with rotating displays of bold artworks by local artists. 

This is all the work of the Clearwater Arts Alliance (CAA). As the official arts advocacy organization for the City of Clearwater, CAA is dedicated to enhancing the city’s cultural landscape through public art, arts education, and community engagement. With the help of programs and initiatives run by CAA, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024, the city’s arts and cultural scene has evolved from barely there to bustling. 

“I think everybody feels very encouraged by the recent progress,” says CAA President Beth Daniels, a lifelong resident of Pinellas County. “We feel like we have done a lot and we have made a difference…and there’s become more of a recognition of the value of having public art in the community.”

Cultivating the arts scene

About 10 years ago, CAA launched its signature public art project: art-wrapped traffic signal boxes. The first program of its kind in the Tampa Bay area, the initiative has decorated  close to 50 boxes at intersections and in residential neighborhoods across the city with art from local artists, says CAA Creative Project Director Betsy Alder. The idea has also spread to St. Petersburg and Tampa. 

As more public art installations appeared in the city, CAA started a docent-led art walk event in downtown Clearwater four years ago. It happens the second Saturday of each month and private tours are available as well.  

“There was enough of a concentration in the downtown area —  between sculptural pieces, signal boxes, murals, storm drain art —  that we could take people around to see and enjoy 25 or 30 different pieces,” Daniels says. 

Art education is also a part of the alliance’s work. They fund awards for several Pinellas County Schools juried art shows (K-8 and high school separately) and provide funding for performing and visual arts teachers at public schools in the city of Clearwater to support professional development or special class projects. 

This past spring, CAA used funding from the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency to revamp and relaunch a downtown public art sculpture series once operated by the city. The Clearwater Sculpture Series transforms the Cleveland Street corridor into an open-air gallery. The first set of  eye-catching sculptures — “Nurture” by Clayton Swartz, “Sea Dance” by Robin Morgan, and “Stainless Steed” by Donald Gialanell —  will be on display for a year and a half.

Showcasing local talent

The City of Clearwater also tapped CAA to manage the gallery space at the Clearwater Main Library. Since 2024, they’ve hosted a series of exhibitions and pop-ups at the library spotlighting the work of artists from the region, Pinellas County, and those who have public art in Clearwater. 

In fall 2024, artist Valorie Vogel’s nature-inspired work was included in the exhibition “Inspiration in the City,” which featured artists who had created public art in Clearwater. Three years ago, she was awarded a grant from CAA to create a signal box design commemorating Glenwood Estates’ 100th birthday. It’s located on the corner of Drew Street and North Highland Avenue. This past summer, Vogel’s solo exhibition in the library gallery space, “Welcome to Paradise,” showcased 78 works. 

“I know that having CAA provide space for local artists not only inspires creativity, but contributes to an art renaissance that raises awareness in the viewers and for the community,” says Vogel, a professional artist for 47 years. “Art is as vital as eating and capable of transforming us.”

Adler says the artists who exhibit at the library gallery enjoy seeing the community connect with, and support, their art. 

“The artists are reporting more traffic to their website, they’re getting commissions, which is really what we’re about — promoting art and artists in our community,” she says.

To keep their work going, CAA is hosting a fundraiser, Clearwater Creates: Celebrating Public Art from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3rd at Cleveland Street Market, 1011 Cleveland St.  Guests can meet local artists, enjoy live jazz music, bid in a silent auction, and help select the city’s next public art piece. Tickets start at $50. 
For more information, go to Clearwater Creates