June is Pride Month and celebration will be in full swing in Gulfport, a Pinellas beach town near South St. Petersburg.

The LGBTQ Resource Center of the Gulfport Public Library is hosting a six-part SpeakOut series with an emphasis on “Intersections of LGBTQ Identity and Art.” SpeakOut examines the intersections between LGBTQ identity and aging, art, faith, law and literature. The “Intersections of LGBTQ Identity and Art” discussion will be presented on June 4th by Saudade Toxosi, multidisciplinary artist and image curator, and Steve Glassman, art curator, architect and former gallery owner.

“June is positively exploding at the award-winning LGBTQ Resource Center of the Gulfport Library," says Susan Gore, board president of the LGBTQ Resource Center of the ​​Gulfport Public Library. "Intersections of LGBTQ Identity and Art is one of six SpeakOut dialogues funded in part by a Florida Humanities Community Project grant.”

The event is free to the public and can be attended via Zoom. More information about the event and registration can be found here.

“Those who attend the LGBTQ Identity and Art dialogue at the library on June 4th also will get to see more than 50 artworks from 12 countries created for the month-long ArtOut exhibit 'Queering the Pandemic,'" Gore says. "'Queering the Pandemic' focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ artists' creativity, resilience, suffering, hope and more."

The ArtOut exhibit will be held in-person at the Gulfport Public Library and can be found virtually here.

The city of Gulfport is also hosting its second Pride celebration this month on June 4th.

“Downtown Gulfport will be filled with information booths, vendors, music stages, food trucks and the Friends of Dorothy Parade, led by the Gulfport Gecko Amalgamated Marching Band," Gore says. "Lots of family-friendly fun on June 4th in Gulfport!” 

What else is going on in the month of June?

Looking to have a fun and relaxing night at a museum? Tampa Succulents has partnered with The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art to offer visitors the opportunity to make a succulent planter in the Wine & Design: Succulent Planters workshop on June 7th.

Tampa Succulents owner Lisa Kimball will lead the workshop where attendees will learn arrangement techniques and how to care for sustainable plants. The workshop begins at 6 p.m. The class fee is $55 for non-members and $50 for members. The fee includes museum admission, workshop materials and a glass of wine. More information regarding the event and registration can be found here.

The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa's waterfront arts district opens a new exhibit "Suzanne Camp Crosby: the Art of Life" on June 3rd. The major retrospective exhibit on the late local artist and art professor runs through Sept. 25. From 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. on June 24 there will be a panel discussion featuring participants who knew Crosby. For more information, go here.

The Carrollwood Cultural Center in Tampa is opening a new art exhibition that celebrates the priceless expressions and innocent faces of children. "Precious Faces" is on display in the Main Theatre and the artists' reception is on June 10th at 5:30 p.m. More information regarding the exhibition can be found here.

What is a book? That is the question that is explored in the new Florida CraftArt exhibition opening on June 10th. The Florida CraftArt juried exhibition "Beyond Words: Celebrating Books as Art" showcases handcrafted work by 35 artists from Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

The exhibition includes 75 pieces that highlight books as a medium of artistic expression. "Beyond Words: Celebrating Books as Art" can be viewed at the Florida CraftArt gallery in St. Petersburg. A workshop with curator Cindy Bartosek, a multimedia presentation with author Deb Carson and artists’ talks will be held throughout the month of June. More information regarding the exhibition and event dates can be found here.

Looking to learn more about Clearwater’s public art scene? Join Clearwater Arts Alliance on June 11th at 10:00 a.m. for a downtown public art walk featuring beautiful art created from trash. "Art and Trash-ure" will begin at Old City Hall and will end with a reception at a downtown restaurant. Tickets are $10 if purchased in advance and $15 the day of the tour. More information about the art can be found here.

The Inspired Artist Studios at PARC, a career advancement initiative for artists of all ages, is presenting the "Florida Shines On" exhibition at the Morean Arts Center. The exhibition highlights Florida’s natural resources through art created with recycled materials. The artist’s reception will be held on June 11th at 5:00 p.m. during the St. Petersburg Art Walk. The exhibition is free to the public and more information can be found here.

The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at St. Petersburg College is opening a summer exhibition on June 18th which highlights the effects of climate change on water. The exhibition "Florida’s Waterways" motivates visitors to learn more about the effects of climate change on our waters by connecting science and the artists’ point of view.

"Florida’s Waterways" includes works from photographers Clyde Butcher, Barry Anderson, and Robert von Sternberg and painter Denis Gaston. "Florida’s Waterways" is located in the Lothar and Mildred Uhl Works on Paper Gallery and more information regarding the exhibition can be found here.

Join Creative Pinellas for Third Saturdays at Pinewood on June 18th at three neighboring locations. The Florida Botanical Gardens will be hosting classes on orchid care and activities from the Growing Up Wild Curriculum. More information regarding the events at the Florida Botanical Gardens can be found here.

Head over to Creative Pinellas to view the 2022 Emerging Artist exhibition and The Things They Left Behind exhibition which are both open through June 26th. More information regarding the exhibitions at Creative Pinellas can be found here. Visit the HC Smith Store and the McKay Creek Boat Shop exhibit at Heritage Village to learn about early sailing in Pinellas County.

The 19th Annual Downtown Dunedin Craft Festival will span across Dunedin’s Main Street from June 25th to June 26th. This annual event displays the handmade works of some of the country's finest artists and crafters. This event is free to the public and more information can be found here.

Call to Artists

The Morean Arts Center is accepting entries for Bookish the 2022 Morean Members Show. Artists are invited to submit one work of art for the exhibition and the title of the artwork must be the title of the book. Pick a book that you love or that has impacted you recently and create a work of art in any medium that is inspired by that book in some way. The deadline to enter and for artwork delivery is June 25th. Show dates for Bookish begin on July 7th. More information regarding Bookish and how to enter can be found here.