(Mid) October arts roundup: Ybor Arts Tour, Halloween happenings

The biannual Ybor Arts Tour’s fall jaunt is 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, October 16th. 

The self-guided showcase of Ybor arts and culture stops at more than two dozen venues, a mix of galleries, studios, theaters, restaurants, a hotel, and a brewery.  

“It’s a way of bringing together different aspects of Ybor City’s arts scene under one  umbrella for a day and encouraging people to visit as many of them as they can to get a taste of the arts community here in Ybor City,” says Kress Community and Programs Manager Mitzi Gordon, who organized the tour. “I think we’re all stronger when we work together to cross promote and make people aware of the depth and variety of cultural offerings that we have.”

Like past tours, the Kress Contemporary and Hillsborough Community College’s Ybor campus will be bustling with activity. At the Kress, 1624 E. Seventh Ave., Tempus Projects, Honey Gallery, Reverb Gallery, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, and Art Noire all have exhibits on display. Parallelogram Gallery has a pop-up showcasing avant-garde art. The Coalition of Hispanic Artists celebrates Hispanic heritage with “Heritage in Motion,” which features the work of five artists set to music to inspire dance. The Fringe Theatre will have a sneak peak performance of its upcoming haunted house experience at the Kress’ October 24th Halloween party event. Yarn shop Pop Yarn will be open.

On the third floor, the opening reception for the group exhibit “Arts Council Honors,” which features work by six artists who received professional development grants from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Also on the third floor,  a dozen artist studios will be open to the public, offering a unique glimpse into their creative environment.

“Visting an artist’s working studio is always a peak behind the scenes into process because you’re seeing their workspace,” Gordon says.

At HCC’s Ybor campus, the Theatre Department will perform excerpts from upcoming productions of “Enter the Body” and “35mm: A Musical Exhibition.” The hurricane-themed group exhibit “In Case of Flood” is on display at Gallery114 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. HCC Dance will have improvisational performances and a drum circle.

There are also a few new stops on this tour. Apothecary-themed bar and restaurant LARA joins with its “Behind the Shelves Art Speakeasy” art series. Sky Puppy Brewing, which has put on art shows and displayed local art since opening, has Tampa Bay artist Rebekah Lazaridis’s work on display. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Valencia Foyer at Hotel Haya has Mario Pérez’s “Open Doors to History” on display.

“Those are interesting locations as far as not being traditional spaces where visual art is on display,” Gordon says of the tour’s new venues.

The tour also includes Marcolina’s Fine Arts, skateboarding photography at The Bricks, local artwork on display at 1920, and Ybor City-based artist Brian Leach’s WestBuk studio.

For more information, go to Ybor Arts Tour

“A Sublime Obsession,” and “The Soldier’s Lens” at FMoPA 

“A Sublime Obsession: Photographs from the Hazlitt Collection,” an exhibit of black and white and color photos from collector Andy Hazlitt’s archive, is at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts at Ybor City’s Kress Contemporary through January 11th. 

The exhibit features work by photographers such as  Ansel Adams, Robert Adams, William Eggleston, Joel Sternfeld, and Justine Kurland, among others.

For more information, go to A Sublime Obsession

“The Soldier’s Lens,” a  curated exhibition featuring the photography of active-duty service members, veterans, and their families, is at FMoPA from October 28th through December 7th. The opening reception is 5:30 p.m. on November 6.

For more information, go to The Solider’s Lens

“Evil Dead the Musical” at Stageworks

“Evil Dead the Musical” is at Stageworks in Tampa’s Channel District from October 24th through November 16th.

Based on the cult classic movie, it’s the story of five college students who go to an abandoned cabin in the woods, where they accidentally unleash an evil force that turns them all into demons. Chainsaw-wielding antihero Ash fights off the forces of evil to songs such as “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Kandarian Demons” and “What the F**k was That?” 

For more information, go to Evil Dead the Musical

“The Bucs at 50” at Tampa Museum of Art

“The Bucs at 50: A Photographic Retrospective,”  a photo exhibit showcasing milestones and memorable moments from the team’s five decades in the NFL, is on display at the Tampa Museum of Art through October 26th. The exhibit includes photos of the team’s early years and stars like tight end Jimmie Giles, former coach Jon Gruden celebrating the Bucs’ first Super Bowl victory, and Tom Brady’s decision to go full “Florida Man” and toss the Lombardi Trophy from boat to boat.

For more information, go to The Bucs at 50

“Pumpkins & Pythons” at FloridaRAMA

“Pumpkins & Pythons,” an immersive art activation dubbed “Florida’s most Florida Halloween experience,” is at FloridaRAMA in St. Petersburg through November 3rd.

Featuring a python invasion of FloridaRAMA’s Mermaid Star Motel, “Pumpkins & Pythons” is included with general admission, which is $22 for children 4-12 and $27 for adults. Add a  python challenge scavenger hunt for $7. 

For more information, go to FloridaRAMA 

“Deathtrap” at freeFall

Ira Levin’s classic “Deathtrap” is at freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg from October 24th through December 7th. 

Featuring multiple plot twists and a “play within a play,” “Deathtrap” debuted in 1978 and became the longest-running thriller in Broadway history. A 1982 film adaptation starred Michal Caine and Christopher Reeve.

For more information, go to freeFall Theatre

“People, Places, and Things” at Stirling Art Studios and Gallery

“Peopel, Places, and Things Invitational Photography Exhibit” is at Dunedin’s Stirling Art Studios and Gallery through November 2nd. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

The exhibit features emerging and established photographers and works in a wide range of styles. Ric Savid, the 2024 Photo Laureate of the St. Petersburg Month of Photography, is among the featured photographers.

For more information, go to Stirling Art Studios and Gallery

Tampa Bay History Center “A Night at the Museum”

From 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 19th, the Tampa Bay History Center’s galleries will be transformed into themed trick-or-treat stations for the annual “A Night at the Museum” Halloween event. 

There will be candy, costumed characters, games, and crafts. Admission is $20 per person. 

For more information, go to Tampa Bay History Center

Creative Pinellas invitation to artists

Creative Pinellas is inviting Pinellas County artists to submit work for its main exhibition of the year, Arts Annual 8. Visual artists, performers, and filmmakers are invited to apply. 

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. on October 26th, with artist notifications going out the week of the 27th. The November 21st opening reception is also Creative Pinellas’ annual fundraiser. The exhibit runs from November 22nd through January 4.

For more information, go to Arts Annual

“Susannah” at St. Pete Opera

The St. Pete Opera performs Carlisle Floyd’s “Susannah” on October 17th (8 p.m.), 19th (2 p.m.), and 21st (7:30 p.m.) at the Palladium Theater.

“A young girl blossoms into beauty in a small town in rural Tennessee,” a description on the St. Pete Opera website says. “Her only relative is her drunken brother, her only friend, the son of disapproving church leaders. The church elders come upon Susannah bathing nude in a creek by her house, and instead of seeing her innocence, they project their own sins upon the girl. One evil act breeds another in this tale of intolerance, betrayal and loss.”

For more information, go to Susannah