Compass Artist Spotlight Series

The Scatter Brothers production team meets with artist Geff Strik, right, while Florida Orchestra director Michael Francis, far left, looks on.

Singer/songwriter Alex Harris is the current artist in the Spotlight series.

BY CINDY COCKBURN

Phil Yost has a big heart. As president of Compass Land & Title, a successful company on both sides of the Bay, his love of community and passion for the arts has now evolved into a new project, The Compass Artist Spotlight Series.

Year-round, Yost supports the Florida Orchestra, the Dali Museum, Tampa Museum of Arts, Tampa Bay Theatre Festival, MFA, Arts Conservatory For Teens, Lowry Park Zoo, Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and the St. Pete Free Clinic.

Phil Yost

He’s mostly passionate about the arts. ALL of the arts. Just walk through his art-themed offi ce inside the BB&T building at 360 Central Avenue. “I spent a lot of time in museums at a young age throughout Europe and the US with my mother,” he admits. His musical taste is eclectic. Rumors fl y that he was in a punk band. “I dig orchestra, old school jazz, Jamaican rock steady, punk, anything that is genuine and not pop.”

“When COVID hit, I wanted to do something that was positive,” he said of his new venture. “I feel the arts is what makes the difference between a good city and great city. If you have a thriving business, I feel there is a responsibility as a business and community leader to attach yourself to causes that enrich your city.”

This spring, Yost collaborated with the St. Pete-based Scatter Brothers to help bring attention to our diverse artistic community. The production company had just the creative flair he was looking for to capture his favorite artists in a series of 2- to 3-minute videos showcasing the “best of the best” around Tampa Bay.

Filmmakers Ben Daniele and Doug Tschirhart were tasked with creating a love letter to the arts. They embraced the challenge. The only hard part? Trying to narrow down the initial list of talent. The short videos featuring six artistic locals will begin in July and appear once a month throughout the year.

The community is invited to tune in over a variety of social media channels: YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram. The first video featuring Alex Harris was recently released; check out facebook.com compasslandandtitle to find it.

The Compass Artist Spotlight Series is aimed at celebrating our diverse artistic scene. “We wanted to show how business influence and support can bolster more arts in the community, leading to a stimulated society and economy,” said Yost. “My hope is that it inspires others to support the artists that they love, and provides positive energy at a time when we all can use it!”