The Lovable Pets of an Artistic Community

Gulfport’s ‘Show Us Your Pets’ Exhibit Opens

By Cameron Healy

Show Us Your Pets , Gulfport: That’s the message the Gulfport Arts Center sent with its third show in its inaugural year.

And that’s what artists did. This exhibit, which opened Feb. 18, features 10 artists with more than 20 pieces of art, both two-dimensional and sculpture. Artists submitted photography, fine art, sculptures, and fabric. Featured artists include Beverly Boyarsky, Clara Gowen, Eve Pitts, James C. Spoth and Amanda Hagood, Kim Wilder Hinson, Stevie and Charlotte Cerf, Susan Hess, and Tamara Simmonds.

David Kanter and Marissa Stewart-Dix, board members for the Gulfport Historical Society and cochairs for the art steering committee in the Gulfport Art Center, sent an open call to Gulfport artists in January through social media and by contacting previous featured artists directly.

“We were like, why don’t we keep everything cohesive with Get Rescued going on, with Pet Mayor going on, and then we do Show Us Your Pets to see what kind of really awesome animal-oriented artwork we could get from our very dog, cat, and all sorts of variety of animal loving community,” Kanter explained.

Unlike the first show, juried by the director of Tempus Projects, a Tampa arts collective, this time the Center asked Arin Greenwood to jury the show. Greenwood is an avid animal shelter advocate, a writer, and served on the board of Friends of Strays. Stewart-Dix said Greenwood was “incredibly qualified” to juror the show.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, the gallery held its opening reception with tables of snacks and treats for everyone. Friends of Stray set up an information table in the corner of the gallery where visitors could learn more about the animal shelter and vote for pet mayor.

Some of Gulfport’s pet mayoral candidates showed up in support of their neighborhood friends. Even a couple of the candidates were a part of the show. Admiral Byrd’s family made a life-like papier-mâché sculpture of him. This mixed media piece won “Best in Show.”

Stewart-Dix mentioned the committee is grateful the City of Gulfport let them have this art space, because that’s usually the hardest part for art organizations.

“Like the city manager, Jim [O’Reilly], he’s been a huge support for all of this,” Kanter said. “He really appreciated our vision for what we were thinking about doing with the space and trying to do, which is truly to continue to create a community art space here in Gulfport that can serve not only Gulfport but truly all Pinellas, but you know with a focus on all age stuff and with a focus on youth work and youth education.”

Kanter said all of the art center’s exhibits have been fun so far and allowed Gulfport’s artists to display their creativity.

“I think this event is very Gulfport.

It’s about pets. It’s about community. The Gulfport Art Center is about community. And David, when you say art services organization, I think heavy on the service,” Stewart-Dix said. “So combining those two things just for this exhibit alone is it’s just a very Gulfport thing.”

Gulfport Arts Center, 2726 54th St. S. Gulfport. First Friday (Mar. 3) and by appointment. 727-201-8687; arts@ gulfporthistoricalsociety.org.