In times of turmoil, we turn to the artist for comfort and clarity. This much has been exhibited over the past few weeks, especially in the Sunshine City. Whether it’s virtual mural tours, local musicians live streams, library tours with local authors, zoom poetry open mics, digital drawing classes, or meditative courses with The Body Electric Yoga, the creatives in this city have made this situation much more bearable. Fairgrounds x The Factory will soon serve as an interactive, avant-garde, awe inspiring home of the arts.
Fairgrounds, a South St. Pete based immersive arts destination, has released a
call to artists, artisans, creatives or artist-led teams that live and work in the state of Florida. Fairgrounds seeks to commission multiple artist(s), creatives and makers to contribute to its inaugural exhibition.
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Fairgrounds looks to celebrate Florida Artists
Please, artists, bring your love of swamp lore and Florida roadside culture to the forefront. This opportunity is open to any artist in the state of Florida. You can submit anything from a single work of art to room-size instillations. The only limit is your imagination.
“We’re excited to be launching our inaugural call to artists, especially in the midst of the current Coronavirus pandemic when artists and our local creative community can benefit from new opportunities. We hope artists and makers of all disciplines and experience apply,” said the founder of Fairgrounds, Liz Dimmitt.
The submission window is Monday, April 20, 2020 to 11:59 pm, Sunday, May 3, 2020.
Finalists from the RFQ process will be notified in May, and will be invited to submit a Request for Proposal (RFP). Artists will be compensated with small stipends after submitting this more detailed proposal. Visit Fairgrounds’ website for details on how to apply.
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Arts playground to open in 2021
In 2021, Fairgrounds will open a destination for experiencing and creating immersive art and technology. Its 12,000 sq. ft. experiential art exhibition will feature a range of opportunities for artists, performers, writers, musicians and storytellers. Fairgrounds will celebrate Florida’s many dimensions, embracing all things weird, wacky and wonderful. Through exhibits, events, workshops and creative education programs, Fairgrounds aims to become a leader for arts innovation, and an economic engine for local artists and craftspeople.
The concept is the brainchild of CEO and Founder Liz Dimmitt, along with Olivia Mansion, Director of Marketing & Artist Relations, and Mikhail Mansion, Director of Art + Technology & Co-Founder. Haris-Adele Peteranecz is Fairgrounds’ Intern, and Tyson Johnson is the Managing Director.
When Fairgrounds officially opens, it will be quite unlike anything you’ve experienced in St. Pete before. TeamLab in Japan, and Meow Wolf in New Mexico are prime examples of the types of immersive exhibits residents can expect.
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Bringing swamp lore and space travel to beautiful life
Expect to see the kitschy, strange, vibrant mythos of Florida burst to life. Through narrative workshops the Fairgrounds team has been able to craft a rich story map of the Sunshine State. Prepare to travel through space and time from the space coast to the swamps.
St. Petersburg got its first taste of Fairgrounds at the SHINE Mural Festival Finale. There, the team presented a special mermaid exhibit featuring our own resident mermaid mermaid Raven Sutter of Merbella Studios.
Fairgrounds popped up again at Localtopia. The team asked the thousands of visitors that passed through the event that weekend three prompts/questions: Describe St. Pete in 3 words; Tell us a recent Florida Adventure; What is your favorite arts experience.
Most spectacularly, Fairgrounds added immersive Floridaramas the St. Pete Arts Alliance‘s annual MUSE Awards held at the Museum of Fine Arts.
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Entrepreneurship and creativity come together
This team believes in the matrimony of entrepreneurship and creativity. This massive space will feature an exquisite souvenir shop, in addition to potential sales within the art experience itself.
They are also creating a space for creative private events that will be available for reservation. It’s a living, breathing arts laboratory that serves as an ongoing conversation with the public.
Fairgrounds will be a part of The Factory, a massive arts development that will also serve as a home for Keep St. Pete Lit, SHINE Mural Festival, Black Crow Coffee, Daddy Kool, Barley Common Brewing Lab and more.
Want keep up with everything that’s inspiring the Fairgrounds team? Follow the concept on Facebook and Instagram.
Curious about what else is happening at this massive development? Follow The Factory on Facebook and Instagram where you’ll see ample renderings and imaginings courtesy of Behar + Peteranecz Architecture.
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