The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA) has announced a garden party brunch this April, the Hats Off To Performing Arts gala. Hosted in the gardens of the Rutland-Farley Estate overlooking the bay in South St. Pete, the event will honor SPAA’s first “Arts Advocate of the Year,” Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy’s State President in Florida.

Seixas was the originator of the idea of creating a Comprehensive Arts Strategy for the City of St. Petersburg and took that idea to Jason Mathis, CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, who involved SPAA, and the rest is history. The celebratory garden party takes place on Sunday, April 24 from 11 am – 2 pm. Tickets and more information on sponsorship opportunities are available here.

Attendees will meet and mingle outside on the grounds of the luscious estate while enjoying special live performances and brunch-inspired hors d’oeuvres and beverages. The experience begins with live theatrical, movement and musical performances throughout the beautiful gardens overlooking the bay. Throughout the brunch, guests will be able to enjoy gourmet bites and beverages, as well as opportunities to support SPAA’s work for the arts in the community. The acme of the event will be the honoring of Seixas as Arts Advocate of the Year.

In addition to food, art and performance, Hats Off To Performing Arts is encouraging all to wear their most creative hats and show off their artistic talents by “donning a fantastic hat that speaks to your own creative genius.” Special prizes will be awarded to the “Most Beautiful,” “Most Creative,” and “Most Humorous” hats. There will also be an auction with unique offerings.

SPAA provides crucial support for St. Pete artists

The Comprehensive Arts Strategy, conceptualized by Seixas, led to the formation of meetings, surveys and one on one discussions with thousands of art leaders, artists and lovers of art within the City of St. Petersburg. The four tenets of the plan are collaboration, purposeful communication, leadership and funding and bench making.

With the genesis of this plan, SPAA is lifting up the arts by supporting individual artists and galleries, creating a city that reflects a Mecca of Museums, promoting performing art venues and performing artists, recognizing the uniqueness of the art districts that comprise the City of St. Petersburg and continuing to educate and advocate for adequate and sustainable funding for the arts as an economic driver.

The brunch garden party celebration will promote continued support of programs and resources for local artists and arts institutions that ignite creativity, community, and prosperity. Proceeds from this inaugural event will provide support for:

• Arts Education – in school and after school
• Conducting workshops and education sessions for artists, non-profits and creative businesses
• Increasing impact with our job opportunity board
• The St. Petersburg Second Saturday ArtWalk
• Producing ArtBeat – a unique e-newsletter with Opportunities for artists, non-profits and creative businesses
• SHINE, St. Petersburg’s Annual International Mural Festival
• Building capacity for SPAA to carry out its mission

An investment in SPAA’s Garden Party is ideal for individuals, businesses, or organizations that are established or emerging supporters of the arts and our community. Brand exposure will be amplified through social media outreach and collaborative marketing, among the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, St. Petersburg’s five arts districts, the City of St. Petersburg, and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors will receive advance marketing and publicity.

Learn more about SPAA and Hats Off To Performing Arts garden party brunch here.

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