Jodi Fuchs moves carefully through her art studio in her apartment in St. Petersburg as a mild sun streams through her blinds. Throughout Fuchs’ atelier lie pieces of abstract art, and her latest work-in-progress spans her front wall.
A relatively new artist in St. Petersburg, Fuchs was one of over 70 local creatives in the Creative Pinellas Arts Annual this past winter. “I was really wanting to participate as an artist,” Fuchs said.
It would also be her last exhibition with the gallery.
Last Sept., county commissioners voted 5–2 to slash more than $1 million from Creative Pinellas, the county’s 14-year-old arts agency. Creative Pinellas partially uses county funds to provide grants for local artists and arts tourism and to support public art projects.
County Commissioner Christopher Latvala, who voted in favor of the cuts, said: “Our residents demand property tax relief and I support that. I have supported many arts programs over the years, but unfortunately, last year we voted to cut some funding to Creative Pinellas. Our Pinellas arts community will continue to thrive.”
The funding cuts led to the closing of the organization’s award-winning gallery in Pinewood Cultural Park and nearly a dozen layoffs, according to Creative Pinellas CEO Margaret Murray.
Many artists say the gallery was a springboard for their careers.
“It felt targeted. It felt malevolent,” said Roxanne Fay, a Clearwater director.
More broadly, the Creative Pinellas slash reflects a statewide uncertainty for the arts following Gov. DeSantis’ decision in 2024 to veto $32 million in state arts funding.
Murray emphasized that the organization will find other ways to provide art grants. “We continue to keep our lines of communication with the county open regarding future funding for artists to create work in Pinellas County,” she said.
The Largo Tribune spoke with six local artists about the Creative Pinellas cuts and what they mean for the future of the arts in Pinellas County.
Jenipher Chandley
Jenipher Chandley began her arts journey at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. But her career path wasn’t typical.
Chandley became a screen printer in 2002, working in different locations, but eventually decided to go independent in 2018.
At first, the pivot was scary and somewhat “liberating.” Although Chandley had already established her name in some local stores, she grappled with how to be her own artist and secure grants. She had to build a stronger reputation but didn’t know where to start.
Then she discovered Creative Pinellas.
“It was like starting from scratch, and Creative Pinellas was always this parent figure. We looked – as new and emerging artists in our community – we looked to them for guidance, and how do you even navigate being an artist,” the 45-year-old said.
In 2023, Creative Pinellas awarded Chandley the Emerging Artist Grant. The accolade did more than just provide financial support.
For months, Chandley received professional guidance on her next steps and worked with other artists. The support bolstered her confidence and gave her exposure.
She also credits the award with helping her secure her first studio at the ArtsXchange, a St. Petersburg campus of galleries and studios. Currently, Chandley teaches four days a week at the facility and uses her space for all her projects.
“Being awarded Emerging Artist made me feel like I had finally made it in my community. Like I could be taken seriously as an artist, not just someone who loves to create, but someone whose voice mattered,” Chandley said.
However, the gallery’s closing has taken a toll on Chandley. She says she must now look elsewhere for exhibitions.
“Instead of the shows being here locally, it’s going to end up regionally. Less art will happen. We will have to go to Sarasota, Naples, and even Tallahassee,” she added.
Jodi Fuchs
Jodi Fuchs has always been interested in energy.
Now 61, Fuchs started out as a decorative painter in Los Angeles. She moved around the country before shifting to a studio practice and focusing on abstract art.
“I really like to capture the essence of things. I’m interested in the poetry of abstract art,” Fuchs said.
Having moved to Florida about three years ago, Fuchs needed to quickly get her name and art in front of a new audience. She came across Creative Pinellas while checking out new spaces in town.
Fuchs met Margaret Murray, the CEO of Creative Pinellas, at the Morean Arts Center in 2024 and talked about the upcoming Arts Annual there. She has been a part of the Arts Annual for two years now, but this past year’s was different.
Learning of the Creative Pinellas funding cuts pushed her to submit to this year’s exhibition.
“It’s always disappointing when the arts are not funded because the arts bring energy, culture, and tourists,” the Los Angeles native said.
The gallery provided an often overlooked and essential space for Fuchs. It felt more natural compared to the galleries in St. Petersburg; the space gave her an opportunity to sit with the art. She noted the shows “were a wonderful cross section of the creative talent here in town.”
That said, the abstract artist believes in a bright future for Creative Pinellas. Fuchs thinks artists are resilient people, and the agency will find a way to bounce back.
“It’s a shame that the money went away, but at the same time, it’s such an opportunity to reimagine how we can participate with the community as artists and collectors,” Fuchs said.
Jennifer Dockham
Jennifer Dockham was inspired to create her latest piece after seeing geckos run around her studio in Largo. It was a perfect fit for the local artist, who emphasizes nature imagery throughout her works.
Circling around Sacred Heart imagery, yellow geckos adorn Dockham’s latest piece at the Arts Annual in January. In this artwork, Dockham used much thicker paint to create the sculptural lizards.
Dockham also worked for the Creative Pinellas gallery starting in the fall of 2025, helping with operational tasks and guiding people through the “magic of local art.” Her role also marked an emotional shift; she turned to Creative Pinellas after her grandfather passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I came back to art as a way to process all that grief and change in my life, and the friends I made at Creative Pinellas have been a hugely positive influence in my life,” she said.
But with the county’s defunding, Dockham left the organization when the gallery’s doors closed. Creative Pinellas CEO Margaret Murray said nearly a dozen people were laid off in an “incredibly difficult decision.”
“Working at the gallery was an extremely positive experience—connecting one-on-one with other local artists and community members and giving them an opportunity to celebrate creativity. It’s so disappointing to lose the gallery,” the Pinellas County native said.
John McCaskill
John McCaskill saw the rise of culture in Pinellas County.
McCaskill moved to Indian Rocks Beach when he was little and took some art classes at the Madeira Beach Art Center.
Creative Pinellas’ situation feels like déjà vu to McCaskill. Before coming back to St. Petersburg, McCaskill lived in Hawaii for 20 years. He was president of the Honolulu Printmakers organization, working closely with its exhibitions.
After 50 years of financial support, the nonprofit art organization lost funding and struggled to bounce back.
Despite the abrupt funding cut, the group moved to downtown Honolulu and opened a new facility. “Sometimes, things are meant to be. Now they’re more independent,” he said.
When McCaskill moved back to St. Petersburg, he needed a space to bridge back into the Pinellas County arts community.
Creative Pinellas reintroduced McCaskill’s work to the local community after he lived elsewhere. Organizations like Creative Pinellas create opportunities that help artists like McCaskill move from working privately to joining the broader cultural scene.
“Creative Pinellas helps artists move from working in isolation to being part of a community, and that connection is often what allows an artist’s career to really take shape,” the 71-year-old said.
Today, McCaskill works from his studio in St. Pete Beach as a printmaker and design consultant.
Luci Westphal
Luci Westphal got her first camera at 8 and quickly learned to develop film.
Gradually, her love for visual art blossomed into a career in the US, from stints in Brooklyn and Colorado. She started to join exhibitions when she moved to St. Petersburg a few years ago.
Initially, it was hard for her to find spaces like Creative Pinellas’ gallery that displayed all forms of art—poetry, plays, and photography.
“As far as I know, there are not many spaces that so directly support all these forms of art, and none on that scale,” Westphal said.
Westphal was another Emerging Artist Grantee, and the award was a building block for the photographer’s career. Being a part of the grant cohort gave more validity to Westphal’s reputation. It also helped her obtain a studio at the “highly competitive” ArtsXchange.
“Now, I’m a very proud member of the ArtsXchange artist collective,” Westphal added, “together with a handful of other previous Creative Pinellas grantees among the over 20 local artists.”
More so, the staff and reputation of the Creative Pinellas gallery made it possible for artists like Westphal to experience high-end art by other locals. Through the arts agency, Westphal made “helpful” connections to other art professionals who have been “instrumental” in her growth.
On top of her involvement with the space, Westphal is one of three visual artists at the Creative Pinellas Sightline Gallery at the St. Pete-Clearwater (PIE) airport. Called “Rise,” the gallery will display Westphal’s photos of flying birds and angels.
Roxanne Fay
Roxanne Fay spent a month in a medieval Scottish castle, nestled deep in the woods and far from any distractions. Her research trip was part of a Creative Pinellas Professional Artist’s Grant.
“It was a beautiful experience. It was the setting that I really needed and the time that I really needed to research the play that I wrote about the historical figure of Lady Macbeth,” the Clearwater-based playwright said.
For Fay, it was an invaluable experience, and the Creative Pinellas grant took care of the expenses. There wasn’t a litany of chores either, so she could focus just on her work.
She then wrote the play Thrice to Mine a year later.
“It was just that real gift of time that was what made it possible,” Fay said.
In December, Fay took part in the Arts Annual, her final show with the Creative Pinellas gallery; the gallery showed four of Fay’s plays, including the one written in Scotland.
But the Arts Annual was more than an art show. Fay took her mom, living with advanced cognitive decline, during the Christmas holidays and showed her the plays. Her mother doesn’t remember a lot of what Fay has done as an artist.
Her mother sat on the bench, put on the headphones, and watched the screens intently.
She looked up at her daughter, eyes beaming.
“That’s you,” she said.
