Jane Castor launches citywide arts initiative ‘Art on the Block’
Jane Castor is blasted for her ‘unavailability’ to civil rights orgs. Image via Kim DeFalco.

Jane Castor
"My vision is that cities from around the nation come to see our art scene."

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced a new arts initiative Wednesday night during a Mayor’s Forum on the Arts at Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus.

Art on the Block is a new program envisioned to bring art into Tampa’s neighborhoods through community workshops and other activities.

“The intent is to create places that have been ho-hum in the past to [be] very, very exciting [and] to incentivize curb appeal,” Castor said. “And the goal, in addition to place-making, will be to bring artwork into neighborhoods by and with the community not in service to the community to strengthen citizenry, to open communication, to create better neighborhoods, foster visual literacy, create future art patrons, reduce prejudices, open minds and discussion and tell the stories of our neighborhoods that keep their history alive.”

Castor’s first project site will be at Al Barnes Park in East Tampa. The city has not released details of that project yet, but the project is set to begin this summer.

“I know that we have an arts scene here in Tampa that isn’t quite as robust as we would like it to be,” Castor said. “So I can tell you that my intent as the Mayor is to grow the arts in Tampa in a very, very big way.”

Castor said that instead of looking to other communities to guide Tampa’s art scene into its next chapter, she wants to build something special to her city.

“We are Tampa, and we are a very unique city that we need to celebrate. So my vision as the Mayor is that at the end of my tenure is that other cities from around the nation come to Tampa to see our art scene,” Castor said.

She didn’t mention St. Pete, but locally, Tampa has been often painted as a city lagging behind St. Petersburg in arts attraction. St. Pete is home to dozens of museums, including the world-renowned Dali Museum, a claim to fame that tourism marketing groups use to attract visitors.

Its art scene is also a draw for economic development, talent attraction and business relocation.

Castor said she’s committing to changing that perception.

“But the city cannot do it alone,” Castor said. “It’s going to include everyone in this room and so many more throughout the city. We’re going to have to have public-private partnerships. We’re all going to have to work together.”

Janelle Irwin Taylor

Janelle Irwin Taylor has been a professional journalist covering local news and politics in Tampa Bay since 2003. Most recently, Janelle reported for the Tampa Bay Business Journal. She formerly served as senior reporter for WMNF News. Janelle has a lust for politics and policy. When she’s not bringing you the day’s news, you might find Janelle enjoying nature with her husband, children and two dogs. You can reach Janelle at [email protected].


5 comments

  • John K Tudek

    June 12, 2019 at 11:53 pm

    Now if her honur, the mayor, could annex the adjacent areas to Tamps, specifically Brandon, Valrico, Lithia and Riverview, and expound this program to these areas, i would be very happy!

  • E.J. Nieves

    June 15, 2019 at 11:55 pm

    I’m so excited to try and help in anyway possible. I’m new to the Tampa area! I’m a professional artist and I’m most certainly excited to help The Tampa scene grow!! My Instagram is @officialnehs for anybody that is interested in seeing my artwork! God bless everybody! And I look forward to partnering with the city of Tampa to bring this vision to life!

  • James Vann

    June 17, 2019 at 6:37 pm

    Let the beautification of Tampa begin & let it begin with Me!

  • terre

    June 18, 2019 at 7:59 am

    It would be great if Tampa combined Art, Innovation, and Jobs, by encouraging the Maker Movement. As a parent of 3 kids in college, I would have supported ANY of their high schools mentioning Trades as an alternative, rather than focusing SO much on college admissions. A plumber told me yesterday that his inner city high school -(in Tampa) never encouraged it either- instead telling kids it was college or McDonalds. Imagine if we brought back Shop class and even Home Ec. Maybe wouldn’t need so many Payday loans either…
    I would personally WELCOME skilled artisans, Makers, and Tradespeople who started early with the basics.
    You’d be surprised how important Chemistry, Biology and Physics are in the Arts, as well as technology.

  • Dianne McNeilly

    June 19, 2019 at 12:45 pm

    Sarasota has many young and talented artists, it would be nice to bring some of that talent to Tampa. And bring communities together!

Comments are closed.


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