Corey Avenue art festival fills St. Pete Beach street this weekend

Editorial graphic by Pinellas County Community Website. Illustrative blurred community background: Wesley Chapel, Florida (August 2024), LittleT889 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Photo source · License

Street turns into open-air gallery

Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach became a stretch of open-air galleries this weekend as local artists set up to sell handcrafted paintings, wood pieces and apparel, according to Fox 13 News.

The outlet reported hundreds of pieces of art lining the avenue as thousands of visitors walked through.

Artists describe personal motivations

Kelly Beale of KBeale Art told Fox 13 she started painting four years ago during personal health struggles and has used it as a nightly outlet, saying she hasn't needed a hospital visit in three years.

Todd Atkinson, who works at an environmental recycling company by day, runs Raw Art Creations and uses painting and shirt design to unwind, the station reported.

Todd Casey of Mr. Square Designs said he moved from home remodeling into making wooden vessels after someone asked him for a cutting board, telling Fox 13, "It's nice to make something nice... when you dip it in the oil, it comes to life."