Best of the Bay 2019 Arts & Entertainment: Our readers and critics pick the best in local theater, poets, museums and so much more.
Critics' Picks
Best New Tech In An Art Museum
Best Neighborhood Haunted House
Best Play That Would Have Made You Think Had You Bothered To See It
Best Maybe The World Is Going To Shit But This Play Makes You Forget
Best Show Coated In Behr’s English Daisy
Best Theatrical One-Man “Band”
Best Art Exhibit That Punched You In The Gut
Best 50- Year Anniversary Art Show
Best Human Photography For A Cause
Best Pet Photography For A Cause
Readers' Picks
Best Book By A Local Author Published In The Last 12 Months
Best Gallery (Non-Museum) Show
Best Small Concert Venue (Under 2,000 Capacity)
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College celebrated its 50-year Anniversary, and to commemorate it, HCC the Ybor and HCC campus gallery curators teamed up for one hell of an anniversary art show. The really awesome thing about this collaboration is that the college expanded its permanent art collection in the process, ensuring that HCC students and the greater Tampa Bay area will have access to quality locally-made artwork for years to come.
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Winner: Jorge Diaz
Second Place: Harold Oehler
Runner Up: Matthew McGee matthewmcgee.org
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Winner: Annie Sardouk anniesardouk.com
Second Place: Mercy Roberts
Runner Up: Alicia Thomas itsmealicia.com
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Whigfest
Over the summer, WMNF program director Randy Wynne suggested that the community radio station may revive its summertime Tropical Heatwave festival for one year only in 2020. We haven’t heard anything about the revival since July, but at least we’ve got Whigfest to fill the void. Liz Cooper, Tyler Childers and Trampled By Turtles all provided plenty of power alongside a healthy bill of locals that took over a handful of Ybor City venues during the magical weekend. whigfest.com
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Tom Kiefer’s “El Sueño Americano” At Artsxchange
Whether or not you agree that every human has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness on our shores, it’s hard to argue that it’s OK to keep humans in cages. Tom Kiefer, who worked as a janitor at U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in Ajo, Arizona, began collecting images of things CBP deemed “nonessential” for immigrants to be able to keep as they detention centers. It was the childrens toys that broke me, but everyone who saw this exhibit at The ArtsXchange had a different trigger moment. tomkiefer.com
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Winner: Dunedin Fine Art Center dfac.org
Second Place: ArtPool artpoolrules.com
Runner Up: Morean Art Center moreanartscenter.org
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Winner: Painting With A Twist paintingwithatwist.com
Second Place: Practically Pikasso practicallypikasso.com
Runner Up: Nude Night
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‘Rulers’ At Coco Hunday
In response to living in an era of terrible rulers, Seminole Heights gallery Coco Hunday, invited artists to submit their own measuring devices with “mechanical, political, or poetic implications” for the exhibition called “RULERS.”
Works of art were priced for $100 or less with all proceeds being donated to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. This non-discriminatory call for artists brought in pieces from emerging and professional artists and one entry from a two-and-a-half year old. Organizers Sue Havens and Jason Lazarus filled coolers with booze and Capri Suns, ordered pizzas and let the community gather for good and snag a one-of-a-kind piece without taking a cut of the profits. Coco Hunday raised more than $1,500 during the opening reception alone in June. cocohunday.com
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The Catherine Wheel At Museum Of Fine Arts St. Petersburg’s Theo Wujcik ‘Cantos’ Exhibition
Visual artist Wujcik was the pied piper of the late ‘80s Ybor creative scene, and many great local bands cut their teeth at the area’s clubs. One of the most popular got back together for this one-off reunion show at the MFA back in April during a particularly interesting showing of Wujcik’s work; The Catherine Wheel was in fine form, and the crowd could’ve been the same one you mingled with at Impulse 30 years ago. mfastpete.org —Scott Harrell
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Studio@620
It’s amazing how many new festivals, theater companies, and artists The Studio@620 has supported over 15 years. Wordier than Thou hosted its first literary con here, Sunscreen Film Festival started here and Freefall Theatre staged its first performances here. Most recently, Tombolo Books started using the space as a pop-up bookstore. The space continues to host pretty much any and every creative event someone pitches including comedy shows, dance performances, radio theater and film screenings. Simply put, 620 is the best place to see something you can’t see anywhere else. That’s what 15 years of saying “yes” does for you. thestudioat620.org
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Memes Tampa Bay
Memes Tampa Bay turns what every person who loves to hate Tampa is thinking into a snackable piece of internet, and we’ll never, ever, ever look at foodie influencers, MacDinton’s, the Mandarin Heights bathtub or St. Petersburg the same ever again. Bravo, meme God, bravo.
@memestampabay
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Winner: “Angel Town” by Tanya Rumford facebook.com/tanyarumfordauthor
Second Place: “Cigar City” by Paul Wilborn wilbornwrites.com
Runner Up: “Freaky Florida” by Mark Muncy And Kari Schultz arcadiapublishing.com
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Winner: Mayven Missbehavin @mayvenmissbehavin
Second Place: Femmes & Follies femmesandfollies.com
Runner Up: Black Diamond blackdiamondburlesque.com
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Winner: Capria Pichette
Second Place: Melissa Smith
Runner Up: Monica Francis
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Iberian Rooster
Meet the new boss; same as the old boss. Last year’s Best Open Mic takes the crown again, with a show every Tuesday night that features a cash prize, special guests and events, and an even-later section where night owls can share their comedic thoughts. Host Shannon Kelly has made it a popular spot for stand-up hopefuls and casual listeners, and one of the few places to see comedy on an evening where most clubs are closed.
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Jeff Rey At Tampa Improv
Jeff runs a tight ship (a rollover list, a random draw and a timer) but a fun one as well. Narrating from the back of the room, he offers themed music for each week and gets each performer on and off with sarcastic efficiency. There are even regular showcases on the main stage for those who prove themselves worthy on open mic night. He’s a nice guy, but don’t test him: Stay on stage too long, and the music will drown out whatever punch line you couldn’t quite finish. But at least it’s well-chosen music to go along with the theme so that have something to enjoy as you lick your wounds and drown your sorrows.
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“Sunday School” At The Bends
“Sunday School” at The Bends was edgy AF, and as a writer, I totally took advantage by honing in on the most controversial painting of the set: a crucifixion with S&M imagery thrown in. It was a “holy shit” level of shocking that I’ll be laughing about all the way to hell. Some of you were similarly amused. The rest of you spread your disgust all over our comment section in the most creative of ways. “Another episode of Creative Douching,” you said, “this looks like the ‘art’ project of a horny high school kid that’s watched too much South Park.” Then you all started arguing with each other. It was as close to theater as Facebook can get. We hope you continue to comment. We also hope that John Gascot continues to make thought-provoking artwork like we saw in this show; I’ve got a feeling he will.
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Second Screen Cinema Cult Classics
Most folks are happy to just turn on a streaming service and watch a film all alone on the couch, but bravo to Second Screen Cult Cinema which invites film fans to actually interact with each other as Japanese classics (Jigoku), late-’40s social commentaries (Black Narcissus), ‘50s thrillers (Diabolique) and unforgettable flicks from our childhood (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) play on the big-ish screen. Get out of the house, even if it means joining a cult.
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Angela’s Piñatas
It was Studio@620, not us, that discovered these beautiful custom-made pinatas, which magically exist right here Tampa Bay area. Before its 15th anniversary, Studio@620 was full of all these huge colorful piñatas; I’d never seen anything like it. I was like Donald Trump in the face of a Cat-5 hurricane. It’s like I didn’t even know these things existed. @angelaspinatas
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Winner: Fusion Dance Company fusiondancenow.com
Second Place: Karl & Dimarco North Tampa Dance Studio karlanddimarconorth.com
Runner Up: Dance Quest International, All American Classical Ballet (tie)
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Winner: Jordan Denise Williams jordandenisewilliams.com
Second Place: Alessandra Berrojo
Runner Up: Azeeria Azizah facebook.com/BellydanceByAzeeria
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Winner: Adriana Sparkle @adrianasparkle_
Second Place: Matthew McGee matthewmcgee.org
Runner Up: Konstance Panic @konstance_panic
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Winner: Gasparilla Film Festival gasparillafilmfestival.com
Second Place: Dunedin International Film Festival dunedininternationalfilmfestival.com
Runner Up: Sunscreen Film Festival sunscreenfilmfestival.com
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Winner: Joel D. Wynkoop joeldwynkoop.com
Second Place: Roberto Rivera animusvisualdesign.com
Runner Up: Brick Creative brickcreative.co
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Winner: Dreams Of Dali thedali.org
Second Place: Cam Parker At The Blue Goose @painkillercam
Runner Up: Insatiable at The Dunedin Fine Art Center dfac.org
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The Morean Arts Center x the Chihuly Collection
Tampa Bay fans of glass art had an excellent year when the Glass Art Society Conference brought all sorts of innovative work to the area and displayed it mostly at the Morean Arts Center and the Chihuly Collection. Art from GAS students, members, and GAS Conference presenters was shown along with work the best stuff from other St. Petersburg art institutions. For a few months, it seemed like all of St. Petersburg was covered in glass — and the Morean was the epicenter. glassart.org
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Renato Rampolla’s “Dignity No Matter What”
One of my favorite photography projects this year was Renato Rampolla’s “Dignity No Matter What,” which photographed Tampa Bay’s homeless population, and I liked it for several reasons. First, I like that he used his work to help a disadvantaged group of people instead of profiting off them — net proceeds from the book sales went to local homeless charities. He also used his photography to encourage people to be more compassionate to those who have less than them. Third, Rampolla championed ethical photography practices by speaking to his subjects before photographing them. And finally, I love how beautiful these portraits are; the muted colors force you to focus on people’s expression.
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Song Divers
Need proof that Steve Connelly is a god among Bay area songwriters? Listen to his appearance on the locally-produced Song Divers Podcast. You’ll learn about a bunch of old venues long gone and come to find that Connelly is still one of his own biggest critics. Other CL favorites like Kristopher James, Ronny Elliott and BOTB 2019 winners Danny & Alex and Rebekah Pulley have also lent their thoughts to hosts Ed Woltil and Stefan Scheuermann who aren’t afraid to go deep with their guests.
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Winner: American Stage Improv americanstage.org
Second Place: Bay Area Renaissance Festival Cast bayarearenfest.com
Runner Up: Improv At USF facebook.com/improvatusf
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SHAMc Artreach’s Heather Richardson
We came up with this award last year to reward Ya La’ford for her work at Fairmount Elementary School. This year, it goes to Heather Richardson of Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, who worked with five Tampa Bay elementary schools to add a new mosaic mural to their campuses this year. That’s got to be some kind of record. safetyharborartandmusiccenter.com
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“Files And Film”
Xina Scuderi’s “Files and Film” was a great success in its new location this year. Some of the participating photographers I knew by name and others I’d never heard of before. That’s what’s great about juried photography shows like this one. Anyone can enter, regardless of how many or how few exhibits they have under their belt. If the photo is good, it goes on the wall, and the photographer has the opportunity to sell that work. It’s a great way for new photographers to break into our local art scene, and I’m glad Tampa Bay has something like this to keep things fresh. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one happy about it either, because MIZE gallery was absolutely packed opening night.
xinascuderi.com
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Winner: CJ’s On The Island cjsontheisland.com
Second Place: High Caliber Karaoke with Richie Hodge richiehodge.com
Runner Up: City Side, Double Decker (tie)
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Winner: Drag Queen Story Hour facebook.com/dragqueenstroyhourtampabay
Second Place: Keep St. Pete Lit keepstpetelit.org
Runner Up: Times Festival Of Reading tampabay.com
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Winner: Tampa Review ut.edu
Second Place: Odet Literary Journal theodet.com
Runner Up: The Dunedin Orange dunedinorange.com
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Stageworks’ ‘Winter Wonderettes’
Hey, look, it’s all going to shit at the speed of light — I could give you an example, but in the time between me writing this and the Best of the Bay awards party, there’s prolly gonna be about 20 more reasons. Which means you need to grab your scraps of joy where you can get ‘em. In December, my family and I grabbed a big one at the Stageworks production of The Winter Wonderettes, a schmaltzy, glorious musical that celebrates the humor and music of the holidays… and also, how absolutely stupid holiday parties can be.
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Winner: Salvador Dalí Museum thedali.org
Second Place: The James Museum Of Western & Wildlife Art thejamesmuseum.org
Runner Up: Museum Of Fine Arts mfastpete.org
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Winner: “Love Is Calling” By Yayoi Kusama At Tampa Museum Of Art tampamuseum.org
Second Place: “Magritte & Dalí” at The Dalí Museum thedali.org
Runner Up: “Star Wars And The Power Of Costume” at MFA mfastpete.org
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House on the Hill in Tarpon Springs
Kathleen Barbiere sets up a haunted maze in her yard each year, but it isn’t just any neighborhood haunted house. She recruits friends and family to be scarers, gets advice from professional scarers via a Facebook group called Haunter’s Hangout, and gives all the proceeds to charity. facebook.com/houseonthehilltarponspring.com
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Separate Checks
There’s a new artist collective in town, and we like how these millennials roll. The collective is mostly made up of recent USF art school grads who we got to know through their Instagram page. Unlike most Instagram pages, which are all photo and no words, (@separate.checks) runs IG like an online gallery, where the caption is the museum label. This year they put together their first zine and threw their first exhibitions IRL. I love all the fine art photography this group is making and showing around town. The future is bright.
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Tampa Bay Fresh Fest
We love SHINE, Tampa Bay Fresh Fest curators Eric Hornsby and Mark Stevens brought some serious murals to Tampa this year. Some of the buildings, like the drab grey Southeastern Seating, desperately needed a new paint job, too. Now they have walls full of murals from some of the most talented street artists in Tampa Bay. tampabayfreshfest.com
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Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park
Julian B. Lane technically opened last year, but it started to find an identity in 2019. Events typically held downriver at Curtis Hixon Park started migrating there, and JBL hosts the 50th Gasparilla Arts Festival this winter. The first time I visited, I was really taken by the picturesque green space’s beauty, its plethora of public art and its view of the downtown Tampa skyline. Add a sunset into the equation, and what you have is something truly stunning.
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The Dalí
Tampa Bay got a lot of great new tech this year. The University of Tampa built a digital fabrication lab for art and design students, and St. Petersburg’s Morean Arts Center added a new digital photography lab. And the Dalí…well, The Dali really outdid itself by adding three new technologies over the past three years. It all started in 2016 with virtual reality and this year saw artificial intelligence and augmented reality. Surreal-y cool.
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Venus
It’s possible that what I love most about Venus is the way that it formed. Don’t you wish you could quit your job, gather your besties, and just follow your dreams? That’s what the founders of the St. Petersburg work/art space did, and it’s inspiring; no wonder our first feature on Venus got so many shares. The group works together out of their offices at Venus, and for a small fee ($10/day) you can join them. Venus, at its heart, is meant to be a nurturing space for people to be creative. I’ve considered, more than once, carting my laptop over there and absorbing that energy.
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Winner: Smoken Words facebook.com/SmokenWords
Second Place: Side Splitters Comedy Club sidesplitterscomedy.com
Runner Up: Iberian Rooster Underground and Open Mic iberianrooster.com
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Winner: Smoken Words facebook.com/SmokenWords
Second Place: Iberian Rooster Underground and Open Mic iberianrooster.com
Runner Up: The Blueberry Patch blueberrypatch.org
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Winner: St. Pete Opera stpeteopera.org
Second Place: Opera Tampa operatampa.org
Runner Up: Sarasota Opera sarasotaopera.org
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Winner: David A. Straz, Jr. Center For The Performing Arts strazcenter.org
Second Place: Richey Suncoast Theatre richeysuncoasttheatre.com
Runner Up: Ruth Eckerd Hall rutheckerdhall.com
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Agoldphoto Pet Photography
Adam Goldberg started taking adoption photos of pets in 2016 while volunteering for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. People in Tampa fell in love with the images and started hiring him to photograph their pets, and Goldberg started donating a portion of his proceeds to animal charities. Three years later, AGoldPet Photography met an incredible milestone with over $100,000 donated to animal charities nationwide. Now if that doesn’t deserve an award, then I don’t know what does.
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Winner: Captured By Arlene capturedbyarlene.com
Second Place: Julissa Mariana Photography @julissamarianaphoto
Runner Up: Love And Covenant loveandcovenant.com
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Winner: Dunedin Lanes, dunedinlanes.com
Second Place: Pin Chasers, pinchasers.net
Runner Up: Ten Pins Lanes, littlecenters.com
Splitsville Southern + Social (tie for third), splitsvillelanes.com
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Winner: CJ’s On The Island cjsontheisland.com
Second Place: Stroker’s Sports Bar & Grill strokerswebsite.wixsite.com
Runner Up: Brewlands Bar & Billiards Carrollwood facebook.com/brewlandscarrollwood
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Innovocative Theatre’s ‘Columbinus’
Some of us remember the Columbine shooting, and those of us who do probably went to high school when our biggest worries were… well, OK, we worried about AIDS and bullying and lots of things, it wasn’t a perfect time. The thing about Columbine, though, is that the U.S. had a chance to react like a group of people who really were horrified by this brutal mass killing — either with responsible gun legislation or better mental health practices, or even better, both — and we did nothing. We all know what happened next, and it wasn’t peace and love. Columbinus offered some thought-provoking insight into that benchmark massacre, as well as some heavy hitters at the talkback. Problem was, the show was woefully under-attended. Is it possible we really don’t care? innovocativetheatre.org
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Winner: Jas Warren, Jr.
Second Place: Jordan Bertke @SirJordan11)
Runner Up: Gabby Cabrera vimeo.com/gabbycab13
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‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ At American Stage
Written in the ‘40s and set in 1912, Eugene O’Neill’s masterwork could seem like old hat, but its dark themes seemed both timeless and eerily contemporary at American Stage this year. The words, performances, set design and direction all came together to create one of the most emotionally powerful performances we saw this year. americanstage.org —Scott Harrell
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Winner: “Lizzo (Cuz I Love You)” By Cam Parker @painkillercam
Second Place: Cory Robinson mrcoryrobinson.com
Runner Up: St. Pete Murals
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“Rapscallion” At Quaid
At a small Seminole Heights garage gallery tucked away behind a smoke shop, millennial artists took over and hosted a show called “Rapscallion.” Works “ranging from irreverent to absurd to completely meaningless” spoke to the current social and political climate, previous generations, and the current media influences. But some say that the most intense part of “Rapscallion” was the color of some of the walls. Some argued mustard, but the true scientific hue was in fact Behr’s English Daisy. The color busted white wall norms and amplified the work, allowing photography, paintings and earrings made from Taco Bell sauce packets to have the loudest voice in the room. quaidgallery.com
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Birdcap x Sentrock x Lillipore on Oceanic
I hate waking up early to go running, and I hate driving north on Tampa Street as traffic bunches up near I-275. One of the few things that soothes my sore eyes? A collaborative mural from internationally known Birdcap, Sentrock and Lillipore who heeded a call from the Illsol and Mergeculture to create a work that’s the brightest thing you’ll see in the Franklin Street district. Go see the whole thing in person. mergeculture.com.
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Winner: CJ’s On The Island cjsontheisland.com
Second Place: Smoken Words facebook.com/SmokenWords
Runner Up: Armature Works armatureworks.com
Winner: Jannus Live jannuslive.com
Second Place: The Verona facebook.com/TheVeronaBar
Runner Up: Paper Crane facebook.com/papercranestpete
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Winner: Novacane smokenwords.com
Second Place: Dan And Dad Show Podcast dananddadshow.libsyn.com
Runner Up: Telicia Da Poet @preteedimpless
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Winner: David Jenkins jobsitetheater.org
Second Place: Lindsay M. Warfield @lmwarfield
Runner Up: James Madden company-incisor.com
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Rahn Hortman
Hortman has become a popular name at local comedy clubs, theaters and special events, but he also spends a lot of his time on the road. He tours around the country, sometimes supporting established names like Anjelah Johnson and sometimes headlining his own shows. And this year, plenty of people were able to see him perform: Dry Bar Comedy recorded a special performance, and the clips have been viewed millions of times on social media (look up “Dry Bar Season Four”). Hortman admits he’s not the tallest comedian out there, but his reach is growing, and his popularity has never been bigger.
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Winner: Rick Stepinsky @rickstepinsky
Second Place: Cam Bertrand @camthecomic
Runner Up: Jander Gray @grayjander
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Winner: Side Splitters Comedy Club sidesplitterscomedy.com
Second Place: Improv Comedy Theater improvtampa.com
Runner Up: Beef ‘O’ Brady’s
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Winner: OZ Gentlemen’s Club @ozgentsclub
Second Place: Mons Venus monsvenus.com
Runner Up: Le Palace
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One Day Tampa Bay
Ever wanted a buddy to be creative with, only to find that everyone else is busy watching TV? So much of being creative has become a solo endeavor, especially if you’re a writer. But down in St. Petersburg, the Morean’s Director of Photography, Beth Reynolds, has assembled a photography meetup group where locals can take photos together. There are lots of fun meetups throughout the year, but the main event is One Day Tampa Bay. On the third Saturday of September, the group goes out and takes a bunch of photos throughout the Tampa Bay area. A selection of them are then published in a book to document life in Tampa Bay. The great thing about One Day Tampa Bay is that anyone living in the area is welcome to participate and share their own images of what life in Tampa Bay means to them.
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Winner: Jobsite Theater, jobsitetheater.org
Second Place: The Acting Studio, theactingstudiotampa.com
Runners Us: American Stage, americanstage.org
(tie for third) freeFall Theatre, freefalltheatre.com
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Winner: Arts In Motion’s “Newsies” facebook.com/artsinmotionpasco
Second Place: “Godspell” by The Acting Studio theactingstudiotampa.com
Runner Up: “Hedwig And The Angry Inch” at Jobsite Theater jobsitetheater.org
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Chris Crawford, ‘Buyer And Cellar’
In this hilarious freeFall Theatre production, Crawford played not only the main character — who is tasked with caring for the very real mall in Barbra Streisand’s basement — and Streisand herself, but also his lover, her assistant and others. In doing so, he created an ensemble piece out of what in less deft hands could’ve been just an amusing story told by a guy standing on a stage. freefalltheatre.com — Scott Harrell
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Jobsite Theater’s ‘The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged)’
Jobsite brought back this smart, spastic, campy little show for the first time in 17 years, and the revised book felt fresher than ever. David Jenkins, Shawn Paonessa and Spencer Meyers pratfell, spoke directly to the audience, one-upped one another and chewed the scenery to create a riotously funny evening of local theater. jobsitetheater.org —Scott Harrell
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Winner: “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Feat. Hell On Heels hellonheelsrhps.com
Second Place: Dunedin Film Festival dunedininternationalfilmfestival.com
Runner Up: Second Screen Cult Cinema’s “Paris Is Burning” secondscreencultcinema.org
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Hot Mess
For more than a year, Jander Gray and Kyle Ruse have hosted a monthly show at Snappers Grill & Comedy Club where comedians eat wings and tell jokes. Sound boring? The wings are specifically-created to burn taste buds with the kind of heat that crisps and cooks the jokes right in the comedians’ mouths. They eat the wings, try to finish their set, and the fun begins (for the audience, at least). Some comedians complain, others cry and a few end up getting sick. And somehow, the comedy ends up even funnier than before the hot wing torture. Grey and Ruse declare a winner, but survival is the real prize. It’s hilarious, sadistic and popular: Comedians are lining up to participate, and the audiences are following.
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John J. Murray
Murray has been doing stand-up for years, but the self-described “white trash” comedian took things to another level this year. He’s headlining shows throughout Florida, host of the Something Planet podcast (which has recorded more than 400 episodes), co-producer of a weekly open mic at Dunedin Brewery and runs the annual rooftop show at Visconti at Westshore Apartments. Oh, he’s also a member of the band Swampland Symphony. Call him a diverse talent, or call him a White Trash Renaissance Man. He’s hilarious either way.
@somethingplanet (Twitter)
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Doug Sutherland
For a while, a 3D printer was just a geeky thing that seemed more industrial than creative. Then University of Tampa professor Doug Sutherland got his hands on some and started playing. Sutherland has since retired, but not without creating a fascinating collection of sculptures using the printers. His art history-inspired creatures made their debut at HCC Ybor’s art gallery this year in “Bosch, Bruegel and a 3D Printer.” We love how Sutherland brought the strange creatures in Bosch and Bruegel’s paintings to life through the use of new technology. We can’t wait to see how UT Art and Design students start using the 3D printers in the school’s new fab lab.
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Winner: Catherine Bergmann At Dunedin Fine Art Center dfac.org
Second Place: Amanda Poss At Gallery 221 hccfl.edu
Runner Up: Chad Mize chadmize.com
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Winner: Gasparilla Festival Of The Arts gasparillaarts.com
Second Place: SHINE shineonstpete.com
Runner Up: Dunedin Art Festival
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Winner: Cory Robinson mrcoryrobinson.com
Second Place: Kelly Strong godivaart.com
Runner Up: Mary Mirabal marymirabalart.com
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Winner: CJ’s On The Island Monday cjsontheisland.com
Second Place: Ol’ Dirty Sundays facebook.com/oldirtysundays
Runner Up: Turbo Tuesday 2.0 at Morph morphnightclub.com
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Emily Couch at Scream-a-geddon
When CL horror writer John Allman decided he wanted to be a zombie at a major Halloween attraction, Dade City’s Scream-a-geddon was happy to oblige. On a steamy night in September, Allman and I squeezed into the Scream-a-geddon make-up trailer for his transformation. Camera in hand, I watched as makeup artist Emily Couch transformed Allman into a disgusting flesh-eating zombie in under 15 minutes. It was awesome. screamageddon.com
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