Ybor City’s Florida Museum of Photographic Arts celebrates the work of photographers from around the world in the
2025 International Photography Competition exhibit, on display from July 15th through August 24th.
Exhibition Manager Jodie Katzeff says FMoPA is one of the smaller photography museums in the U.S. But the annual international competition spreads its name across the globe. This year’s competition received 2,537 submissions from 579 photographers and 55 countries.
“We get people who submit every year, but this year there were also a lot of new names we have never seen before,” Katzeff says. “Every year it seems to be growing with a wider reach.”
The panel of judges is also an international group, with members from the U.S., Italy, Sweden, Cyprus, Japan, Australia, and India. This year’s Best in Competition winner is “pray Eid al-Fitr,” by an Iranian photographer known as “Maho,” which also won first place in the People/Portraits category. “Maho” also won first place in the Places/Landscape category for “The Flow of Life.”Iranian photographer, Armin Armiria also won first place in the Conceptual category for “Rebel-01.” In a restrictive, society like Iran, having a creative outlet like photography can take on more meaning, Katzeff says.
“They’re taking risks sometimes by even making art there,” she says. “It’s hard for them to get their voices heard.”
That also resonates with the judges, Katzeff says.
“Those are places that most of us can’t go,” she says. “That is one of the cool things about photography. You’re able to see things you wouldn’t normally see in your day-to-day life. I think that’s the reason some of those photos are so compelling to the judges. There are countries you can’t travel to.”
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Courtesy FMoPASan Francisco-based photographer Lauren Bettino’s “Breaching Humpback Whales,” first-place winner in the Nature/Science/Animals category in FMoPA's 2025 International Photography CompetitionOther first-place winners in this year’s competition include San Francisco-based photographer Lauren Bettino’s “Breaching Humpback Whales” in the Nature/Science/Animals category; Peru’s Thibault Gerbaldi’s “Salt of the Earth” in Documentation/Photojournalism; New York-based photographer Howard Lewis’ “Origami Folds #18” in Abstract; and “Still life in a black rectangle” by Olena Zubach, a Ukrainian photographer based in Slovenia, in Still Life.
In a new partnership this year, Seminole Heights’ The Photographer’s Framer is handling the framing for all photographs in the exhibit. Visit Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough County are also sponsors.
The opening reception for the 2025 International Photography Competition exhibition is 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 15th at FMoPA, located on the first floor of the Kress Contemporary, 1630 E. Seventh Ave. in Ybor.
This year’s exhibit follows on the heels of
“Another Weeping Woman,” a self-portrait series by 2024 International Photography Competition winner Diana Sosnowska that runs through July 13th. Born in Poland and raised in Italy, Sosnowska is currently an MFA student at the University of South Florida.
“It’s kind of a cool transition to go from the winner of last year’s competition into this year’s exhibit because one of the prizes is to be considered for a solo show,” Katzeff says.
Also at FMoPA, “
Here For Now,” a photography and video exhibit exploring themes of migration, impermanence, and identity, is on display through October 5th. The exhibit is curated by video and performance artist Kalup Linzy and presented in partnership with Queen Rose Art House and Tulsa Artist
Fellowship. Featured artists are Jackson Adair, Adam G. Davis, Le’Andra LeSeur, Eyakem Guililat, VC Torneden, and Martha Rosler.
FMoPA is also accepting submissions through August 18th for
“The Soldier’s Lens,” a curated photo exhibition exploring the perspectives of active-duty service members, veterans, and their families.
“The exhibition will explore the diverse experiences of military life, from moments of intensity to everyday routines,” a description reads. “Chosen submissions will be selected by a panel of judges knowledgeable in art and military service.”
The exhibition is scheduled to run from October 21st through December 7th. 2025.
Powerstories Theatre 25th anniversary season
Powerstories Theatre continues its 25th anniversary season with “Witch Hunt or, A Discourse on the Wonders of the Invisible World,” July 11th through 20th at Stageworks Theatre in Tampa’s Channel District.
Written by Liz Duffy Adams, “Witch Hunt,” like all Powerstories’ productions, is historic and based on a true story.
“This is about the Salem witch trials,” Powerstories founder and Executive Director Frank Powers says. “It’s set about 10 years after the witch trials, when one of the
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Provided by Powerstories TheatreA rehearsal for Powerstories Theatre's upcoming production of “Witch Hunt or, A Discourse on the Wonders of the Invisible World." key players, Abigail Williams, comes back and wonders why all of this happened. That’s what the play is about. It’s actually historic-comedic believe it or not. One wouldn’t think that would be the case with such a serious topic. But it’s a little bit more of a light-hearted show.”
Shows are July 11 through 13th and 17th through 20th.
Powerstories season continues in September with a production of Lauren Gunderson’s “Ada and the Engine,” the story of young inventor Ada Byron Lovelace, the daughter of poet Lord Byron, at the dawn of the British Industrial Revolution. That play runs September 12th through 21st at Stageworks.
In November, Powerstories wraps its 25th season with its first-ever collaboration with St. Pete’s The Studio@620, a production of the civil rights story “Cadillac Crew.” Written by Tori Sampson, “Cadillac Crew” sheds light on an often overlooked story in the Civil Rights Movement - a group of Black and white women activists who traveled together by car through the South advocating for desegregation and equal rights.
“There truly were women who did this but they don’t get a lot of attention,” Powers says. “We want to bring that to light.”
Powers describes the collaboration with The Studio@620 as a “win-win.” It’s also Powerstories’ first production in St. Petersburg since the theater company’s early years, she says.
Powerstories has been without a theater of its own since losing its leased space on Kennedy Boulevard in 2023 because of redevelopment plans for the property. Since then, they’ve been a “theater in motion,” Powers says, renting space at other theaters for shows and using a small studio space in South Tampa for auditions and rehearsals.
“We loved having our own space,” she says. “You can do more theater in it. You can offer more to the community, you can be more creative. But we don’t have that now.”
Powers says the Powerstories’ resilient team makes the best of being a transient theater company.
“We have to find the silver lining in it because we have no choice,” she says. “There is a freedom to it. We like to say we’re very nimble now. Free to move around as we need to. We do want to find a space that we can call home again. But I’m not sure when that will happen.”
In the meantime, Powerstories will continue to put on productions that shed light on the inspiring true stories of women and girls. Powers says the theater company will soon release the schedule for its upcoming 2026 season.
”We are not going to stop,” she says. “We are resilient, we are dedicated, and we are passionate. So we will keep on moving.”
For more information, go to Powerstories
Kress Contemporary exhibits
“Currents: New Work from Artists of the Kress Contemporary” is at the Kress Contemporary from July 17th through 24th, with an opening reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the 17th.
Curated by Hillsborough Community College Galleries Director Amanda Poss, the
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Kress Contemporary exhibit showcases work by 15 artists working out of studios at Ybor’s Kress Contemporary. Featured artists are Karol Batansky, Marc Brechwald, Ashley Cantero, Dave Decker, Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr, Eileen Goldenberg, Mary-Helen Horne, Sarah Hull, Chase Parker, Carlos Pons, Kim Radatz, Lisa Ramudo, Lynn Rattray, Marilyn Silverman, and Jessica Veguez.
For more information, go to Currents: New Work from Artists of the Kress Contemporary
The Coalition of Hispanic Artists presents “My Journey Through Art,” an exhibit that uses visual art to explore artists’ culture and personal experiences, from July 11th through August 7th. The opening reception is 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 11th. Featured artists are Amalia Bracho, Ivan Castro, Carlos Soto, Gabriela Valencia, Valeria Zuñiga, and Joyce Vanessa Yagual
For more information, go to My Journey Through Art
“Quiet at Heart” at FloridaRAMA
“Quiet at Heart,” a video installation by multimedia artist Keaton Fox, is at FloridaRAMA Gallery in St. Petersburg from July 5th through August 30th.
“Inspired by Joy Williams’ essay of the same name, “Quiet at Heart”
offers a counter-narrative to Florida’s sensationalized portrayals
,” a FloridaRAMA press release says. “Through three-wall video projection, custom soundscape and a textured environment of sand and turf underfoot, the installation invites visitors to lose themselves in a more contemplative version of the state—one that is subtle, surreal and often at odds with its own mythology.”
Fox’s installation is funded by a $5,000 FloridaRAMA Fund artist grant received through Creative Pinellas as part of a collaboration to support” the creation of artwork that celebrates Florida’s unique cultural, natural and artistic environment.” This is the final exhibition of that joint grant program between Creative Pinellas and FloridaRAMA.
The opening reception for “Quiet at Heart” is 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 12th, during the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s monthly Second Saturday ArtWalk. An artist talk with Keaton Fox is 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on August 2nd.
For more information, go to FloridaRAMA
St Pete Second Saturday ArtWalk
From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 12th, the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s monthly Second Saturday ArtWalk features more than 30 studios and galleries.
In the Grand Central District this month, The Werk Gallery, 2210 First Ave S., has “Nathan Beard: Ten Measure Tune,” the artist’s first solo exhibit in St. Petersburg in 10 years. The exhibit features paintings from Beard’s “Exit Music” series and more recent work in that vein. The exhibit features “Ten Measure Tune,” a 90-piece dimensional work inspired by “Blue in Green,” the classic Miles Davis, Bill Evans jazz composition featuring John Coltrane on saxophone.
Creative Clay’s Good Folk Gallery, 1846 First Ave. S., has “Retrospective 30,” a mix of recent paintings, sculptures, and ceramics created for the exhibit and older works from their folk art collection.
In the Warehouse Arts District, Suntan Art Center hosts the reception for its members’ show “Aqua,” which features water-inspired artwork. Morean Center for Clay has two exhibits on display. Erica Bleu’s “Consume” explores human emotions through the behavior of insects. “At the Alter” is “a marriage of ceramics and fashion” curated by Phia Mancini and featuring local artists Lily Denhoff, Ethan Fielder, Erica Bleu, Charles Morrison, Nina Samuels, Adri Muñoz, and Allison Hilgert.
MGA Sculpture Studio will be working on their latest public art installation, “Bloom,” a ceiling-hung frosted acrylic sculpture with gold leaf edges for Miami University in Dayton, Ohio.
Soft Water Gallery has “Painted Ladies,” a selection of paintings depicting women by Lucy Barber, Marianne Chapel, Vlasta Smola, Victor Cordero Salas, and other artists. “Rodeo Drive-By” features recent paintings from artist David Williams’ American Roadside Series.
At Wild Space Gallery, “Blazing the Trail: From Strand to Slough” opens. The exhibit uses photographs, video, and ephemera to tell the story of the Florida Wildlife Foundation’s 2024 expedition through Southwest Florida. It runs through August 30th.
In the Central Arts District, the exhibit “99 Bottles” at Florida CraftArt "takes a look at one of the most familiar and functional forms – the bottle.” The Studio@620 has an exhibition showcasing the 2-D and 3-D artwork of Pinellas County Schools ESE visual arts students in grades K-12.
In the Uptown Arts District, ARTicles Gallery hosts a special exhibition, "Fragments of Form" featuring paintings by artist Erin McIntosh and ceramic works by Machelle Knochenhauer.
“McIntosh's paintings are inspired by gardens, architecture, and microbiology, and they are distinctive in their streams of compositional structure and anthropomorphic shapes,” a description reads. “Knochenhauer's ceramics are characterized by simplicity, texture, and form, and are influenced by architecture and human anatomy.”
In addition to the exhibition, art by more than 40 other artists will be on display.
For more information, go to Second Saturday ArtWalk
“Welcome to Paradise” at Cleanwater Main Library
“Welcome to Paradise,” a solo exhibit of paintings by Clearwater artist Valorie Vogel, is at the downtown Clearwater Main Library from July 11th through August 8th. The opening reception is 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 11th.
Organized by the nonprofit Clearwater Arts Alliance, the exhibit is free and open to the public during library hours. Clearwater Main Library is located at 100 N. Osceola Ave.
Clearwater Arts Alliance’s monthly docent-led Downtown Art Walk is 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 12th. The
Clearwater Sculpture Series’ three temporary sculpture installations along the 400 to 600 blocks of Cleveland Street – Pinellas Park artist Clayton Swartz’s “Nature,” St. Pete artist Donald Gialanella’s “Stainless Steed,” and Sarasota artist Robin Morgan’s “SeaDance” – are new additions to the tour. Tickets are $10 and have to be purchased in advance.
Go to Clearwater Arts Alliance for more information and Downtown Art Walk to purchase tickets.
The Commodore in Ybor
Ybor City improv comedy club The Commodore has a chock-full month of shows.
Some highlights include “Electric Sheep: AI vs. Improv” at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 12th.
“AI may be here to take our jobs and slowly replace us all, but there's still at least one thing it can't do better than humans: Improv comedy,” a description reads. “Watch and laugh as our fearless human improvisers prove that, in the end, AI is actually pretty stupid.”
At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 18th, The Commodore debuts “Pad Set,” where “a cast of Tampa Bay's finest improvisers transform your hastily-written suggestions into wondrous improv comedy.”
At 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 19th, comedian Clark Brooks performs his show from the recent Tampa Fringe Festival, “Stop Freaking Out: The Denis Philips Method to Dealing with Weather and Life,” an ode to the Tampa Bay meteorologist and celebrity.
At 8:45 p.m. on July 25th, “The Summer Of” takes inspiration from movie classics like “The Sandlot” and “Stand by Me” with a cast of characters sharing summer memories from the made-up days of yore.
For more information, go to The Commodore shows
“LAB Laughs 2025”
“LAB Laughs 2025,” a series of nine never-before-seen comedic short plays from ten playwrights, is at LAB Theater Project in the Ybor area from July 17th through August 3rd. The international group of playwrights hails from spots like Dunedin, Seattle, New York, Australia, and Singapore.
“This fast-paced evening of short-form comedy includes everything from botched spy missions and questionable yard sale purchases to Thanksgiving disasters and roleplay gone wrong—all brought to life by ten local actors under the direction of Tampa Bay’s own Jeffery M. Lukas,” a LAB Theater description says.
Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. at LAB’s black box theater, 812 E. Henderson Ave., in the Gasworx district area between downtown Tampa and Ybor City. There is a special opening night benefit performance and event, “Lab Laughs & Libations,” on July 17th. Tickets for the benefit are $100 and include a performance, food, a drink ticket, and access to a silent auction.
For more information, go to LAB Theater
Omar Richardson’s “Rise” at Gallery114@HCC 
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HCC Art Galleries Facebook
“Rise,” a printmaking exhibit by Hillsborough Community College art instructor
Omar Richardson, is at Gallery114@HCC on the college’s Ybor City campus from July 10th through 17th. The exhibit features Richardson’s intricately carved woodblock prints.
Go to HCC Art Galleries for more information and email [email protected] to schedule a time to view the exhibit.