Woodson African American Museum of Florida

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A St. Petersburg pastor is speaking out after one of two charges against him and another city clergyman was dropped following their arrests during the state’s removal of a “Black History Matters” street mural.

Reverend Ben Atherton-Zeman, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg, and Reverend Andy Oliver, pastor of Allendale United Methodist Church, were arrested Aug. 29 after kneeling in the middle of the road outside the Woodson African American Museum of Florida, where Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) crews were removing the mural.

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What

Ken Falana is a contemporary printmaker and retired art educator, born and raised in Florida, whose artistic journey began in the 1950s as a young child. He fondly recalls visits to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota with his aunt and uncle, where he first encountered classical and Renaissance sculptures that sparked his enduring passion for drawing and the visual arts.

Falana describes himself as a colorist, deeply inspired by the memories and imagery of his upbringing in rural Central Florida and along the Gulf Coast. His artistic career spans more than six decades, from early silkscreen and collage prints that reflected the spirit and struggles of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, to finely rendered graphite drawings. As his style evolved, he began merging silkscreen printing (serigraphy) with collage and experimenting with monoprints, producing strikingly abstract and vividly colorful compositions.

Throughout his distinguished career in both art and education, Mr. Falana has championed craftsmanship, creativity, and self-expression—principles that have guided his teaching and shaped his artistic philosophy. His unique visual language culminates in what he calls “Silkscreen Construction Collage,” an improvisational printmaking technique that celebrates color, form, and the richness of lived experience.

The Art of Collage invites audiences to experience the vibrant and dynamic works of Ken Falana, on view at The Woodson African American Museum of Florida. Select pieces from the collection will also be featured at The Studio@620. This special exhibition will be on display through December 31, 2025.

Website: KenFalanaFineArt.com

What

The monumental sculpture “Harriet Tubman: The Beacon of Hope” has arrived in Florida for the first time in its history and is being exhibited in the Legacy Garden at the Woodson African American Museum of Florida. This beautiful sculpture is rich in powerful symbolism and you’re invited to experience it in the Legacy Garden. Admission is Free.

“The Beacon of Hope” is a monument that tells Harriet Tubman’s continuing story; that amplifies her message of equality, so that all may hear it; and that chronicles her journey. It is our hope that generations of children and adults alike will find the inspiration and the courage to walk in her footsteps and draw strength from the powerful story of one of our great American heroes, finding it within themselves to become “The Beacon of Hope” for others.

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Share in the joy of the season, please donate Books, Balls, and Dolls to The Woodson African American Museum of Florida for local youth.