Exhibits & Events | 2023

What

Due to the anticipated inclement weather forecasted for Saturday, December 16, 2023, The Woodson African American Museum of Florida’s annual PJ’s, Popcorn, and Pictures with Santa event has been rescheduled to Saturday, December 23, 2023, from 10 AM – 1 PM in The Woodson’s Legacy Garden.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and sincerely hope you can still join us for this festive celebration in our lovely Legacy Garden. 

If you are part of the annual Toy Give-Away, please be advised that the program coordinator will be sending updated information to all participants.

Registration is still closed for this event.

What

BayCare is offering free health services next to The Woodson, coinciding with PJ’s, Popcorn, and Pictures with Santa and The Woodson’s annual Toy Give-Away.

You do not need to be registered for the Toy Give-Away or PJ’s, Popcorn, and Pictures with Santa to receive these services.

Glucose, blood pressure, and testing will be available, as well as flu shots.

What

Join us for December’s ArtWalk and enjoy the holiday festivities that are in store!

Enjoy holiday treats, wander through the twinkling holiday display located in our Legacy Garden, and donate toys for families in our community.

This will be the final opportunity to meet Ray McLendon, the artist of our current exhibition, The Florida Highwaymen: The Next Generation – The Legacy Continues.

What

Join us for this virtual lecture by Dr. Keri Watson, associate professor of art history at the University of Central Florida and co-executive editor for Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art.

The Florida landscape has provided aesthetic inspiration to artists for centuries. Titian Ramsay Peale and John James Audubon came in search of native flora and fauna, followed by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Martin Johnson Heade, George Inness, Winslow Homer, and Henry Ossawa Tanner, who were lured by its natural beauty and warm climate. This presentation offers a succinct and engaging history of Florida’s landscape painters.

To Register, click here.

This Florida Talks program was sponsored in part by Florida Humanities with funds from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the aforementioned entities.

What

Since 2006, The Woodson has served as St. Petersburg’s African American Museum. Formerly known as the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, it has evolved to its current form with the goal of becoming the first African-American museum in Florida housed in a purpose-built facility.

In 2023, The City of St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Hines Development team reached an agreement to move forward with a new state-of-the-art ballpark and the transformative development of the Historic Gas Plant District, an 86-acre site where the team’s current stadium is located. This agreement includes expanding and relocating The Woodson African American Museum of Florida to this site.

As The Woodson prepares for its exciting journey of moving into a building that complies with core museum standards, its educational programming will expand, as well.

This #GivingTuesday, The Woodson’s objective is to secure funding that can increase our efforts of unlocking knowledge and empowering communities through programs that make African American history accessible to everyone, regardless of race, age, or background.

With your support, we can amplify our outreach and educational efforts, ensuring that this history, vital for understanding United States history, is shared with our community and beyond.

To donate, click here.

What

In partnership with American Stage, The Woodson African American Museum of Florida is hosting “White Rabbit Red Rabbit” performances!

“White Rabbit Red Rabbit” is a play where each night a night a different performer takes on the script. There is no director, no rehearsal, no safety net. You and the actor get to go down the rabbit hole at the same time.

To purchase tickets, click here.

What

Join us for November’s Can We Talk? book club meeting featuring a discussion about Chapter 8 in the book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee.

Chapter 8’s theme is climate change and how the United States has not done enough to improve environmental conditions due to the subject becoming politicized. You are not required to read the book in order to engage in this conversation.

To register, click here.

What

Join us and meet the artist of our current exhibition, Ray McLendon.

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Join us for the second weekend of the 2023 Afrofuturism Festival. For more information, click here.

What

The Woodson African American Museum of Florida is accepting bikes, books, balls, dolls, and more for its annual Toy Drive!

Bring unwrapped toys for ages 0-12, and gift cards for ages 13-17 for local families.

Drop off donations during our hours Tuesdays – Thursdays from 12-5 PM, and Fridays from 11 AM – 4 PM

What

Cultured Books Literacy Foundation is proud to announce its 2nd annual St. Pete Reads! LitFest, presented in collaboration with the St. Petersburg Library System. The event will take place on Saturday, November 4 from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. in the Legacy Gardens at The Woodson African American Museum of Florida. LitFest is a family-friendly event designed to celebrate literature and creativity, with a focus on #kidlit authors. This inclusive festival provides opportunities for youth and teens alike to engage with thought-provoking authors and activities in a vibrant atmosphere.

For more information, click here.

What

Every month, this book club will discuss a book by a local author while mimosas and brunch are being served.

October’s featured book is The Island Sisters by Micki Berthelot Morency.

Four women from Haiti, St. Thomas, and Guam meet at a college counseling session for first-year students and learn they have a shared history of abuse. Dubbing themselves the “island sisters,” their unyielding friendship is their touchstone across oceans, through labyrinths of forced marriages and violent men, motherhood, and their dreams of freedom.

Strong-willed and hot-headed Monique, quiet and romantic Cecilia, devout Lanei, and determined Ella are four friends who seem to make up for what the other lacks. But no matter what is happening in their lives or the struggles they face, they share an unbreakable bond of friendship that serves as their anchor, helping and supporting each other through and through.

To succeed, each woman must make choices that will challenge her long-held cultural beliefs, choices that will come with consequences, in the pursuit of her own individual freedom.

An empowering narrative told from alternating perspectives of each friend, Micki Berthelot Morency has crafted four remarkable and hard-to-forget women whose fates are bound together by culture, by history, and most importantly, by a deep, irrevocable friendship. Heartfelt and deeply moving, THE ISLAND SISTERS is an important story about hope and determination.

Micki Berthelot Morency is Haitian-American, and she lives in St. Petersburg Florida. Her publications have appeared in the Tampa Bay Times, The Weekly Challenger, print magazines and online. She recently won a Writer’s Digest contest, and her story was published in their 100th anniversary issue.

She is an advocate for women and children and her experience as a Case Manager at a transitional housing program inspired her to write her debut novel, The Island Sisters. Through her writing, she hopes to give a voice to the voiceless.

Micki is Vice President of DEI at  Women Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). She’s a long-time board member of Partners With Haiti, (PWH) a local NGO with many projects in Haiti. She’s a member of many writers organizations.

What

Join us for October’s ArtWalk to view our current exhibition, Florida Highwaymen: The Next Generation – The Legacy Continues.

Artist, Ray McLendon, will be present for discussion, and refreshments will be served.

What

Join us at The Woodson on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 6:00 P.M. for a panel discussion about human trafficking and how to prevent it.

The featured panelists include:

Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers

SPPD Chief Anthony Holloway

Michelle Walker, the Executive Director of Miracles Outreach

Survivor and Activist, Telisia Espinosa

To register, click here.

What

Join us for October’s Can We Talk? book club meeting featuring a discussion of the book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee.

To register, click here

What

Registration is now closed.

What

To Register, click here

Every month, this book club will discuss a book by a local author while mimosas and brunch are being served.

September’s featured book is Out of the Darkness of Depression and Into the Spiritual Light by Joyce Nanette Johnson.

Joyce Nanette is a local freelance writer and owner of Joydee Productions, which developed and produced websites for community organizations including Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services, private businesses and other public relations projects.

In addition, she has been the host of the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival Main Stage since 2018 and now is transitioning to The Board of Directors. Ms. Johnson has an AA degree in print and broadcast journalism from Brookdale College in Lincroft NJ.

Her first national acceptance was for a short story, “I’m Going Get Me Somebody Tonight”, for Essence Magazine.

Out Of The Darkness Of Depression and Into The Spiritual Light examines the core emotions that can become triggers leading to the despair and downward spiral of depression. The book has ten chapters, including “Envy and Jealousy,” “Money Worries,” and “Not Obtaining Your Dreams.” Each chapter examines the core reality or delusion of each depressive state and has direct scriptures woven throughout that review what the Bible says for spiritual enlightenment, study, and benefit.

To purchase, click here.

Also available on iTunes.

What

Ray McLendon spent much of his childhood in Florida. Ray’s father, Roy McLendon was one of the original Florida Highwaymen.

As a young boy, Ray spent many summer days cutting crown molding and painting them to make them look like frames for his father’s artwork. Ray enjoyed his father’s work and would always go on the road with his father selling his paintings on the highway.

After graduating from Kutztown University with a B.A. in Social Work and moving back to Florida, Ray started painting after his father encouraged him. He has been painting the traditional Florida Highwaymen style he grew up with for over 25 years. 

Although the Highwaymen were originally considered street artists, much of their work has been rediscovered and recognized for their talented Florida landscape scenes.

Ray McLendon, Orange Grove Trees

What

Join us for September’s Can We Talk? discussion.

To register, click here

What

In partnership with Saturday Shoppes, join us for the Opening Reception for our new exhibition, Florida Highwaymen: The Next Generation – The Legacy Continues.

This opening reception will feature vendors, food trucks, and music in our Legacy Garden.

What

Every month, this book club will discuss a book by a local author while mimosas and brunch are being served.

August’s featured book will be An Angel for Detroit by Dr. Sandra Braham.

To purchase An Angel for Detroit, click here.

An Angel for Detroit is Sandra Braham’s groundbreaking memoir, detailing her family’s history dating back to 1805. This large, poor farming family made its way from Coatopa, Alabama to Kinloch, Missouri where heartbreak, love, and the mysteries of faith shaped their lives. The story takes unexpected turns when the youngest daughter, Doris, gave birth, and raised three daughters, keeping them close while living with schizophrenia. Ms. Braham’s memoir follows her childhood, through foster care, and then to her ultimate success, both personal and professional. Having benefited from her family’s generational faith and an angel encounter that awakened her. This true-to-life story will be a book that you will not be able to put down until the last page is read.

Dr. Braham is an innovative, award-winner leader who has spent her life envisioning and building programs, services, and agencies that provide people access to countless opportunities. In doing so, she has worked to support policies and programs which improve the lives of children and close historic gaps that hinder individuals’ and families’ future success.

Over the first 17 years of her career in higher education, Sandra worked for a two-year vocational-technical college in Indiana before working her way to the position of associate vice provost at a major Texas University. Then, she realized that God’s plan for her life and career had shifted. She began overseeing very large, complex nonprofit agencies, bringing with her much-needed inspiration and transformational leadership. She has continued this path for more than 15 years.

Braham completed Leadership Texas, Leadership America, and Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management executive education program. She has also shared her strong leadership acumen as a volunteer with both community and professional organizations. She is active with national and international organizations, sharing her expertise while also addressing issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is married and the mother of three adult children.

What

In Partnership with American Stage, “Unplugged: A Musical Experience” is back at The Woodson!

August’s performer is Matthew Morris, an actor & musician based out of Largo, FL. Recently he has been in productions of RENT & Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Eight O’ Clock Theatre, as well as all across Tampa Bay with his rock band “The Baby Chimps” on vocals & lead guitar. He would like to thank his family & friends for the support of his creative journeys. He would also like to thank American Stage for giving him this opportunity & believing in him.

Click Here to purchase tickets.

What

Join us in Chapter 5 of  The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee during August’s “Can We Talk?” discussion.

To Register, Click Here.

What

What

Join us in honoring Thelma McCloud’s legacy during this Memorial Bench Dedication Ceremony in The Woodson’s Legacy Garden.

What

Join us in our Juneteenth Celebration that will include a Big REVEAL

What

This exclusive WHITE PARTY will be a festive celebration for the
freedom, culture, and achievements of African Americans.

What

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Join us during ArtWalk when we share an evening viewing The Woodson’s collection of art, which commemorates African American leaders who paved the way for equality in the United States, toward a journey for equity.

What

The Woodson’s summer exhibition sets the stage for the Association for the Studies of African American Life and History (ASALH) and the museum’s Freedom School. The exhibit is inclusive of images of African American leaders who contributed to the fabric of this nation’s greatness and are undeniably representative of American History.

Art featured in the exhibition “African American History: Resilient, Relentless, and Revolutionary,”  are works created by noted artists Adrian Pickett and Dr. Dallas Jackson.

The exhibit also includes original posters that were carried by protestors during Civil Rights marches in the 1960s.

What

Join us in this discussion about American Stage’s upcoming production, Disgraced.

What

Join us for American Stage’s Unplugged series. Experience the newest musical acts in Tampa Bay like never before. In this stripped down acoustic setting, local musicians will tell their story through song.

What

The museum will be closed Friday, May 19 as we pay tribute, and honor the contributions of our dearly departed board member Dr. Carol Motley.

Join us in remembering Carol’s life during a Memorial Service at The Woodson African American Museum of Florida beginning at three o’clock p.m.

What

Proceeds from the sale of the extraordinary works of art by Jane Bunker benefits Woodson Warriors Scholarship recipients. Be a part of creating a brighter path for our scholars by either purchasing a piece of art or making a donation.  All the paintings will be reduced for quick sales. 

Great opportunity to secure one-of-a-kind Jane Bunker originals at a steal. Time is winding down, this exhibition closes at the end of the month!

What

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This luncheon recognizes the significant accomplishments of those who have contributed to excellence in African American history and contributors to further causes relative to advancing Black culture.

What

April’s “Can We Talk?” book club meeting will be a discussion of the book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee.

To register, click here 

What

Please join us for “The Opening Reception” of Jane Bunker’s Exhibit,

A Brighter Path for Woodson Warriors.

Come and chat with the Artist about her amazing works of art.

This wonderful exhibit of vibrant lilies holds a very special meaning to The Woodson. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the paintings will go towards The Woodson Warrior Scholarship fund.

Light refreshments will be served.

What

African American High School seniors that are residents of St. Petersburg and have a GPA above 3.0 are eligible for a Woodson Warriors Scholarship. Click here to view the application.

What

What

Jane began studying art seriously at age ten at the Farnsworth School of Art in North Truro, MA with Helen Sawyer and Jerry Farnsworth, who were students of Charles Hawthorne, himself a student of William Merritt Chase. 

After majoring in Art at Stanford University, she received an MA in Health  Communication, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, from Stanford, and took a detour  into a career as a psychologist. She began painting again after she retired, twenty-five  years ago.  

While not currently represented by any gallery, she has been represented by galleries  in New York, Santa Fe, Aspen, Boise, and Cape Cod.  

In 2013, she was given a one-woman show at the New Britain Museum of American Art (Google “Illumination – Jane Bunker”). Bunker also had shows in 2019 and 2020 at the  Woodson African American Museum of Florida, in 2022 a two-woman show at the  Chihuly Museum of St. Petersburg, Florida, and in 2023, a show at Soft Water Gallery,  also in St. Petersburg, FL. 

Over the years, photography has influenced her, particularly the atmospheric Steichen imagery. She is drawn to pastel Degas landscapes, charcoal Seurat drawings,  representational Richters, Mondrian’s early trees, Redon’s flowers, and some more abstract Turners. 

“Seeing beauty in a flower could awaken humans, however briefly, to the beauty that is an essential part of their own innermost being, their true nature.”

–Eckhart Tolle

This is why I paint. When what I see touches my heart, brings me joy, and gives me peace, I paint so that I might share those experiences with another. Painting
is my meditation. Painting is also my service. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of my paintings fund college scholarships for African American youth. This is my way of paying
forward all the gifts that I have been given.

For more information about Jane Bunker’s work, go to janebunkerartist.com 

What

The “Can We Talk?” Book Club will be discussing the book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee. This book comes in physical, digital, and audio formats.

What

The Woodson will resume participation in Second Saturday ArtWalks in April.

What

The Scotty Wright Quintet returns to The Woodson African American Museum of Florida on February 26th, 2023
at 3 PM for another Black History Month musical celebration:

Jazz in the Garden.

This year’s concert is sponsored by the Al Downing Tampa Bay
Jazz Association features familiar faces creating new grooves
for familiar music – in the familiar, spacious surroundings of
the Woodson garden.
Scotty and his partners will apply various approaches to our
favorites, finding new textures, and discovering new colors in
the music we know so well, as we celebrate both our
uniqueness and our commonality.

Presenting the music of:

Thelonious Monk, Stevie Wonder, Wes Montgomery,
Bill Withers, Sam Cooke, Al Jarreau, and George Benson.

Performed by:
Vincent Sims-guitar
Judi Glover-keyboard
Alejandro Arenas-bass
Rod Alnord-drums
Scotty Wright-voice

What

Join the St Petersburg Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and very special guest filmmaker Valerie Scoon for an evening of enlightenment. Valerie Scoon is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker who is currently a professor on staff at the University of Florida. She has worked with such powerhouses as HARPO Studios and Warner Brothers. Ms. Scoon will screen her prize work INVISIBLE HISTORY: MIDDLE FLORIDA’S HIDDEN ROOTS which explores the little-known history of plantations and enslavement in Florida. A Q&A session follows the film.

For more information, go on: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/asalh-celebration-and-dinner-tickets-464738163357

What

The Legends Ball is a celebration of success, commitment and excellence in accordance with our mission to preserve, present, interpret, celebrate and commemorate African American History and the culture.

The Woodson African American Museum of Florida’s 2023 Legends Ball, will honor the lives and legacies of individuals who have made extraordinary strides in our community and beyond, as consummate leaders, and contributors to Black History.

2023 Honorees

• The Honorable Darryl Rouson (State Senator)
• The Honorable Kenneth T. Welch (Mayor)
• Mr. Anthony Holloway (St. Petersburg Police Chief)
• Dr. Frederic J. Guerrier (Local and international physician and Humanitarian)
• Reverend Watson L. Haynes II  President and CEO Pinellas County  Urban League (Posthumously)
• (Ray Arsenault Lifetime Achievement Awardee)
• Jon Wilson, Journalist and Author

Sponsorship & Table Options

$25,000 Title Sponsor – SOLD

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$15,000 Program Sponsor – SOLD

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$10,000 Signature Sponsor – SOLD

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$5,000 Patron Sponsor – SOLD

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$3,000 Table Sponsor – SOLD

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$1,000 Table of 8 -SOLD

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$250 Congratulatory Remarks – SOLD

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$125 Individual Ticket – SOLD

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I cannot attend, but I wish to contribute to the Legends Ball:

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The Woodson African American Museum of Florida is grateful for the generosity and support of Legends Awards Gala.

What

This meeting of “Can We Talk?” will be starting the discussion of our new book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee. This book comes in physical, digital, and audio format.

If you need help getting the book, please contact woodsonmuseum@gmail.com

What

The Woodson will be open during ArtWalk from 5-8 PM for Dr. Gary L. Lemons’ exhibition, Touch in the Spirit of Love.

Light Refreshments will be served.

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What

In the honor of the Black History Month, The Woodson’s flag will be raised at City Hall.

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Classic Black will be tributing black excellence in classical music. Join us for Classic Black, a concert that honor black excellence in classical music. The concert will consist of All African American Classical performers, that have recognition in our community, country, and globally.

This concert will feature performances by:

Jeremiah Abiah 

Nia Drummond 

Taylor Honor

John Lamb  

Gregory Sheppard 

Maiya Stevenson 

Carlos Walker 

Yohance Wicks

Latoya McCormick

Presented by The Woodson African American Museum of Florida, in partnership with St. Petersburg Opera Company and St. Petersburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

What

Join us for the opening reception for Dr. Gary L. Lemons’ exhibition, Touch in the Spirit of Love. Touch in the Spirit of Love is a series of paintings that graphically illustrate the value of love for all humanity. Rooted in Afrocentric colors and patterns, his art that features hands in different colors touching each other in this painting series artistically demonstrates the power of love rooted in freedom for all people who have been historically oppressed.

Dr. Lemons will be on-site to chat about his work.

Light refreshments will be provided.

What

The first book club meeting of the year will be an inclusive orientation and introduction to our upcoming book.

Books do not need to be purchased for this meeting.

What

Join us for this kick-off to Radical Self Tenderness month with a workshop hosted by The Woodson and The Well.

This workshop is based on Christie Hardwick’s new book, Radical Self Tenderness. Explore your own barriers to nurturing your soul and emerge with a greater commitment to being radically tender.

Christie is an award-winning leader and leadership coach with over 40 years of experience in the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Now, she is a fellow traveler on the path to the best version of herself.

What

Dr. Gary L. Lemons is a professor of African American literature and Biblical studies at the University of South Florida, Tampa campus. He has a B.S.E. degree in Studio Art, M.A. and Ph.D. in English, and an Advanced Certificate in Museum Studies from New York University. Over the years, he has been awarded three postdoctoral fellowships—two from the National Endowment for the Humanities and one from the Rockefeller Foundation. He is also an ordained minister. His book publications include—Black Male Outsider, a Memoir: Teaching as a Pro-Feminist Man (2008); Womanist Forefathers, Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois (2009); Feminist Solidarity at the Crossroads: Intersectional Women’s Studies for Transracial Alliance (2012); Caught Up in the Spirit! Teaching for Womanist Liberation (2017); Hooked on the Art of Love: bell hooks and My Calling for Soul Work (2018); Let Love Lead on a Course to Freedom (2019); Building Womanist Coalitions: Writing and Teaching in the Spirit of Love (2019); Liberation for the Oppressed: Community Healing through Activist Transformation, A Call to CHAT (2022); The Power and Freedom of Black Feminist and Womanist Pedagogy: Still Woke (2022).

“I am a Black abstract painter. Conceptually, my paintings are rooted in Africentric colors and patterns. I believe art should inspire all people to connect to the liberating power of communal love. Touch in the Spirit of Love is a series of paintings that graphically illustrate the value of love for all humanity. In an imaginary, spiritually enriched context—this series calls all people together to see each other reaching out to one another through the touching of their hands. The hands in my paintings connect people together to express hope for the life-saving power of love committed to community-building. As envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., hope for a “beloved community” can be realized when people actively join together to show love for social justice. Overall, the paintings in this series visually challenge people to see the need for loving wholeness in mind, body, heart, and soul. Hands of different colors touching each other in this painting series artistically demonstrate the power of love rooted in freedom for all people who have been historically oppressed.”