National Creative Arts Firm Exhibits Rapid Growth in Saint Petersburg Market

National Creative Arts Firm Exhibits Rapid Growth in Saint Petersburg Market
Carroway + Rose announces new clients and staff as they put the finishing touches on their first quarter in the region

For Immediate Release: Saint Petersburg, FL – July 9: Carroway + Rose, a national creative arts firm with offices in Charleston, Santa Fe and Gulfport, announced today their further expansion into the Saint Petersburg market with client acquisitions and staff appointments as they conclude their first quarter operating in the region. The firm offers a full-service public relations, advertising, graphic design and social media suite to clients in the arts, non-profit and business sectors.

Carroway + Rose boasts several notable clients and community partners amongst its supporters throughout Saint Petersburg and Gulfport, including the Carter G. Woodson African-American Museum, Brenda McMahon Gallery, The Enroy Foundation, The Laura Shepherd Show and Abstract Art for Autism, among others. The firm also announced today that it has recently entered into agreements with Operation Regroup Post Traumatic Strength Development, a veterans group providing holistic healing and reintegration programs to military personnel and at-risk youth, along with project management company Simpli Assist and Let it Be, a new ice cream novelty offering coming to downtown Gulfport.

James Briggs, owner of the firm, commented on the firm’s first quarter efforts, saying “After our successful launches in Charleston and in Santa Fe, we were seeking markets with similar interests in the arts and non-profit sectors, as well as some great local businesses, and we’ve certainly found that in Gulfport and Saint Petersburg. We started out with a satellite office in the region but are excited to say that we’ll soon be investing in a brick and mortar location, making us more accessible for our partners and clients,” said Briggs.

In May of this year, the firm introduced itself to the community with a one-night birthday celebration for local Blues legend Sterling ‘Mr. Satan’ Magee, which filled the Catherine A. Hickman Theater for a showing of the acclaimed documentary ‘Satan and Adam.’ Carroway + Rose, along with event co-sponsor and community partner Enroy Foundation, donated all proceeds from the event and an adjoining silent auction to the family of Mr. Magee. The event was hosted by WMNF Radio personality Larry Lisk.

“We brought the film home to Mr. Magee’s hometown to honor him and his career in front of his family, friends and playing partners. We kept the event open to the public as a way of saying thank you to the folks in Gulfport who’ve welcomed us into their community. We’re looking forward to being a part of the arts and business scene here for a long time,” said Briggs.

Carroway + Rose made their initial splash on the arts scene in the area by partnering with renowned Gulfport artist Brenda McMahon on the opening of her new gallery in downtown Gulfport. Brenda McMahon Gallery features not only McMahon’s award-winning saggar-fired works of clay but also the work of nearly a dozen other regional artists. McMahon leads the Gulfport art collective Art Jones, featuring 20 professional artists in the growing arts enclave.

The firm also announced that the philanthropic arm of the firm, Noble Roses, will launch next month and that the firm will dedicate 11 percent of the firm’s profits to artist grants, non-profits and historical preservation projects in the markets they serve, including Gulfport and Saint Petersburg.

“We’ve been gathering partners and allies and doing our homework on the types of groups we want to partner with for Noble Roses. Gulfport and Saint Petersburg have a rich, philanthropic tradition and we’re looking forward to playing our part and giving back to the arts groups and artists who make up the creative fiber of the area.”

In addition to the news about the foundation, Carroway + Rose announced the addition of new staff, bringing on Marcia Devaney and Karen Gates in senior advisory positions with the firm. Devaney joins as Special Advisor for Strategic Partnerships and will work closely with the leadership of the firm in raising and allocating funds for the foundation and for the firm’s many non-profit clients. As the former Vice President of Corporate Relations at the Alliance to Save Energy, Devaney is well known in the industry as a leader adept at building strategic partnerships with a hands-on approach that supports not only the mission but the bottom line.

Karen Gates, owner of Gates Drone Services in Gulfport, joins the firm in the position of Director of Videography. Gates brings another valuable client service to Carroway + Rose, saying “Working with the team at Carroway + Rose expands both my professional horizons and those of the firm. They have several projects going on where my expertise with videography will be a valuable addition and I think my being on board opens some doors for them as well,” said Gates.

Added Briggs, “From my first visit onward, I was struck by the sense of community and the artistic freedom and sensibility that I found in Gulfport and Saint Petersburg. To have an artist of the caliber of Brenda McMahon become our first client in the area was a clear indicator that we were in the right place. And now, to celebrate our first quarter of high level client service in the region with the great people at Operation Regroup and both Simpli Assist and Let it Be, is a professional highlight and we’re glad to be here with our new staff and our new clients,” concluded Briggs.
For more information, please visit online at www.carrowayrose.com and on social media outlets @CarrowayRosePR.
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