Business leaders meet new museum director, honor arts advocate

A private reception Tuesday at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg provided an intimate setting for local business leaders to meet the enthusiastic new executive director.

The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership also honored City Councilmember Gina Driscoll for her arts advocacy inside City Hall.

Klaudio Rodriguez assumed his post at the museum in October and preached the importance of fostering collaboration and accessibility. He also emphasized his dedication to the institution and St. Petersburg.

“I bought a house here in the middle of two hurricanes,” Rodriguez said. “So, I’m committed to being here. I’m eager, and I welcome you to welcome me.”

Rodriguez, a Miami native, spent seven years with the Bronx Museum of the Arts. He became executive director in 2020 and said he was reticent to leave New York.

The city is a global leader in cultural engagement, and Rodriguez considered St. Petersburg a place for weekend getaways. He agreed to take a tour and was subsequently “blown away” by the local arts and business community.

“Everything that was happening was dynamic – it’s exciting,” Rodriquez added. “It feels like we’re just at the very beginning, and I’m really happy to be a part of that process moving forward.”

He also believes the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) is a key cog in the city’s evolution. The institution, constructed in 1965 at 255 Beach Dr., was St. Petersburg’s first art museum.

However, Rodriguez believes he and community partners can expand the museum’s reach. He said the first step is building trust in and outside the facility.

“A bunch of you have never been here before,” Rodriquez continued. “So, clearly, we were not that fun.”

He noted the MFA’s ideal location along the downtown waterfront and hopes to increase engagement. Rodriguez said the museum can help St. Petersburg reach its potential as a cultural and commercial hub.

He also wants to foster conversations and creativity by expanding educational and collaborative opportunities. “I don’t think a museum is just a place for displaying art,” Rodriguez said.

“It’s a place where we shape how we think about ourselves, our community and the way we engage with the world around us.”

Klaudio Rodriguez succeeded Anne-Marie Russell as executive director of the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg.

Rodriguez plans to forge partnerships with area businesses, schools and other cultural institutions. He said educational initiatives can inspire local youth.

Reaching oft-marginalized communities that “perhaps we haven’t served as well as we should have in the past” is another focus. “We have an incredible opportunity to make this a space that’s really reflective of everyone – a place that reflects the diversity and spirit of the city,” he added.

Councilmember Gina Driscoll and arts funding

Jason Mathis, CEO of the downtown partnership, called Gov. Ron DeSantis’ June 2024 veto of all state arts funding a “gut punch” to local stakeholders. He then surprised City Councilmember Gina Driscoll by naming her the partnership’s first Arts Advocate Award recipient.

Driscoll championed a $550,000 supplemental appropriation in the fiscal year 2025 budget to help mitigate the immediate effects of the governor’s veto. Mathis said she “took up the gauntlet” and found a way to “make arts organizations in St. Pete whole.”

“We call ourselves a City of the Arts; we’re all so proud of it,” Driscoll said. “We need to put our money where our mouth is.”

Elizabeth Cooper (left), director of advancement at Florida CraftArt, presented Councilmember Gina Driscoll with a piece of local artwork.

She supports dedicating 1% of the city’s budget to arts initiatives. After the event, Driscoll said that would have equated to about $3.9 million this year. “I’m confident we can get close to that number for the FY 2026 budget,” she added.

Driscoll called the arts, which generate nearly $180 million in annual spending, an economic driver for St. Petersburg. She told attendees that art is more than a hobby in the city – it allows many people to pay their bills.

“I hope you all remember that when you go to ArtWalk and are out moseying into the galleries and studios,” Driscoll said. “Buy something. It matters.”