Warehouse Arts District highlights history, latest concerns

In just about 20 years, St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District has evolved from rows of derelict industrial buildings into a vibrant, thriving, hub for the city’s arts community.

It began when St. Pete Clay Company, and then the Morean Center for Clay, moved into the old city train station. Mark Aeling arrived from St. Louis and found a place for his steel-sculpture studio. Noted glass artist Duncan McClellan turned a tomato-packing plant into a gallery, studio and hot box.

Sculptor Mark Aeling is President of the Warehouse Arts District Board of Directors. “This (city) is a magic place,” he said, “and I’d like to see it stay that way.” Photo by Bill DeYoung.

The documentary District Lines: The Rise of the Warehouse Arts District premiered Saturday on the outdoor stage/screen at the Arts Xchange, the center of activity for the nonprofit Warehouse Arts District Association (WADA). The organization operates several art galleries and 28 artist studios on the Arts Xchange campus.

The 28-minute film was created by City of St. Petersburg videographers Michael Flanagan and Amanda Henderson. It chronicles the area’s bumpy first years, through the first-hand accounts of McClellan, Aeling (the current President of WADA), former Mayor Rick Baker, co-founder, attorney and longtime board member Rob Kapusta, WADA executive director Markus Gottschlich and numerous artists.

In his pre-screening remarks Saturday, Aeling sounded an alarm. “Right now, this city’s creative community is in crisis,” he said. “Artists are moving away. That thing that makes St. Pete so special, I can see it dissipate.”

The irony: At the same time St. Petersburg is lauded worldwide for its vast and varied palette of artists and art offerings, many creatives, who live perilously close to the poverty line, can no longer afford to live here.

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch. Photo by Amy Kagan.

“WADA,” Aeling explained, “is focused on artists’ living circumstances, affordable housing. It’s the most important component that we see.

“We started with studios. And studios are great, and they’re helpful, but if you’ve got to commute from 45 minutes away because that’s the only place you can afford to live, can you afford that commute to come here to your studio? The answer is simple. It’s no.

“We have to provide housing and opportunity for artists in the community. Or this special thing will be gone, just like that.”

In the film, Kapusta suggested that help may be on the way. “We’ve got a chunk of property that’s undeveloped,” he said, “and we are putting together a proposal to build approximately 50 live/work spaces on that property. That would guarantee that there’s always a place for artists to live, as well as work.”

Welch referred to the proposal in his opening remarks. “We’re going to continue to innovate,” the Mayor said. “I love the concept of having artist workspace and housing, and we’re looking forward to seeing how those plans move forward.

“We are in the largest CRA in the county, and we can use those funds for housing, so I’m positive and optimistic about the way that we move forward.”