Gulfport to open little hub of creativity

The Gulfport Arts Center is running with the big dogs.

Well, actually, it's running with the small dogs, too.

The newly incorporated arts group is taking up residence in the city-owned building in the middle of the dog park on 54th Street S.

The mission of the nonprofit group — whose directors are artist Hugo Porcaro, entrepreneur Annette Vedsegaard-Ross, historian Lynne Brown and lawyer Jim Thaler — is to encourage artists and art education, to offer cultural events and to reflect the diversity of the community.

But the business at hand is bringing more artists to Gulfport by getting mixed-use zoning on 54th and 56th streets — the two parallel streets sandwiching Beach Boulevard — and the linking streets and alleys so artists have more affordable spaces in which to live and work. The streets are currently zoned residential.

"Expanding the commercial district would enable artists to become a more visible part of the city," Porcaro, the group's president, said.

"Artists will contribute financially and culturally to Gulfport and would keep the money they generate in the community as opposed to having it go across the bay. By looking at Dunedin, Bradenton and downtown Sarasota, it is easy to see how the arts play an important part in the success of their commercial districts," he said.

There have been other arts center groups — including the most recent one that disbanded in 2003 — but this one is not a reincarnation of those. It is a totally new organization, Porcaro said.

Michele King is the City Council representative who spearheaded the idea for the center.

"Any city worth its salt has an arts center," King said.

"The whole city is talking about the arts center. That shows how important it is. This city needs it," King said.

The group plans to spend the next few months rehabbing the building, which is known as the Old Shuffleboard Clubhouse, before having its first classes — most likely in jewelrymaking — in October.

"I'm so enthused about the great opportunities the Gulfport Arts Center will offer our community," director Vedsegaard-Ross said.

"We're planning an eclectic mix of art classes and exhibits," she said.

The group's first fundraiser — and membership drive — will be a Horror Film Festival on Aug. 7-9 at Scout Hall, 5315 28th Ave. S, just behind the arts center.

Among the films to be shown is She Gods of Shark Reef — appropriate for an eclectic group in a coastal community.