From Secret Coffee Shop Painters to 80s Pop Greek Myths
Avery Anderson | | 4 min read

From Secret Coffee Shop Painters to 80s Pop Greek Myths

It is ninety degrees outside in Tampa Bay, which means the only logical thing to do is crank the A/C, slip into some comfy pants, and sit like Drew Barrymore to talk all things local art. In the latest episode of The Peanut Gallery, hosts Jana Henson and Maggie Duffy give us the ultimate insider tour of the sun-soaked, culture-packed local arts scene.

From tracking down completely off-the-grid mystery painters to unleashing the Kraken via 80s synth-pop, here is a breakdown of everything covered on this week's episode.

Watch the Full Episode


Listen to the Full Episode

Art in Unexpected Places: Airport Galleries & Coffee Shop Mysteries

Art is thriving in the wild across Pinellas County, proving you don’t always have to step into a traditional museum to be inspired.

  • "Juicy" Exhibition at PIE: Maggie took on a piece of shameless self-promotion to highlight her newly curated exhibition, Juicy, running at the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) Sightline gallery through June 30th. Partnering with Heritage Village, the exhibit juxtaposes vintage 1920s–1940s Florida citrus crate labels with breathtaking, blown-glass fruit artwork by Steve Hagen. Best of all, a section of it is located right in the main lobby, so you don't even need a plane ticket to see it.
  • The Kahwa Coffee Mystery: Jana shared a wild "analog investigation" that unfolded after she walked into her local Kahwa Coffee. Sitting by the barista stand was a massive, unsigned, three-part canvas depicting a Renaissance commedia dell’arte scene with no price tag or title. After leaving her contact info on a scrap of paper, Jana received a call from a no-caller-ID number. The artist? "Jeff," a enigmatic French-born painter who has lived in St. Pete for thirty years, has collaborated with the Florida Orchestra, and eschews standard social media in favor of a personal Substack.

Improv Jazz, Botanical Gardens, & Stage Drama

If you are looking to step into a total creative flow state, the hosts mapped out three brilliant escapes:

  • Sunday Jazz at Green Light Cinema: Jana reached peak weekend relaxation with loaded cheese fries, a large Coke, and live, improvised jazz sessions led by musician Sasha Tuck. These sessions happen inside the beautifully air-conditioned new lounge at Green Light Cinema nearly every Sunday—and they are completely free.
  • Rock Royalty at Selby Gardens: Maggie beat the heat with a trip down to Sarasota's Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Their latest exhibition features photographer Lynn Goldsmith's stunning, soft-focus floral images alongside intimate 1970s portraits of her longtime friend—and Selby's resident artist—Patti Smith. The exhibition is up through September 16th.
  • Passing Strange at Studio@620: The hosts sat down for a raw reflection on Passing Strange, a coming-of-age musical following a young Black artist named "Youth" on a journey of self-discovery from L.A. to Amsterdam and Berlin. Jana and Maggie unpacked the show's powerful themes surrounding the cost of absolute freedom, community responsibility, and the artistic anxiety of performing an identity versus being real.

Immigrant Legacies and "America 250"

With the United States steering directly into its "America 250" celebrations, local cultural institutions are responding with exhibits that honor the immigrant histories that shaped our country.

  • Dalí in America: The Dalí Museum is currently running Dalí in America, an exhibition documenting Salvador Dalí’s historic 1934 arrival in the U.S.. Fun fact: Dalí came over in the middle of a massive "beef" with the European Surrealists, who put him on a dramatic trial for his shameless self-promotion before kicking him out of the movement entirely. America completely embraced him, leading to his iconic collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney.
  • The Citrus Wizard at Heritage Village: Maggie highlighted an upcoming NEA-grant project by local artist Kirk Ke Wang. The installation will focus on Lue Gim Gong, a Chinese-American immigrant horticulturist known as the "Citrus Wizard," who fundamentally transformed Florida's agricultural landscape through revolutionary cross-pollination innovations.

To close out the episode, performer, playwright, and Freefall Theatre marketing extraordinaire Matthew McGee dropped by the studio to pull back the curtain on Bash of the Titans.

Billed as a high-energy, legally distinct 80s jukebox musical parody of the cult-classic film Clash of the Titans, the show is currently in the middle of a massive seven-week summer run. While Matthew, Artistic Director Eric Davis, and Michael Raby share the book and lyric credits, Matthew readily admitted that Eric was the true mastermind behind matching iconic 80s pop tracks to the petty tantrums and whims of Greek gods.

The production boasts a stellar powerhouse cast, including Victor Chan—whom Matthew hilariously describes as the "Filipino Jack Black"—bringing a massive rock voice to the god Poseidon, and legendary Broadway veteran Kissy Simmons starring as Aphrodite.

With custom musical mashups, a flying Pegasus, and a creative team attempting to safely "release the Kraken" on a live stage, Bash of the Titans runs Wednesday through Sunday at Freefall Theatre.

Tune In & Stay Connected

You can stream the full episode of The Peanut Gallery right now on your favorite podcast platforms! Be sure to follow Jana and Maggie on socials, and if you happen to stop by Kahwa Coffee, keep an eye out for Jeff’s artwork.

Have you caught 'Bash of the Titans' or visited Selby Gardens yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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