TAMPA BAY ARTS PASSPORT PODCAST
Conversations with the people shaping Tampa Bay’s arts scene — onstage, backstage, and everywhere in between.
Hosted by Arts Passport founder Avery Anderson, the podcast goes beyond the press release — exploring how work gets made, how institutions evolve, and what it really takes to sustain art in this region.
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Who We Talk To
Actors, directors, musicians, designers, arts administrators, educators, and culture-makers across Tampa Bay.
What We Cover
Creative process, leadership, funding, community impact, burnout, risk, joy — and the work behind the work.
Why It Matters
Because arts ecosystems don’t thrive on shows alone — they thrive on people.
Latest Episode
Avery Anderson
Building A Community from the Ground Up
Michele Smith, Executive Director, Tampa Arts Alliance
What does it actually take to build an arts ecosystem?
Michele Smith, executive director of the Tampa Arts Alliance, talks about the slow, relational work behind Tampa Bay’s creative growth—and why joy, patience, and connection matter more than hype.
The Tampa Bay Arts Passport Podcast isn’t about quick takes or promotional fluff. Episodes are built around real conversations — the kind that happen after opening night, in rehearsal rooms, and in board meetings when the doors are closed.
Guests don’t just talk about what they’re making. They talk about why, how, and at what cost.
About the Host
Avery Anderson is the founder of Tampa Bay Arts Passport, a nonprofit arts journalism and community-building platform spotlighting the people and organizations shaping the region’s cultural landscape.
As a marketer, fundraiser, and producer working directly with local arts organizations, Avery brings both curiosity and context — asking questions that come from being inside the work, not just observing it.