Painted Pianos Ready to be Played Around Clearwater

A busy bumble bee tumbles around a girl with bright purple, beehive hair playing a pink piano in a field of red wildflowers. It seems like a description from a Dr. Suess book, or maybe a Saturday morning cartoon, but this is actually a scene on one of 11 imaginatively painted pianos recently installed around Clearwater.

The Clearwater Arts Alliance has turned these 11 pianos into music for the eye and for the ear. With their newest project, Pianos in Pinellas, the arts group has combined the skills of local artists and generous donations from sponsors in the community to bring Clearwater a public art and music exhibit ready to be played.

Anyone in the community–young, old, master piano player or novice–is invited to sit down and play the pianos free of charge. The Clearwater Arts Group is running a competition to find musicians for an end-of-the-project performance on Dec. 31.

If you wish to enter the competition, find one of the pianos around Clearwater and record yourself playing. Then upload your video to a YouTube, Vimeo or other video websites and send the link to Clearwater Arts Alliance at PianosinPinellas@gmail.com.

Even if you don’t plan to enter, take a look at one (or more) of these beautiful pianos before they’re removed on Dec. 31. You might never see anything like it again.

We’ll make it a little easier for you. Pianos in Pinellas has installed their art pieces on the following streets:

• Island Way Grille 20 Island Way, Clearwater
• Pelican Walk Plaza 483 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach
• Stirling Commons 730 Broadway Ave., Dunedin
• Cleveland Street Various Locations
• Greektown Grille 1230 Cleveland St., Clearwater
• Frenchy’s Outpost 466 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin
• Pier 60 1 Causeway Blvd., Clearwater Beach
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater
• Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure 300 Cleveland St., Clearwater
• Ruth Eckerd Hall 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater
• Pinellas County Courthouse 315 Court St., Clearwater
• Nature’s Food Patch 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater
• Randy’s Wholesale Pianos 5047 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater

photos via Pianos in Pinellas on Facebook.