Flamingo At TPA, SunLit Fest, Patti Smith, Sarasota Film Fest, Players Centre: Art News

TAMPA BAY, FL — If you're looking for a creative spark or want to support the local arts, here's the latest news and events from the Tampa Bay area's vibrant arts scene.

Giant Flamingo Emerges From Floor Of Main Terminal Of Airport

People flying into Tampa for a visit expect to see exotic birds —leggy 4-foot-tall sandhill cranes casually moseying down the sidewalk, pelicans hanging out at the pier waiting for a chance to scoop up fish in their ample beaks or egrets unfurling their 5-foot, snow-white wings and taking flight across the water.

Sarasota Film Festival Runs Through April 10

The Sarasota Film Festival, which runs through April 10, kicks off Friday evening with a screening of M. Cahill's "Porcupine," starring Jena Malone, who will also receive the Sarasota Film Festival Excellence in Acting Award.

Kerouac Tour, Kids Poetry, Writing 1K: Sunlit Literary Festival Fun

It's a wordsmith weekend in St. Pete for writers and book lovers at the sixth annual SunLit Literary Festival.

Plans For Players Centre's New Lakewood Ranch Venue Fall Through

Lakewood Ranch has terminated its agreement with the Players Centre for Performing Arts to build a new performing arts center in Waterside Place, a newly constructed 36-acre lakefront town center, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, Inc. said in a news release.

Iconic Singer, Poet Patti Smith Returns To Selby Gardens April 28

Iconic singer-songwriter and poet Patti Smith returns to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens' downtown Sarasota campus on April 28 at 7 p.m.

64th Grammy Awards Nominee Goes To Lakeland's Sound House Studios

Jonathan Gautier, owner of Lakeland's Sound House Studios, has been nominated for the 64th Grammy Awards taking place Sunday.

Sarasota Opera's 2022-23 Season Presents 'Familiar And Beloved' Works

Sarasota Opera says its 2022-23 season will feature works "both familiar and beloved," as well as two operas that the company has never performed, according to a news release.