Andy Warhol’s Birthday Celebrated Sunday In Downtown St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Downtown St. Petersburg’s Floridian Social Club celebrates the birthday of iconic artist, filmmaker and influencer Andy Warhol Sunday afternoon.

Andy Warhol’s Bday Art Walk kicks off at 3 p.m. and will feature local artists showcasing works inspired by Warhol, live music, signature cocktails and live painting.

Tickets are $3 in advance and $9 at the door. They can be purchased online here.

A highlight of the art party will be a chance to interact with a Warhol impersonator. Local artist Leroy More Hole, known as Lucky Leroy, has also long impersonated the pop artist known for his avant-garde films and paintings of subjects including Campbell’s Soup cans and Marilyn Monroe.

Warhol is known for operating an art studio known as The Factory during the 1960s in New York City. There, he produced films and hosted individuals from all walks of life — musicians, actors, models, socialites, drag performers and more, according to ArtLife.com.

“That was the place to go,” More Hole told Patch. “Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, just everyone. They all went to The Factory. It was party central in New York. All the rock stars went there.”

It was at The Factory where Warhol filmed his infamous screen tests — hundreds of portraits of individuals, those famous and those who weren’t. Between 1963 and 1966, he captured them on silent, black-and-white, 100-foot rolls of film and each screen test lasted about three minutes, according to The Andy Warhol Museum.

“All the famous pop culture people and artists did screen tests at the Andy Warhol studio,” More Hole, who previously lived in New York City, told Patch.

During the event at the Floridian, the St. Petersburg artist will film screen tests of attendees and share them on Instagram.

“Especially the people who dress up like The Factory superstars — all the great people that came in drag, like Candy Darling, Holly Woodlawn and all the other Factory characters,” the artist said.

More Hole will also recreate a mini version of Warhol's studio at the Floridian Sunday.

The show ties in with More Hole’s new diorama on display in The Fairgrounds at St. Petersburg’s own arts destination called The Factory — where the artist has a permanent studio — in the Warehouse Arts District.

The diorama shares a Warhol story with ties to Florida.

“Andy came to Florida in the ‘70s to save Art Deco,” More Hole said. “They were going to tear down hotels in Miami.”

Warhol reached out to the Miami Design Preservation League in 1980 and asked to visit some Art Deco buildings in Miami Beach. He toured the South Beach Art Deco District in March of that year, the MDPL said.

Thanks to his efforts, one building in particular - which went on to become the Versace mansion - was saved, More Hole said. “It’s a really good Florida story.”

Sunday’s event is “gonna be really fun,” the artist added, and “a great opportunity to learn about Andy Warhol.”