SPONSORS and Supporters

Creative Clay appreciates our Sponsors and Supporters.

The J. Crayton Pruitt Foundation has supported Creative Clay’s mission for nearly a decade. Their work and support throughout the community brightens the lives of us all. Your enduring support allows Creative Clay to achieve its mission year after year. Thank you for what you do.

The City of St. Petersburg is a wonderful place with a special love for the arts that many cities do not offer. “Ranked as a top arts and cultural destination among cities its size, St. Pete is home to world-famous museums; independent galleries & art studios; a thriving performing arts scene; film, music, food & art festivals; live entertainment; a vibrant literary arts community; a close-knit community of working artists and craftspeople, and a whole lot of public art and outdoor art installations.” Says their website, and every word is true. Thank you St. Petersburg for nearly two decades of support!

The Mission of the Florida Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture is to advance, support, and promote arts and culture to strengthen the economy and quality of life for all Floridians.

“The Florida Division of Arts and Culture is Florida's state arts agency. We believe Culture Builds Florida. Arts and culture support jobs, tourism and education while contributing to a vibrant and creative Florida. To promote excellence and encourage access to cultural opportunities, the Division provides funding, programs and resources including grants for: arts in education, local arts agencies, state service organizations, museums, theater, dance, folk arts, literature, media arts, multidisciplinary, music, sponsor/presenter, and visual arts programs and projects.” Creative Clay would like to thank Florida Arts & Culture for their support over the years.

The Pinellas Community Foundation has been “Giving Humanity a Hand Since 1969” and has supported Creative Clay for 17 years, providing funds for projects, programs, operations, equipment, and improvements. Due to the generosity of PCF, Creative Clay is now able to, foster musicianship, facilitate the creation of digital art, offer photography classes, and help make great videos and artist created films. Creative Clay appreciates PCF’s desire help our great communities grow. Thank you Pinellas Community Foundation.

Creative Clay would like to thank Willi Rudowsky & Hal Freedman for over 15 years of support. Willi and Hal, Legacy and Good Folk Society members, have contributed consistently with yearly sponsorships and donations for special projects. They contributed to our 2016 build-out campaign, are title sponsors for Creative Clay’s Performing Arts Studio, helped to fund our outdoor classroom project, as well as contributing to send art kits to all of our member artists during our Covid in-person shut-down. Thank you so much for appreciating the work we do. You have been there with us for half of our existence and that says a lot about your dedication to Equality Through Art.

Duke Energy has supported Creative Clay’s work for over a decade, and this year is no different. Duke Energy and its Foundation have supported Creative Clay in many ways. In 2023, they made it possible for us to achieve our marketing goal of reaching more people by allowing us to work with RHStv to create and compile slick professional videos that feature all the main attributes of the work Creative Clay does. Thank you, Duke Energy. We appreciate your support.

Derek Berset of Comegys Insurance Agency recently posted this image and wrote:

“I just had the most wonderful experience with Creative Clay in St. Petersburg! They drew a portrait of my dad and my daughter, and it turned out absolutely amazing. The level of detail and care they put into capturing such a special bond is truly inspiring. 

A huge thank you to the talented artists at Creative Clay for bringing this memory to life. If you’re looking for meaningful, one-of-a-kind artwork, I highly recommend checking them out!”

David Ramsdell & Kevin Long have supported Creative Clay’s work since 2019 and have been integral to our success. They are a joy to see when they drop by Creative Clay for gifts for their family and friends, or to gather a decoration or two for their home. Years ago David worked as a volunteer with Creative Clay and never forgot the importance of our mission. Thank you both so much for your continued support.

A 2009 grant from the Queen of Hearts allowed us to create our "Art Around the World" inclusive summer camp for kids 6 to 13, which ran through 2022. Each year, the camp grew and attracted a diverse group of kids of all abilities that gathered to create and learn about the art and customs of different countries. Every year since its inception, the White Family Foundation provided funding for camp scholarships. When Covid came, they supported our Creative Clay Connects virtual arts classes. Now The White Family Foundation supports our Artlink employment program. Thank you, White Family Foundation and your trustees for being a wonderful community partner and recognizing the importance of equality through art for more than 15 years.

Linda joined Comegys Insurance, the family business her father Frank started in 1939, in 1980. She holds a Certified Insurance Counselor certificate and is Comegys’ president. She formerly taught school after earning a biology degree from Mercer University.

In addition to running a successful business, Linda prioritizes serving the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay communities, which is why she chose to sponsor Creative Clay.

“I support Creative Clay because I believe everyone should have access to the arts,” Linda said. “The arts allow people to discover and cultivate strengths that may have otherwise gone unknown. Once found those strengths can be nurtured and used as building blocks for future successes.”

Thank you so much, Linda Comegys Berset, for sponsoring Creative Clay since 2022. Linda says everyone should have access to the arts. She believes “The arts allow people to discover and cultivate strengths that may have otherwise gone unknown.” We appreciate you so much!

For nearly a decade John and Mary Sweeny have been supporting the work of Creative Clay. Their support allows Creative Clay to work towards our vision To Make The Arts Accessible to All.

Dee and Sal Perconti have supported Creative Clay since 2011! Dee was a long-time member of our Board of Directors, and was a Creative Care Guest Artist who worked at the bedside creating art with children at All Children’s Hospital. She is passionate about many causes that she dedicates her life to, specifically wounded children. Dee is a prolific artist who uses her talents to serve a larger purpose. She is a wonderful “connector” who helps us find fantastic partnerships that greatly benefit our mission. Thank you both so much for all you have done for us, and the opportunities you have provided.

Media Garage’s Karen Helsinger was a major part of Creative Clay’s board of directors for more than five years. Karen is the founder, owner, and head media mechanic of Media Garage Group, a boutique, full-service, advertising agency located in the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg. Her expertise in the advertising field has allowed her to serve her clients well, since she knows the importance of marketing a brand to the right audience at the right time with the right media and right message.

Thank you, Media Garage Group, Inc for more than a decade of supporting Creative Clay's member artists! Karen Helsinger, you are an amazing champion of everything you believe in and an inspiration! We appreciate your advocacy and commitment to arts accessibility for all. Thank you for all you do for us, and all you do for our community.

Thank you to our friends at BayFirst for your continued support of Creative Clay!

“As Florida’s best bank according to Forbes based on customer feedback, BayFirst National Bank proudly serves the Tampa Bay area and businesses nationwide through a growing network of local banking centers and a nationally ranked small business lending division that has provided more than $2 billion in loans to keep small businesses moving forward.”

Thank you for being so great to work with!

Tammy Boldt and her St. Petersburg branch of Homeowners Financial Group are constant supporters of Creative Clay. Tammy served on Creative Clay’s board of directors for many years and acted as Board Chair. She contributes in every possible way. Besides her past as Board Chair, Tammy gives monthly as a member of our Good Folk Society and renews her annual sponsorship regularly. Homeowners selected Creative Clay several times as the beneficiary of their quarterly giving initiative, where we provided an Amazon Wishlist and Homeowners Financial Group makes many of our desired purchases. They shock us every time with so many essential art supplies and office needs. Thank you Tammy, and thank you Homeowners Financial Group!

We love ARTicles Art Gallery & Custom Framing. Owner Leslie Curran has been a good friend to Creative Clay for many years. Beyond supporting our vision of equality through art, she has donated many of the frames and boxes of matboard in our Creative Thrift pay-what-you-wish store for repurposed art supplies.

Thank you, W. Shannon Gardner and Florida Tax Advisors for over a decade of support for Creative Clay!

Deana Hawk and Greg Bauman of Black Crow Coffee Co. have partnered with Creative Clay since 2018. Creative Clay was invited to install had a huge exhibit featuring 40 Creative Clay Member Artists in their Old Northeast location at 722 2nd Street N in St. Petersburg. In 2019, Black Crow offered to provide Creative Clay with the Black Crow Coffee Roasters private coffee label, called Good Folk Coffee. Over the past decade, Deana and Greg have donated hundreds of bags of coffee to Creative Clay to sell at our Good Folk Gallery. They have also attended and served their coffee at many Creative Clay events over the past decade. In January of 2019, Teaching Artist Todd Frain and several member artists created a small mural at Black Crow’s Grand Central District location at 2157 1st Avenue South, just two blocks from Creative Clay.

Huge thank you to Thorpe Chiropractic & Wellness, Creative Clay sponsors for 18 years! We treasure you, Lorraine Thorpe and staff! Thanks for your continued love and support of Creative Clay's Artists!

Thorpe Chiropractic and Wellness proudly serves St. Petersburg and the surrounding communities, including Gulfport, Treasure Island, Pinellas Park, and beyond. Their medical spa services include laser treatments, injectables, muscle building with Emsculpt NEO, and specialized treatments for sexual health and erectile dysfunction, urinary and stress incontinence, including Gainswave, Emfemme and Emsella. They also offer medical weight loss programs to help you achieve your wellness goals. Whether you’re looking to rejuvenate your appearance, enhance vitality, or improve overall health, they are there to support your journey to lasting wellness on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

NOVA 535 has been the venue of choice for many of Creative Clay’s events over the last few years. The space is beautiful, the staff is amazing, and it’s a great place to do an event. Not only is NOVA 535 an excellent host but they’re also sponsors. Thank you NOVA 535.

Seacoast Bank has supported Creative Clay since 2018.

“Banking local is banking better.Better by all accounts. Seacoast offers all the personal and business bank products you need along with the conveniences you want and the attentive service you expect.”

Thank you Seacoast Bank.

Nicolas Janovsky, a real estate professional who is “The #1 volume producer at Premier Sotheby's International Realty's St. Pete office for the fifth consecutive year. A consistently top-performing advisor, he is recognized as a national leader in outgoing referrals and a top producer in Tampa Bay, serving Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, including Tampa, St. Pete, and the Gulf beaches.” He has supported Creative Clay since 2023. Thank you Nicolas.

Glass of life, a Stained Glass Studio space in St. Petersburg, has supported Creative Clay since 2023. They offer classes, workshops, and studio time for folks who have a handel on the craft. They also create custom pieces, and facilitate private events, as well as hosting an “Adult Therapy Wine Shop” where participants get to “Sip while you solder! Enjoy sommelier-curated wines and cold 'adult' beverages from our in-studio wine shop — available during classes or to take home.” Thank you Glass of Life.

St. Petersburg Arts Alliance have supported many of our endeavors since 2019 and we have participated in their Second Saturday ArtWalk for more than a decade! We appreciate the great work you do for the arts community.

Tru by Hilton St. Petersburg Downtown Central Ave has supported Creative Clay since 2019 as the beautiful hotel was being built. Creative Clay was able to tour the building in its construction phase. The idea was hatched at the meeting that we could have Creative Clay’s member artists paint construction hard hats to commemorate our partnership. 12 of the hard hats still hang in the lobby at Tru by Hilton, be sure to stop by and see them, and book a night or two. Thank you for everything Tru by Hilton.