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All you need is clay
8 pottery studios in Tampa Bay
Ceramicists load the wood-fire kiln. | Photo via the Morean Center for Clay
Sometimes you need to set your phone down and get your hands dirty. We like to get ours crusted with clay.
Crafting ceramics is one way to exercise the right side of your brain (and it’s phone-free to boot). You can throw your own bowls, plates, and pots on the potter’s wheel, or craft boho pinch pots and sculptures with nothing more than a handful of clay and some ingenuity.
TBAY studios offer everything from six-week wheel throwing classes to date night experiences perfect for toting your left-brained partner along.
Ready to start your pottery journey? We’re firing up the kiln.
Located in a historic train storage building, the Morean Center for Clay is the largest working pottery center in the Southeast US. The center offers six-week classes on hand building + wheel throwing year-round for all skill levels.
Embrace the Muddy Potter way of life with one-day wheel classes —perfect for getting the basics down — or four-day wheel classes and open studio sessions made for more experienced ceramists.
DRIP — Do Really Inspirational Projects — is the place to be for budding creatives with 20 pottery wheels, pottery painting, hand-building and mosaic art classes, and firing services. The Ybor City studio is also home to live music performances, gallery nights, and movie nights.
Not into throwing on the wheel? You can still get in on the fun at this paint-your-own-pottery and coffee house. Perfect for groups, the shop offers themed classes (think decorating ornaments) and daily specials.
This bustling studio is home to working artist studios + your next pottery class. What’s on the lineup? MCS hosts six-week wheel or hand-building classes, Groupon clay or wheel classes, and one-time private sessions.
Channel District: Paw~Fee Break | Tuesday, Aug. 27 | 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Washington Street Park | Free | Paws for a moment during your work day with other downtown Tampa dog parents.
Orin Swift “Meet the Maker” Wine Dinner | Tuesday, Aug. 27 | 7-10 p.m. | Jackson’s Bistro Bar & Sushi, Tampa | $388 | Sip on sophisticated Orin Swift Wines over a five-course meal hosted by Winemaker of the Year recipient Dave Phinney.
Wednesday, Aug. 28
Movie on the Lawn: “Bend it like Beckham” | Wednesday, Aug. 28 | 8 p.m. | Armature Works | $0-$10 | Catch the iconic flick accompanied by the Hillsborough River’s gentle lapping — bring a lawn chair or blanket.
Visit Florida-FL Governor’s Conference on Tourism | Wednesday, Aug. 28-Friday, Aug. 30 | Locations vary | Times vary | $250+ | Mingle with fellow travel professionals, learn about Visit Florida’s programs, and dive into the latest tourism research data.
Thursday, Aug. 29
Gary Mormino Artist Talk | Thursday, Aug. 29 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Florida Museum of Photographic Arts | $10-$12 | The TBAY historian shares tales from his 100+ interviews of Tampeños and Tampeñas.
Brews & Bracelets | Thursday, Aug. 29 | 6-8 p.m. | 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Pete | $32 | Sip on brews and craft your own wrist candy — each ticket includes two bracelets.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” | Thursday, Aug. 29 | 8 p.m. | Ruth Eckerd Hall | $154 | Be a part of the legendary show’s magic as “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars LIVE” takes the stage.
🌴 Enter our $1,600+ Lakeland Summer Road Trip Giveaway
Enter to win a $1,650-value weekend getaway with our Lakeland Summer Road Trip Giveaway, sponsored by Welcome Canary. | Photo by 3F Real Estate Photography
Desperatelyneed a vacay? You’re in luck — we just launched our Lakeland Summer Road Trip Giveaway in partnership with Welcome Canary.
One lucky TBAYtoday reader and their guest will win a weekend getaway to Lakeland, including $1,650 worth of summer vacay delights:
Important note: Only our official account, @theTBAYtoday, will reach out to our winner(s) via Direct Message on Instagram. In our DM, we will give you next steps to claim your prize — we will never ask for credit card information. Please be aware of fake accounts trying to scam entrants during any giveaway. This contest is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram.
News Notes
Development
A new era is loading for the Straz. Leaders filed permits for the ~$100 million performing arts center’s expansion — which will transform the riverfront venue’s western exterior, add more rehearsal and office space, and tweak dining offerings. (Tampa Tomorrow)
Eat
It’s the Super Bowl of cuisine. The Bucs are hosting a Tampa Bay Chef Series this season. Every home game, the stadium will offer the krewe one dish from chefs behind top-notch local eats like Meat Market, Boulon Brasserie, and Psomi. Buy tickets. (That’s So Tampa)
Open
We’re headed to the COPA — Cafe Copa, that is. The new java spot just opened right next to COPA on Central Avenue + serves up espresso, breakfast, sandwiches, and drinks (for those weekend breakfasts). (I Love the Burg)
Community
A reminder: We are still deep in the throes of hurricane season. Pick up batteries, generators, and other supplies sans sales tax to keep your kit stocked during the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday through Friday, Sept. 6. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Legacy
The final direct descendent of Vicente Martinez-Ybor just died. Rafael Martinez-Ybor recently passed away at age 95 after a lifetime of working to share Ybor City’s history. The Tampa native worked as a banker + helped create the Ybor City Museum Society. (Tampa Bay Times)
Number
$300. That’s where rent starts for an incoming St. Pete senior living complex. Construction kicked off on Burlington Post II, which will house 75 apartments for older adults making up to 80% of the area median income. Leaders have not announced an opening date for the Kenwood complex. (St. Pete Rising)
Sports
What do the Magic need to make it to the top of the Eastern Conference? Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Orlando Magic with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Outdoors
Reefy good news
Help is on the way for Biscayne National Park’s reefs
Make sure to pack your mask to snorkel Biscayne National Park. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons
The National Park Foundation just announced a $100 million donation from Lilly Endowment Inc. — with a chunk of that money going to restore the coral reefs at Biscayne National Park.
The park, which lies on the edge of Miami’s urban paradise, suffered major damage to its reefs last summer due to scorching ocean temperatures. The foundation named the project one of its key priorities for the donation, according to the Associated Press.
What else will the money be used for? Leaders are also prioritizing getting young people to the parks, telling the parks’ compete stories, and conserving other threatened ecosystems. The foundation is expected to release the first round of grant recipients later this year.
Here’s your reminder that Biscayne is one of the closest — and dare we say coolest — parks to the Tampa Bay area. It’s about a 4.5 hour drive from Tampa, but well worth it for the snorkeling, fishing, and Maritime Heritage Trail.
Last week we asked “What does a “Tampa Bay Slam” mean?”
You’ve got us feeling like proud parents. Many of you — ~38% — correctly guessed a Tampa Bay Slam means scoring a snook, tarpon, redfish, and sea trout all in one fishing trip.
We did fool 34% of you though. We get it: Grouper, snook, redfish, and sea trout alsosounds right.
Coming in third place, about 19% of you voted catching a sea trout, grouper, snook, and snapper. And finally, just 8.5% of you guessed it meant reeling in a tarpon, cobia, flounder, and sea trout.
As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan and cozy mystery enthusiast (no gore, please and thanks), I’ve been loving TBAY author Tara Lush’s latest book. I’m having so much guessing if any of our local spots inspired “A Grounds for Murder.”
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