Artist Saudade Toxosi curated the ‘Take Me To The Water(s)’ exhibit, which examines the environment and ecology, urban development, community, gentrification, and race and class issues that surround the Salt Creek area near Bartlett Park.Itwill be on display at Harbor Hall Gallery at USF, 1000 Third St. S, March 28-31, from 3-7 p.m.
BY J.A. BY J.A.
ST. PETERSBURG — Through photos, spoken word, and sound, four artists will weave together an evening that examines the Salt Creek area during Take Me To The Water(s), an exhibit at Harbor Hall Gallery at USF, 1000 Third St. S, March 28-31, from 3-7 p.m.
This exhibit features the work of four artists from the Friends of Salt Creek Artists in Residence program, which is sponsored by the Tampa Bay Estuary ProjectThe work addresses the environment and ecology, community, gentrification and race and class issues surrounding Salt Creek.
Toxosi curated this exhibit, which features the work of Saudade Toxosi for photography, Thomas Hallock for historical journalism and Sabrina Dalla Valle for oral narrative sound arts and Geveryl Robins for spoken word. The Frank Pierce Recreation Center in Bartlett Park was the venue for the artist residency. This green space, which runs through Salt Creek, is 133-acres in size and serves as a fishing location. It also sits next to St. Petersburg Tennis Center.
Sabrina Dalla Valle (sound artist), is a resident of Old Southeast. She shared with us that she has spent many hours walking along the creek for the past seven and half years, from Bayboro Harbor to Bartlett Park to Harbordale to Lake Maggiore on MLK Street.
She noted that “We all have noticed how rapidly things are morphing, and how quickly the demographics are also shifting—but without a lot of conscious attention to the foundations of our small, eclectic community. What is the thinking behind these rapid changes?”
The ecology of the Salt Creek area is about to face radical change since the St Petersburg City Council voted last year to redefine the area’s land use from a Special High Hazard Flood zone to a high-density development zone.
She thought that most of her neighbors living near the park were not aware that the creek runs through it or that it creates the lake in the middle of the green space.
“Salt Creek is a waterway filled with interest to me, mostly because it flows through diverse parts of town where different people have a chance to come together as one community. The creek protects our properties in flood management, provides places for people to rest and connect with ‘the wild’ — and serves as habitat for many fish and birds, as well as the occasional alligator,” Dalla Valle added.
She also noted that the ecology of the Salt Creek area is about to face radical change since the St Petersburg City Council voted last year to redefine the area’s land use from a Special High Hazard Flood zone to a high-density development zone. There is a Another $2 billion development proposal is being considered.
‘Take Me To The Water(s) features the work of four creators from the Friends of Salt Creek Summer Artists in Residence, a program sponsored by the Tampa Bay Estuary Project.
Thomas Hallock will provide historical background. He will include news clips that date back to 1908. These clips reveal the city’s haphazard approach toward the area south downtown over the decades. They also highlight discriminatory practices towards African Americans and people of lower economic status who lived on the waters in various sea-vessels over the years.
Hallocks contribution noted that in 1923, city planners’ drawings for the area were rejected because they interfered with private property and did not emphasize racial boundaries. His investigation also revealed racist tactics used by African-American men to be imprisoned and used for city projects.
African American men built sea walls throughout the city. They were arrested for violating spurious vagrancy laws. Then they are used to fund public projects. Hallock writes that newspapers have openly reported the use of peonage labor. He shares a quote from a 1924 article in the St. Petersburg Times, which was written by an official of the police department, who stated that he would continue the war against negroes not going to work.
If a negro is unable to find work, he should come to the police station and we will find him something. Every negro who fails to prove that he’s employed is going to prison. — John Trotter, Chief of Detectives, St. Petersburg Police Department
Curator and photographer Saudade Toxosi noted, “Caring for the environment without caring for the people that live in that environment is disjointed; it is incorrect.” She relayed the obvious differences in how the city takes care of its wealthier areas versus the low-income areas and noted the apparent racial factor attached to the difference.
When you get into the Black community, to me, it tells that you’re not caring for the ecology there. You’re not for the environment there. You’re not caring for the people as well — and the people and the environment go hand in hand.
Geveryl Robinson is an instructor at USF and was the recipient of the USF Women in Leadership & PhilanthropyDr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award recipient in 2021. She also spoke out about the ambiguous nature and views of different community members on the creek. She said she was inspired to create art with children from Bartlett Parks Frank Pierce Recreation Center’s summer camp program.
I drew inspiration from the different interpretations they had — even though they all viewed the same creek. It’s all about our eyes being ambiguous. However, children have a way of putting things into perspective that we adults have yet to master.”
Robinson also shared thoughts about the significance of water to different communities. Many people consider water to be food. It’s something our bodies need to function properly. It’s so connected to the Black experience, especially the Black church.
She shared that as a “preacher’s kid,” Water was where we were baptized and cleansed. Due to the historical divide, what was once cleansing has been corrupted for the other group by pollution, gentrification or other issues. This race and historical divide is not unique to St. Petersburg.
Take Me To the Water(s), an exhibition at Harbor Hall Gallery at USF 1000 Third St. S, February 28-31 from 3-7 p.m. to learn more about Friends of Salt Creek’s work, visit friendsofsaltcreek.org. You can find out more information about the event at Facebook.
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