Left: "After Swimming," 2015, gelatin silver print, 8 ¾ x 7 in.; Right: "Cover," 2013, gelatin silver print, 15 x 12 in.; Center: "Chest," 2015, archival pigment print, 6 ¼ x 5 in.; © Sam Contis, courtesy the artist and Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery, NY — all up for choosing (sort of) at the Museum of Fine Art in St. Petersburg Credit: Sam Contis, American, b. 1982 (MFA)

Left: “After Swimming,” 2015, gelatin silver print, 8 ¾ x 7 in.; Right: “Cover,” 2013, gelatin silver print, 15 x 12 in.; Center: “Chest,” 2015, archival pigment print, 6 ¼ x 5 in.; © Sam Contis, courtesy the artist and Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery, NY — all up for choosing (sort of) at the Museum of Fine Art in St. Petersburg Credit: Sam Contis, American, b. 1982 (MFA)

I love going to art museums. But let’s be honest — they've spoiled me.

I'm not interested in what most people have hanging on their walls at home. I don't want to see that 4 x 6 photo of you and Ma. Everyone knows the good stuff is in museums. There's only one problem: I can't afford it. If only I could choose the photographs that went into my local museum, then I could revisit my favorites without breaking the bank.

This month at the Museum of Fine Arts’ Pick-a-Pic fundraiser, you can do just that. On Friday, January 25, the MFA is letting you choose between three different Sam Contis photographs for their collection. Only one Sam Contis photo will become a part of the museum’s permanent collection, so choose wisely. And enjoy the live music, light hors d'oeuvres, and artist discussion while you’re there.

Pick-a-Pic | Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg | Jan. 25: 5:30-7:30 p.m. | $35 Friends of Photography members, $45 nonmembers, cash for drinks | 727-896-2667 | mfastpete.org | Get Creative Loafing's weekly Do This newsletter

This article appears in Jan 3-10, 2019.

Jen began her storytelling journey in 2017, writing and taking photographs for Creative Loafing Tampa. Since then, she’s told the story of art in Tampa Bay through more than 200 art reviews, artist profiles,...