Headlines be damned, “The Nature of Art” is a serious exhibition.

The show—at St. Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Arts through April 14—is full of great art and smart commentary on humankind’s relationship with Earth. Anyone who takes the time to fully experience this campus-wide exhibition stands to learn a lot about humanity’s relationship with art and nature throughout history.

But it’s easy to miss things because of the sprawling nature of this exhibition divided into eight themed sections scattered throughout the museum.

After a couple of hours roaming the MFA, soaking up all the amusing and eye-opening details within “The Nature of Art,” we made a list.

Here are 10 fun ways to experience “The Nature of Art” at the MFA.

Non-Florida authors

These are some of the best and most talked about new books I read in 2024.
When the Moon Hatched By Sarah A. Parker’ A sweeping, romantic high fantasy with a deeply immersive, dragon-filled world and intricate magic system. With so much heartbreak and hope, there’s no wonder When the Moon Hatched is a darling of the romantasy genre this year.
’House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas’ Every new Sarah J. Maas book is the must-read of the season, and the hype for HOFAS reached a fever pitch with midnight release parties around the country. The book turned out to be an intense and dizzying conclusion to the Crescent City trilogy.
’The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire by Dr. Chris Kempshall’ Ever wanted to read a Star Wars history textbook? Well, this one charts the events of the Skywalker Saga, delving into the politics and government actions that led to the rise of the fascistic Galactic Empire. Fiction, but eerily parallels some of our own political and cultural issues.
’A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon’ Not Star Wars, but Star Wars inspired with dragons and a unique magic system set in a fantastical, Philippines-inspired world. A Monsoon Rising is the second book in The Hurricane Wars trilogy of high fantasy with simmering romance.
Special mention: ‘Mistborn and the Stormlight Archive’ Love for Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere books hit an all-time high this year thanks to his newest book, the fifth in the Stormlight Archive series. He’s my most-read author for 2024, and his books have literally altered my brain chemistry. Journey before destination.
Find the baby rattle among the ivory carvings in the MFA’s Hazel Hough Wing.Through documenting art history, the MFA’s collections also document the history of rich people showing off. In this case, by placing priceless luxury items into the hands of babies and small children. The point of these pieces, nestled within the “I Love You to Death” segment of “The Nature of Art,” is to demonstrate how humanity has depleted limited natural resources to pad their wallets.The item on the far left is a baby rattle made from silver and ivory. Credit: Photo by Jennifer Ring
Cut your teeth on coral. Unidentifiable antiques are the most interesting kind of antiques. We never would have found Hester Bateman’s luxury silver rattles with coral teethers if MFA Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Stanton Thomas hadn’t pointed them out to us during a press preview. These silver rattles with coral teethers are for the wealthy toddler who likes rare, shiny things Credit: Photo by Jennifer Ring
You don’t need us to tell you to find Christian Sampson’s “Projection Painting” in “The Artist as Curator.” You can’t miss the colored light cast upon the gallery wall next to Monet’s “Houses of Parliament: Effect of Fog.” Credit: Photo by Jennifer Ring
Find the boxing references in Daniel Lind-Ramos’ “Sentinels of the New Moon.” Contemporary artist Daniel Lind-Ramos makes sculptures out of everyday materials he finds in the streets and on beaches in his hometown of Loíza, Puerto Rico. We saw a drum, a bucket, and possibly a shop vac in Lind-Ramos’ monumental “Sentinels of the New Moon.” Lind-Ramos’ sentinels are protectors who fight to preserve our threatened coastal mangroves. Look closely, and you may find a reference to fighting; think boxing paraphernalia. Credit: Photo by Jennifer Ring
Place yourself within Brookhart Jonquil’s “E)A)R)T)H).” Miami artist Brookhart Jonquil is one of many contemporary Florida artists taking climate change as inspiration. The MFA has three Jonquil works in “The Nature of Art,” but “E)A)R)T)H)” is the only one you can literally see yourself in. The sculpture centers an expanded polystyrene Earth within five pieces of mirror glass, encouraging viewers to consider their relationship to the planet. Credit: Photo by Jennifer Ring

Jacob Whitworth

Profession: Senior cybersecurity engineer at Modern Technology Solution
Other boards/organizations:
Lived in Hillsborough since: 2022
Notable references: Manager, coworker
Registered party: No party affiliation
Whitworth cites eight years of professional IT experience in nonprofit, government, and private organizations.
Watch plants propagate in Jonquil’s “Multiplication Portal.” You’ll have to step out into The Stuart Sculpture Garden to experience this work of art. Jonquil’s “Multiplication Portal” is a hexagon-shaped sculpture made of plexiglass hexagon planters. Each planter contains a plant cutting growing roots in water. Jonquil created the work to inspire viewers to continue doing the small things that nurture life on our planet. Credit: Photo by Jennifer Ring
‘TED 2’ star Tom Brady has officially retired after 23 seasons. pic.twitter.com/850XIIXh3R— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 1, 2023
Chillax in a sea of dancing mermaids. Head up to the second floor to see German-Brazilian artist Janaina Tschäpe’s “Blood, Sea,” which sounds far more foreboding than it is. The MFA nestled Tschäpe’s work in a dark room filled with floor pillows and bean bag chairs. Dancing mermaids, filmed at Weeki Wachee Springs, are projected onto the gallery walls, immersing the viewer in the underwater world of mermaids. Credit: Photo by Jennifer Ring

Danielle Ellis

Profession: SVP of Regulatory Risks and Controls for Citigroup Financial Services
Other boards/organizations: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority member since 2007
Lived in Hillsborough since: 2002
Notable references: Friends and colleagues.
Registered party: Democrat
Ellis’ application touts work managing “complex, error-prone systems while developing sustainable workarounds to meet deliverables and stakeholder expectations” as qualifications for the committee.
A rat sails away on a Coke can in Duke Riley’s “Tidal Fool.” Credit: Photo by Jennifer Ring

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,...