Last year’s inaugural SHINE Mural Festival could arguably be seen as a tipping point for St. Pete — the most visible event signifying the period during which the ’Burg began to shift from a killer little town with a killer, low-profile arts scene to (roll your eyes if you must) An Art Town To Watch. And with the higher profile always comes the higher-volume drama, at least behind the scenes: Who didn’t deserve to be included but was. Who deserved to be included but wasn’t. Who among those in charge were out for themselves. Who should’ve been in charge in the first place. Honestly, the bars (and certain Facebook accounts) were full of shit talk. Every scene that suddenly finds itself in the spotlight experiences such growing pains. This year’s version, with its open call and community-friendly curation, is compelling evidence that we’ve grown past them. shineonstpete.com. —Scott Harrell
This article appears in Best of The Bay 2016.
