Fairgrounds St. Pete, an immersive art experience in St. Petersburg, Florida, is expanding and rebranding to become FloridaRAMA.
FloridaRAMA now includes a new bar, and will soon add a new cafe. The attraction has also opened a free art gallery for monthly shows. The inaugural exhibit is named ‘Bliss’ and is curated by Chad Mize.
The venue is also adding work spaces and event spaces, and is expanding its entertainment offerings, from talks to festivals.
New spaces and entertainment
Fairgrounds St. Pete, part of the Factory St. Pete art centre, opened in September 2021. CEO and co-founder Liz Dimmitt told the Tampa Bay Times: “My goal is to make the Factory the destination for arts in Tampa Bay, period.
“It’s like that one spot where if you want to see it all in one afternoon and get the feel for St. Pete, go there.”
Created in collaboration with more than 64 artists, FloridaRAMA is an immersive world of playful exhibits inspired by original Florida stories.
In a recent interview with blooloop, Dimmitt said: “It’s whimsical, it’s fun, it’s happy. You can break from the day and have this transcendent experience where you get to escape reality. It transports you to a different world.”
Dimmitt added, “Over the two years we’ve been open, we’ve seen the concept evolve. In the beginning, we’d have to explain what an immersive art experience is. Now, that’s not the case. ‘Immersive’ is a word that’s used all the time.”
One recent installation at FloridaRAMA is Shrimpfinity, a shrimp-themed attraction, as the name suggests.
Images courtesy of FloridaRAMA
