Individual Artist Grant Program

The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA) partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs to establish an Individual Artist Grant Program in 2016. For our eighth year, SPAA is proud to be able to award 20 artists with a $1,000 grant! 

https://stpeteartsalliance.org/spaa-individual-artist-grant-program

Thank you St. Petersburg Arts Alliance!!



Project Description

My project is to make on location portraits of Pinellas County senior citizens that reside in senior living facilities. I will explore the wisdom, experience and beauty of our senior population, which is sometimes invisible, through photography. We are beautiful and important at any age, yet seniors often fall into the photographic cracks leaving behind no images in the later years. I will bring them out of the shadows, show who they are and, if they are willing, their stories.  The project will be finalized at the Morean Arts Center.



Project Impact

While taking a portrait of a 90 year old woman, she told me she had not had a portrait of herself taken since 1986.  Our seniors are out of the selfie, computer and web world. Our culture values youth.

 A beautiful portrait gives a person the opportunity to dress up, make up, show up and creates confidence. The image will leave a beautiful legacy of their life and character. When a person sees their self in an image that they relate to, it simply creates joy.  People see themselves in a positive light and are happy to be valued and seen.

 I anticipate the impact of the personal portraits to be very personal and macro, but profound. I am anticipating that the effect will be more on personal confidence builder of the individuals that are photographed.

By engaging with local senior living residences I can arrange and schedule the individual portraits on location.

 My final presentation will be made at The Morean Arts Center.  I will discuss the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, the grant and how it helps me fulfill my vision for this project.  I will present the “senior portraits”, to show Pinellas County senior residents are not invisible but are very much vibrant and an important part of our community. They have just lived longer, had more experience, garnered wisdom and have walked before us.

In tandem I will add a page to my website, Marian Tagliarino.com. On the page I will add the portraits, description of the project, and the story of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and the grant.

Lastly I will distribute images to the participants of the project, digitally and, or in print.

“There is no better exercise for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up” John Holmes