FEAST Pinellas Finalists Share the Wealth

The FEAST Pinellas event at the Safety Harbor Museum and Cultural Center last week was a true representation of what this community is all about.

More than 100 people attended the collaboration between the museum and Creative Pinellas, which was designed to raise money for one of three local artists vying for the money raised through ticket sales and donations. 

While Laura Kepner’s proposal to bring a writers conference to Safety Harbor garnered the most voter tokens, instead of taking home the lion’s share of the prize money, she and the other two finalists, Heather Richardson and Janet Lee Stinson, agreed beforehand to split the entire pot evenly. 

“We didn’t want it to be about one project, so we decided to pool all the money,” Kepner said. “It was a friendly competition and we’re all friends, so we all won.”

The decision meant the artists split the $2,075 that was raised, a choice that exemplifies the sharing aspect of the community.

“Based on votes, Laura Kepner was given $1,045, Heather Richardson was given $545, and Journey Dance was given $485,’ Creative Pinellas director T. Hampton Dohrman said via email. 

“However, after the awards were announced the three artists decided that they would pool the money and split it evenly, which was a tremendous gesture.”

By splitting the proceeds, each artist will now have nearly $700 each to start their projects.

“It was an awesome event. I'm looking forward to getting my project going,” Richardson, who is open to suggestions on where to put her community mosaic project, said.

"I am so excited to share Journey Dance with a wider audience through the funding of FEAST,” Stinson said. “The heart of the Safety Harbor community shines brilliantly through us all. Let the writing, mosaic-ing and dancing begin!!"

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