'Lens' Pier Meets Art Tonight at the Mahaffey

Artists, members of WOW Our Waterfront St Pete and supports of the "Lens" pier will be at the Mahaffey Theater tonight, April 11, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. to celebrate "art, fashion, photography and the iconic architectural design of the new Pier."

The "Lens" event, called The New Pier in the City, will feature 40 area artists including several who will reveal self-portraits of the new pier and inspirations from the new pier. 

“It's is not just for supporters. We welcome those who want to learn more about the new Pier,” said WOW St. Pete founder, Anthony Sullivan in a news release. “There’s a lot of information out there and this event is an opportunity for everyone to learn the facts about our waterfront while supporting a good cause.”

A portion of the artists' sales and silent auction items from Thursday night will benefit Creative Clay. 

The event is free and you can download your tickets from the WOW St. Pete website. You can also view a full lineup of the artists scheduled to appear by clicking here. 

The "Lens" is the name of the design slated to replaced the existing St. Petersburg Pier after it was chosen during an international pier competition.

On May 31, the current inverted pyramid is slated to close with demolition to begin in late August or early fall. 

Supporters of the "Lens" got good news recently as Circuit Judge Jack Day sided with the city in the VoteOnthePier.com lawsuit, which sought to have a public referendum on the future of the current pier. 

"This lack of connection to the charter is the most serious problem with the form of the petition. It is a fatal defect," Day wrote in the ruling.

He wrote the city does have the right to close and demolish the existing pier without a public vote.

Opponents of the "Lens" also got some good news recently when . Its petition would create an ordinance that would force the city to either cancel the contract with Michael Maltzan Architecture and the "Lens" or have a public referendum about the "Lens."

"We expect the sufficiency of the petitions will be certified by the City Clerk in mid May. Council must then promptly consider the petition and either adopt the ordinance or set a referendum within 90 days of the date of the Clerk’s certification. That would mean a referendum in a special election as early as June, or the proposed ordinance appearing as a ballot issue in the primary election to be held in late August," wrote Bill Ballard with Stop the Lens and Concerned Citizens of St. Petersburg.

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