St. Pete Beach festival brings artists to Corey Avenue

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - Artists have lined Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach this weekend to display their handcrafted creations and share the personal journeys behind their work.

St. Pete Beach art festival

Big picture view:

Hundreds of pieces of art are lining Corey Avenue as local creators display their work to thousands of visitors in St. Pete Beach.

For many artists, the event is less about making money and more about building community ties and sharing their passion.

Creative outlets supporting health

The backstory:

Kelly Beale, owner of KBeale Art, began painting four years ago and discovered it served as a therapeutic lifesaver during personal health struggles.

Beale paints every night to calm her body, noting she has not needed a hospital visit in three years while enjoying conversations with attendees.

Balancing daily work and art

Todd Atkinson balances a job at an environmental recycling company with running Raw Art Creations.

Atkinson uses painting and designing shirts as a creative outlet to unwind after handling industrial waste during his day job.

Handcrafted designs finding purpose

What they're saying:

Todd Casey of Mr. Square Designs transitioned from home remodeling to crafting wooden vessels after someone asked him to make a cutting board.

"It's nice to make something nice," Casey said. "Sometimes I impress myself. And you know, when you dip it in the oil, it comes to life."

Pinellas County