Gathering Artists For Billboard Exhibition

ArtPool Gallery & Vintage Boutique in downtown St. Petersburg is one of the hidden gems of Pinellas County. Started by Marina Williams in 2008, ArtPool lets up-and-coming talent display their work at a very low cost, and allows the artists to keep 100% of the proceeds.

I spoke with Marina regarding our upcoming Digital Billboard Art Exhibition, hoping to spread the word that we will be using our billboards across Tampa Bay to display the work of local artists. Our goal is to generate interest in local culture and the arts, while beautifying the streets with something bold and meaningful. Her enthusiasm about the exhibition was contagious. I truly can't wait to see some of these paintings up in lights.

If you haven't been to ArtPool, you're missing out on one of the best additions to St. Pete culture. The gallery will host a launch party tomorrow, May 9th for "Zero: Modern Arts Directory", a sort of Yellow Pages of local talent.

Check back here for interviews and articles on participating artists, and if you or someone you know would like to display your work in our free Digital Billboard Exhibition, please call 727.299.2456 or email ryanfrazier@clearchannel.com.

LA Board Approves Revised Regulations

The Los Angeles Planning Commission voted 6-3 last Thursday to limit the addition of new digital billboards to 21 specific districts throughout the city. The proposal now goes to the City Council for final approval. If passed, the council would decide on a case-by-case basis whether new signs may be built within a specific district. Opponents of the bill feel that it could leave itself vulnerable to court challenges contesting it's constitutionality.

These kinds of discussions are taking place in cities across the country, as some fear that a lack of clarity in sign ordinances with regards to digital billboards could lead to digital signs on every street corner. Local municipalities such as the City of Tampa and City of St. Petersburg are facing similar decisions. The removal of antiquated traditional billboard structures in exchange for the right to build a limited number of digital billboards can be a win/win for the community. Hurricanes threaten the structural integrity of older, pole-mounted signs each year, and the current laws prohibit upgrades or reinforcement that could prevent potential property damage.

The thinking amongst law makers and the community seems to be that when it comes to billboards, we should have fewer. And a higher percentage of those remaining should be state-of-the-art digital signs that allow for the use of emergency alerts, hurricane evacuation messages, amber alerts and information about wanted criminals. Since each digital board broadcasts a rotation of 8 advertisers, the result is a smaller billboard footprint that creates more opportunities for local businesses.