SPOTLIGHT
Duncan McClellan MADE IN ST PETE
Artist, teacher, mentor, philanthropist,
all describe St. Pete’s visionary glass artist
BY CINDY STOVALL
three-decade body of work has become synonymous with
excellence and beauty, coveted by collectors around the world.
The Duncan McClellan Gallery, operating and ever expanding
since 2009, has become the must-see destination of all who come
to explore the Warehouse Arts District.
Among the myriad of talented artists and eclectic galleries
that call the district home, Duncan McClellan was a driving and
pioneering force in its creation and subsequent success. Now,
Duncan has turned his attention to mentoring emerging artists,
showing children, through art, the importance of all academics,
and collaborating with other top tier glass artists to bring our
community a perpetual, constantly changing, feast for the eyes.
And it’s all happening right here in St. Petersburg.
“I grew up in Tampa,” McClellan recounts. “But when I started to
think about creating a space to support my work and the other
ideas I wanted to explore, I found the governance and general
atmosphere at that time somewhat uninviting. After meeting
Chuck Boux in New York, he told me he was opening a gallery in
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PHOTO/SHERI KENDRICK
St. Pete. As I spent more time here, I found that I was crossing the
bridge up to four times a day!”
“That’s when I knew that St. Pete was where I belonged. I loved
the people here, the city layout and the overall vibe. Soon after, at
an event for one of the many charities we support, I was speaking
with an attendee about how interested I was in moving here. I
didn’t realize at the time that it was St. Pete City Councilman Herb
inviting me to a Rays game to talk about the possibility of coming
to St. Pete. I have to tell you, it was really impressive.”
McClellan credits artists Mark Aeling and Catherine Woods as
become Duncan McClellan Gallery. Aeling is the owner of
nearby MGA Sculpture Studio at the SoftWater Studio complex,
alongside his wife, Carrie Jadus of Carrie Jadus Fine Art &
Portraiture. He has been a consistent and longtime leader in the
growth of the Warehouse Arts District – a future story to be sure.
Building an Arts Campus
The building McClellan purchased was formerly a tomato packing
/StPeteLifeMag.com