This piece by Kirk Ke Wang is currently exhibited at the Morean Arts Center,
where four galleries remain free to the public year-round.
She has been involved with many
philanthropic efforts in the community
including the American Heart Association;
All Children’s Hospital, as a member of the
Art Selection Committee; Mayo Clinic; Moffitt
Cancer Center; Tampa Bay Research; Tampa
Bay Watch; SPCA Tampa Bay; Academy
Prep; Shorecrest Preparatory School; Student
Scholarships for the Ringling College of Art;
Pass-A-Grille Community Church; Florida
CraftArt; American Stage Theater Company;
and the Museum of Fine Arts.
Beth says that the Morean Arts Center “has
impacted my life tremendously and more than
any other place I have ever been involved with.
As a potter, I have met and been privileged to
work with world famous ceramists through my
experiences with workshops, classes and trips
with the Arts Center. I have built the historic
train station into one of the largest and wellknown
60 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2020
clay/ceramic centers in the United
States; bringing in the top people in their fields
and offering residency programs to the best
and brightest of our young emerging artists.”
When Beth saved the Historic Seaboard
Train Depot built in 1926 at the edge of the
warehouse district, it was also the edge of
where residents would travel at night. Now
it is the cornerstone of an area experiencing
creative and economic resurgence. During
January workshops at the Morean Center for
Clay, over 100 potters, sculptors, professional
and amateur artists came to St. Petersburg. On
Second Saturday each month, up to 400 visitors
pass through the doors of the center to admire
the art created by over 50 working artists who
maintain studios there. The building’s past is
reflected in the ancient lettering that was left
on the walls during renovations. Beth has deep
respect for the history of things and people.