FloridaRAMA Showcases Local Artists in St. Pete, FL With a Powerful New Installation

FloridaRAMA has new art for you to discover. Always. This time it comes in miniature form and packs a surprising meaningful punch.

@Copyright Rhys Meatyard/FloridaRAMA

FloridaRAMA is proud to unviel a new diorama by local artist Rhys Meatyard, now on view inside the experience. Meatyard is a queer and trans artist living and working in St. Pete, Fl. Art runs deep in his family history. His grandfather Jerry Meatyard was a Tampa metal sculptor and lifelong educator and his great uncle Ralph Eugene Meatyard helped define postmodern photography. His mother Laura Meatyard designed monuments and memorials found across Florida. Creativity was not optional. It was a way of life.

Rhys’s new diorama continues that lineage while pushing it somewhere deeply personal. Titled The Death and Resurrection of Rhys Meatyard the small installation is visually striking, impactful and humorous Look closer and the humor expands into something heavier, exploring self acceptance and the long slow process of putting past unhealthy behaviors to rest. It is about choosing growth over shame and learning how to live honestly in your own skin.

Mental health sits at the center of this work. Not as an abstract idea but as a lived experience. The Death and Resurrection of Rhys Meatyard reflects the tension between who we were and who we are becoming. While the scene is playful and meticulously crafted it also invites reflection and reminds viewers that healing can be messy and nonlinear and still full of beauty.

This is what makes Meatyard’s work resonate. It welcomes you in with humor and craft then stays with you because of its emotional truth. It fits naturally within FloridaRAMA’s commitment to commissioning art that is immersive, accessible and layered with meaning.

There is always something new to see at FloridaRAMA. New artists. New stories. New reasons to come back. Rhys Meatyard’s diorama is the latest reminder that even the smallest worlds can hold big ideas.

@Copyright Rhys Meatyard/FloridaRAMA

Supporting Local Artists in St. Petersburg FL

FloridaRAMA has long been a home for local culture in Florida, creating space for work that is playful on the surface and deeply intentional underneath. Featuring artists such as Rhys Meatyard is part of an ongoing commitment to uplifting voices rooted in the Pinellas and Tampa Bay creative communities.

By commissioning new works and installations, FloridaRAMA helps local artists experiment, take risks and reach audiences who might not encounter their work in a traditional gallery.

Why DIORAMAS Art Creates Big Impact

Small installations ask visitors to slow down.

✨ They reward curiosity.

✨ They invite close looking.

✨ They turn observation into participation.

Within a larger immersive environment, small-scale works including Meatyard's diorama become moments of intimacy, quiet pauses where personal stories and special moments surface. This balance is a defining feature of FloridaRAMA's immersive experience and a reason locals and visitors alike return again and again.

A Meaningful Stop for Art Lovers Visiting St. Pete

@Copyright FloridaRAMA

If you’re searching for family friendly things to do in St. Pete or looking to explore local culture, FloridaRAMA offers something different: an experience where bold scenes, playful storytelling and community voices intersect.

✨ Rotating installations by local and internally recognized artists

✨ Layered work that blends humor, reflection and celebrates Florida

✨ An inclusive, welcoming space for all ages and interests

Every visit reveals something new, both sometimes large and colorful and small and powerful.

Plan Your Visit

Rhys Meatyard’s diorama is on view now inside the FloridaRAMA experience and included with general admission.

Book your visit, plan a group outing or date night today!