This past Friday night a lively crowd gathered at Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg’s first craft microbrewery, for Hype Group’s presentation of Et Cultura’s inaugural Design Exhibition, sponsored by AIGA Tampa Bay.

Along Baum Avenue in Green Bench’s Beer Garden, a series of posters explored local designers’ meaning of culture. The crowd gathered around the illuminated white wall, where over 25 prints were hung. The pieces varied in style, some even working best with 3D glasses, but all posters covered the graphic design artists’ definition of culture.

According to the event description, culture is defined by the beliefs and customs of a group, place or time. This could be a nostalgic moment, an annual tradition, a city, their lineage, friends or family.

Most posters didn’t talk about St. Petersburg at all, but rather focused on a personal experience of culture. Laura Miller, the founder of Youngblood, a St. Petersburg creative collective, had a contrasting soft, yet strong piece of a skull on a pastel background titled “Vanitas 2.0.” Elio Marini, a junior designer at Hype Group, made “Printed Memories” a 3 color print of an abstract piece about New York. All of these prints invoked thought of what the viewer’s own definition of culture was while letting the viewer also step into someone else’s shoes.

Brooke Boyd, the founder of Hype Group, was excited when Colin Lyman, the general manager and event coordinator for Green Bench, approached her about the idea of an art show. Hype has worked with Green Bench Brewing for years and jumped on the opportunity to curate a show for Et Cultura, where Lyman is the coordinating director.  

Boyd wanted this show to “unify the design and creative community of St. Petersburg,” and judging by the crowd that did not want to stop dancing at 11 p.m., she accomplished that goal.

Photo by Devin Rodriquez via The Crow’s Nest.