When the Curtain Lifted
Everything Changed...
We didn’t always see it.
When we started We Art St. Pete, we believed if we built the right tools — courses, grants, resources — we could help artists like us get funded, seen, and supported.
And in the beginning, we were proud of it. We still are.
But somewhere along the way, something shifted.
We kept hearing the same things from artists:
“I applied, but never heard back.”
“I paid the fee and got nowhere.”
“I feel like I’m applying into a void.”
That’s when the curtain lifted.
We saw the fees. The gatekeeping.
The performance dressed up as opportunity.
The way our stories were used, but not respected or appreciated.
And we realized — if we kept doing it the “standard” way,
we’d become part of the same system we were trying to help artists escape.
So, we stopped.
We deleted what didn’t serve.
We chose truth.
We’re not starting from scratch.
We’re starting from clarity.
We Art St. Pete is no longer just a platform.
It’s a commitment —
To stop pretending. To say out loud what needs to be said .
To name what’s broken.
And to build something honest, for once.
“If we kept going the standard way — We would become part of the system too.”
We didn’t set out to fight a system.
We set out to help artists.
But behind all the glossy “opportunities,” we saw the same cycle:
Apply. Pay. Hope. Repeat.
Gatekeepers. Exposure. Hustle rebranded as access.
And the worst part?
We were starting to sound like them.
So, we stopped.
And we chose the truth.
We’re not building another funnel.
We’re building something real.
Where we go from here?
🔧 Not All Grants Are Worth Your Time — Here's What We Trust, and Why
🛑 The Grant BS Filter
A free guide to help you spot red flags before you apply
This is for every artist who's ever paid a fee, shared their story, or chased an opportunity — only to feel ghosted, drained, or used.
Inside you'll find:
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🚩 Entry fees with no transparency
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🚩 “Exposure” without impact
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🚩 Runner-up scams, vanity publications, and fake certificates
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🚩 Language that preys on urgency, desperation, and hope
Protect your time. Protect your story.
🖤 Download The Grant BS Filter
2. The Vetted Grant List – Exposed Edition
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A short, honest list of real opportunities we’ve reviewed ourselves.
We tag them clearly: -
✅ Worth It
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⚠️ Visibility Only
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❌ Hustle / Skip
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No gatekeeping. No fluff.
Just what we’d recommend to another artist face-to-face.
🖤 View the Grant List (Coming Soon)
3. The We Art St. Pete Microgrant
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This is our way of putting money where our mouth is.
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Every quarter, we award $250–$500 to artists — no panel, no pitch, no pressure.
Just a short application, reviewed with care. -
We fund it ourselves or with the help of community supporters.
Because sometimes, the system won’t save us — so we save each other. -
🖤 Apply for the We Art St. Pete Microgrant
Or just join the list to hear when something real drops.