Beautyberry

Photographer Robert Petrillo from Sarasota and poet Gianna Russo from Tampa collaborated on this project for Art in Common Places completed as a collaboration in the fall of 2022. This is the first time our curators chose two projects from the same team.

Robert’s Statement: An avid photographer, Robert said that beauty is found everywhere, even in mud puddles after a storm. “The first time I saw an Art in Common Places broadside I wanted to somehow become a part of the community,” wrote Robert. “With the agreed upon topic of “Everyday Beauty” I noticed more and more the quality of light in the morning; reflections on water; foliage in summer’s full bloom; oak trees; flowers in a windowsill; and all the little things I say I want to photograph but never do.”

Gianna’s Statement: “The beautyberry bush is one of my favorites. It is native to Florida and produces gorgeous clusters of seeds in the fall. I have one right outside my writing studio window. My grandchildren’s outdoor swing is next to the beautyberry. I wanted this poem to pay tribute to the bush, to “old Florida” and her natives, to my granddaughter, and to the joys of being a grandmother.

I am a third-generation native of Tampa with roots going back almost 120 years. My work is grounded in the unique history of Tampa, in “old” Florida and in the South, with its complicated history. My poems almost always have generous dashes of the natural world thrown in. My favorite poetic approach uses elements of storytelling to reflect on an idea or issue. I’ve been writing poetry since childhood and teaching poetry and creative writing for over 40 years.”