MIZE Gallery.
If you know St. Pete art, chances are you know MIZE Gallery.
Every month, crowds of art-lovers and artists crowd the tiny gallery to see what provocative exhibit MIZE [689 Dr M.L.K. Jr. St. N] will put on next. After December 31, there will be no more MIZE exhibits. After five years of inclusive community art, the Gallery is shutting its doors.
“Even when you’re doing well, things need to progress naturally,” Chad Mize said. “I didn’t want to flake before five years, so now it’s coming to an end naturally.”
Mize has decided to let STUFF & THINGS & STUFF, his annual holiday-themed exhibit where everything is for sale, be the gallery’s last show. He’ll pay the lease through December, but in the new year, Mize’s partner Dan Schmidt will take over and merge the soon-to-be empty gallery with the space’s next-door-neighbor, Uptown Eats.
Uptown Eats is owned by Schmidt, and following the restaurant’s success, he’s looking for more seating and storage space.
“We were able to start simply and expand very naturally, creating great menu items along the way and adding amazing team members as we were able to,” Schmidt said. “As more and more patrons enjoyed, we grew even more.”
Uptown Eats
Mize says closing the gallery will give him more time for personal projects. In addition to running MIZE, the local artist works full-time on commissions.
“I just love St. Pete so much; I love being a part of the scene, I’ve been a part of the scene for some 20 years and I’ll continue to be,” Mize said. “There’s so many great memories.”
While planning the eventual closure, Mize kept his plans confidential, only alerting the people closest, and most affected by the news. That includes St. Pete artist Rhys Meatyard, a frequent contributing artist, and someone who feels moved by the space Mize created over the years.
Meatyard along with a select few, knew ahead of time.
“Overall, the power of Chad’s encouragement and the space created for art such as my own has been a very powerful force for the area and for me personally, and I hope he knows how much that is appreciated,” Meatyard said.
Details are still in the works, but Mize hopes to say goodbye with a block party sometime during the final days of 2022.
