The USF Libraries are excited to announce a new comprehensive digital archive of the work of The Studio@620 arts and community space, and Bob Devin Jones, its co-founder and emeritus artistic director.
The Bob Devin Jones/Studio@620 Digital Collection “tells the story of The Studio@620 in its own voice and in the voice of its community,” says Alexandra Vargas-Minor, Florida Studies curator and campus archivist for USF Libraries, USF St. Petersburg campus. “This digital collection is a testament to the endurance, versatility, and vitality of The Studio@620, Bob Devin Jones, David Ellis, and all the Studio’s contributors. While providing a permanent digital home for The Studio@620’s postcards, programs, scripts, and clippings, this digital collection simultaneously demonstrates how intertwined the Studio is with the pulse of the St. Petersburg community at large,” she adds.
The Studio@620 and playwright, director, and actor Bob Devin Jones have been at the nexus of St. Petersburg’s civic, social, and cultural development since 2004. During this time, St. Petersburg has flourished into a dynamic, international city of the arts. The Studio@620, a catalyst of this development, emerged as a critical gathering place for the sharing of creative expression, intersection of the region’s diverse creative class, and host of critical discussions from every corner of Tampa Bay.
The unique mission of The Studio @620 is to provide a space and programs that mentor diverse emerging artists; inviting individuals and organizations from throughout St. Petersburg to present their work and to be a venue where the entire community gathers to listen, learn, and be entertained. Each year over 100 programs engage artists, authors, musicians, actors, civic leaders, and more. Most participants are local to Tampa Bay, but with the mentoring of Studio@620, several artists have become nationally known dancers, actors, and artists.
The Bob Devin Jones/Studio@620 Digital Collection includes:
- Studio@620 print publicity materials including programs, postcards, posters, and flyers
- Public media such as newspaper stories, interviews, and magazine features
- Bob Devin Jones’s work as a playwright, director, and actor, including scripts both produced and not produced
- Collaborative materials produced by Bob Devin Jones and other cultural organizations including American Stage, Florida Humanities, Morean Arts Center, The Holocaust Museum, and more
“Legacy preservation is important. It is the way we pass histories to new generations, the way we tell our stories and celebrate our journeys,” says Erica Sutherlin, The Studio @620s Artistic Executive Director. “Thank you to the USF team and Anne Wykell for taking on this important, beautiful, and wonderful challenge of digitally archiving twenty years of The Studio@620! We are honored.”
In addition to archiving the important work of Bob Devin Jones and The Studio @620 for the public, the creation of this unique digital collection contributed to USF student learning. “Since working on the digital collection of Studio@620, I have learned how Studio@620’s legacy is woven into the vibrant identity of St. Petersburg,” says USF student, Lily Cannon. Cannon originally began work on the project as an intern and was hired on as a Digital Collections for two further semesters where she learned how to upload digital assets, assign metadata and other linking information onto records, review records and assets for quality control, digitize materials from the physical archive, and perform PDF and image editing. Collins adds, “The preservation of Studio@620 will continue inspiring new generations of St. Pete creatives.”
USF Libraries are celebrating the collection with a panel discussion on Monday, September 16, 2024, from 6-8 pm at Nelson Poynter Memorial Library at USF St. Petersburg. The panel, moderated by Erica Sutherlin, The Studio @620s current Artistic Executive Director, includes Bob Devin Jones, actress Bonnie Agan, and USF John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History Emeritus, Dr. Raymond Arsenault.
The evening will also mark the opening of an exhibition at the library’s Poynter Gallery, curated by designer David Meek, featuring posters and other materials used to promote the work of The Studio @620.
The University of South Florida Libraries accelerate learning and knowledge production through distinctive collections, information service innovation, and thought leadership. As the heart of an AAU member University, the USF Libraries contribute to student success, faculty excellence, and lifelong learning for our community. The USF St. Petersburg campus library focuses on St. Petersburg, regional, and Florida history as well as the African American experience in the Tampa Bay area. Significant partnerships and digital collections include the Weekly Challenger digital newspaper archive and the Florida Humanities digital collection of radio programs and FORUM magazines documenting Florida’s cultural and historical heritage. By preserving and making these materials available around the world, people can access, research, and help to tell the stories of our local communities.