Eclectic Mask Creations By St. Pete Artists To Benefit Community

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A mask arts project in downtown St. Petersburg is on display to the public with eccentric mask creations from St. Pete artists of all ages. Beyond offering eye-catching works of art that residents can purchase, it has a more practical benefit of urging people to wear masks to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.

St. Pete sculptor Andre Kupfermunz wanted to create a community project of self-expression and integrity that could benefit artists who could use financial help.

Mask-R-Aid Exhibit features 17 masks that can be viewed at ZaZoo'd on Central Avenue through Aug. 14.

"The project Mask-R-Aid is a call for fashion designers, costume designers and sewing enthusiasts to create a fantastical mask to be entered in an exhibition and then auctioned," Kupfermunz told Patch in an email. "The proceeds of the auction will be donated to the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance Relief Fund to be given to artists in need in the community."

Kupfermunz also hopes to inspire residents to wear masks through this fashionable mask competition.

"I really appreciate the creativity and the quality of workmanship from the artists who have masks on display here," said David Fischer, owner of ZaZoo'd. "The artists' age range is from 8 to all the way up, so it is really cool to see how differently they each approached this project."

Fischer said Kupfermunz and his wife, Michelle Kupfermunz, are both artists who regularly shop at his store, and they wanted to sponsor their Mask-R-Aid project to help them and the arts community.

After the exhibition, the masks will be auctioned off to the highest bidders at Bay Area Auction in Pinellas Park at 10 a.m. on Aug. 15.

If you are interested in bidding on any of the masks, you can register online at www.bayareaauctionservices.com. Attendees can either go in person or bid online.

To view the masks on display at Zazoo'd, they are located at 531 Central Ave. Their hours of operation are Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.