For Immediate Release February 22, 2021
Florida CraftArt welcomes new board members Starlett Massey and Elizabeth Reilinger
Founded in 1951, Florida CraftArt is a members-supported, statewide nonprofit gallery with a mission to serve contemporary fine craft artists and the creative economy in Florida. The organization is overseen by a Board of Directors and is proud to welcome two new members: Starlett Massey and Elizabeth Reilinger.
Starlett Massey’s original involvement with Florida CraftArt was as a sponsor in February 2020 for an original performance about tolerance and acceptance. Ms. Massey is committed to supporting the arts and increasing the diversity and growth of artists within her community. As the founding shareholder of Massey Law Group, she is dedicated to equality, with a focus on gender and racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. Her specialties are commercial litigation, corporate transactions, real estate, and construction law. She serves on the Florida Bar Committee for Diversity and Inclusion and the Get Involved Subcommittee and is a member of the St. Petersburg Bar Association, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, and the Pinellas County Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Ms. Massey is a resident of St. Petersburg and serves on FCA’s Education Committee and is working on a series of workshops to educate artists in business structures, copyright and finances.
Elizabeth Reilinger, Ph.D., Co-founder and Managing Partner of LeadWell Partners in Boston, is a seasoned, successful leader, with more than 35 years of experience advancing social innovation and impact in the nonprofit and public sectors. She has been cited for her work around strengthening governance and the alignment between strategy, execution, outcomes and accountability. The Boston Business Journal has recognized her “. . . as an example of a new breed of nonprofit chief: tough, bottom-line smart, and management trained.”
At Cornell University, where she received her Ph.D., she directed numerous studies and evaluations of national social policy initiatives, advised federal and state legislative and executive branches around policy development and provided technical assistance to public and nonprofit organizations around program development, management and evaluation. She has served as Dean of Allied Health at Boston University and on the faculty at Tufts University, Ithaca College and the State University of New York. She has been the recipient of many awards for fundraising acuity, for governance and management leadership, and for promoting opportunities for urban youth.
Dr. Reilinger is a resident of St. Petersburg and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and serves on the FCA’s Strategic Planning and Finance Committees.
At Florida CraftArt, artists gain the opportunity to sell handmade fine crafts and receive advice on becoming financially independent, allowing craft artists in Florida to live as full-time artists. In its galleries more than 250 of Florida’s fine craft artists’ works are displayed and its adjacent gallery features eight curated exhibitions annually. Its engaging and thoughtful cultural programming enlightens, inspires and brings the joy of art to all. Admission is always free of charge.
Florida CraftArt is Florida’s only statewide nonprofit organization representing established and emerging fine craft artists. Since1951, Florida CraftArt has advanced and celebrated Florida’s fine crafts, in St. Petersburg and throughout the state. Florida CraftArt’s mission is to grow the statewide creative economy by engaging the community and advancing Florida’s fine craft artists and their work. Visit Florida CraftArt at 501 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. Admission is free. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. ArtLofts, 20 artists’ studios and galleries are on Florida CraftArt’s second floor. For more information, visit www.FloridaCraftArt.org or call (727) 821-7391.
Headshot attached: Starlett Massey and Elizabeth Reilinger
Katie Deits, CFRE
Executive Director
Florida CraftArt
501 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 821-7391
www.FloridaCraftArt.org
