About Us

 

SHAPIRO'S Gallery of Fine American Crafts is a local, family run business established in 1998. Since the beginning, we have represented artists and craftspeople from Florida, the southeast and across the USA.

“Handmade in America” is more than a catchy slogan. Rather, it is our business philosophy and our mission statement.  As a business and as a family, we are committed to supporting individual artists, craftspeople and small studios.

Surrounded by cafes and restaurants and located in the heart of Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg, SHAPIRO'S Gallery offers a unique collection of blown glass, jewelry, wall art, metal, yard art, clay, kaleidoscopes and much more that is all “Handmade in America”.

As a multi - generational family business, we pride ourselves on providing all of our customers with an exceptional level of customer service and are committed to making your contact - be it in St. Petersburg or online - a positive experience that makes you happy to support a local, family business and proud to support Handmade in America.

 

Sue and Mike began SMS Pottery in the early 1980's. Sue had graduated from Mass College of Art majoring in Ceramics and upon moving to St. Petersburg in 1982, the pair began exhibiting Sue's clay work at outdoor Art Festivals and Craft Shows. A business that started in the garage began to grow and grow.

By the late 1980's , Sue's clay work could be found in galleries across the country. Additionally, the pair traveled to juried Art Shows throughout Midwest, Northeast and Southeast United States. Many weekends throughout the year, Sue and Mike would load the van and travel overnight to distant cities to set up for the next art show. But now, in addition to the artwork, pedestals, tent and supplies, they were also loading two small children into the van.

Alena and Matt became art show kids and were exposed to the business at a very, very young age. In the early 19990's, Sue moved her studio to downtown St. Petersburg. In 1998, Sue and Mike opened their first studio and gallery in downtown St. Petersburg. Alena and Matt were frequently at the gallery after school, working in the studio or helping customers. No one realized it at the time but a real family business was being formed.

As the gallery business grew, the dependence on traveling to art shows lessened. Meanwhile, the two art show kids grew up, graduated from high school and went off to college. During that time, for many years, Sue and Mike ran the gallery with their dedicated staff but then a funny thing happened in 2009. Matt graduated from college, returned to St. Petersburg and expressed a desire to join the business. A few years later, Alena also returned and she too expressed a desire to work in the gallery.

No one knew it at the time but their knowledge, which began as small children in the studio and at art shows, would suddenly pay tremendous dividends and help make a successful business even stronger. Today, Matt and Alena shape the direction of this business that began 40 years ago. Although Mike and Sue created the business, Alena and Matt continue its trajectory and lead it to greater heights. As Sue continues to create and reinvent herself in the studio, Alena and Matt  continue to do the same with SHAPIRO'S Gallery of AMERICAN CRAFT , a true family business success story.

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