About Fairgrounds St. Pete
Fairgrounds St. Pete is an arts destination where everyone is invited to explore an immersive world of playful art and technology exhibits based on original Florida stories.
Through a range of exhibits, events and workshops, Fairgrounds St. Pete will showcase the creative innovations of artists and makers working in all mediums. Our mission is to become a cultural hub for immersive art experiences, and an economic engine for local artists and craftspeople. We believe in art for all, joy for all, play for all.
The name Fairgrounds references traditional fairgrounds and their role as a place for exhibiting new ideas, as well as recognizing talent, creativity and innovation. Much like a county, state or world’s fair, Fairgrounds is a place for play and discovery and a venue for showcasing, convening and celebrating Florida’s creative community and artists. In addition, the word Fairgrounds is a play on words referencing our mission to compensate artists fairly for their contributions by paying not only for their work, but also a portion of the profits from ticket sales while their work is on view.
Our Location
Fairgrounds St. Pete is located at The Factory in the heart of the Warehouse Arts district, along the Pinellas Bike Trail.
2544 Fairfield Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Contact Us
For press, artist and collaboration inquiries:
Join Fairgrounds Insiders Club, or follow us on social @FairgroundsStPete
Meet the Team
Liz Dimmitt
CEO / Co-Founder
Liz is a co-founder and the curator at large at Fairgrounds. She oversees the company’s operations and ensures we stay focused on our mission and vision. She has leadership experience in immersive art, cultural strategy and private equity. She holds a BA in Finance from Georgetown University and a MA in Art Business from NYU. She is an active participant in NYC’s and Tampa Bay’s cultural communities and was born and raised in Dunedin, FL.
Mikhail Mansion
CTO / Co-Founder
Mikhail oversees the art + technology direction at Fairgrounds, A longtime artist and design-engineer, he is responsible for driving interactive media innovations at Fairgrounds, and ensuring we stay true to our mission of being both a technology and immersive arts company. Mikhail holds degrees from Rhode Island School of Design, Brown University, University of Tampa; and is a veteran of the USAF. He is a native of St. Pete, FL.
Tyson Johnson
Director of Operations
Tyson manages and supports all operations, buildout and finances of Fairgrounds. A hands-on leader with experience in design, fabrication and entrepreneurship, he is the boots-on-the-ground, ensuring that we stay on task, and on target. He received his BA in Literature from the University of GA. Recently, Tyson has pursued metal fabrication and design in Athens, GA.
Olivia Mansion
Director of Communications
Olivia directs and manages marketing, social media and communications with artists and the community. She works on telling the story and mission of Fairgrounds, as well as communicating and articulating our goals to artists. Olivia has a Masters in Entrepreneurship from The University of Tampa and a Masters in Education, English Linguistics, and Cross-Cultural Studies from Brown University. She was born in Venezuela and calls St. Pete home.
James Curran
Creative Technology Lead
James Curran designs, builds and maintains technical hardware, software and AV systems throughout Fairgrounds. He is an active member of the development community and brings 20+ years of experience designing custom hardware and software systems. James is a graduate of Saint Petersburg College with a focus on software engineering and music technology. As an artist he creates and performs experimental electronic music. He is a native of St. Pete, FL.
Chris Nobels
Creative Producer
Chris is an entertainment industry expert with 22 years of experience. With an extensive background in production and operations, he has toured the world managing productions at major venues on 6 continents. Most recently he was the Senior Director of Production and Associate Producer for Feld Entertainment, the largest live family entertainment company in the world, overseeing all new touring productions while working with brands such as NBCUniversal and Disney
Jesse Irish
Technical Director
Jesse oversees and directs the technical production process for Fairgrounds. He ensures this process is functional, maintained and safe. A graduate of the Florida School of the Arts, he is an entertainment industry expert with ten years of hands-on experience in experimental environment activation and technical theater. Prior to joining the Fairgrounds team, Jesse was a Project Supervisor at Oak Island Creative.
John-Michael Hines
Experience Manager
John-Michael enthusiastically joins Fairgrounds as the Experience Manager, ensuring every moment a guest is immersed in the world of Fairgrounds is enjoyable. For over two decades, he has honed in on his strong aptitude for event execution and consumer product delivery, most recently serving as General Manager of Interactive Experiences with Feld Entertainment. John-Michael is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, and holds a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of the Pacific.
Celeste Davis
Community Relations Liaison
With deep roots in the St. Pete community, Celeste Davis joins Fairgrounds as the Community Relations Liaison. She is well known in the interior design and fine arts communities working as a designer for over 18 years. She serves as a curator for the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum in St. Pete and was selected by the Washington Post as the’ Interior Designer to Watch.’ She holds an MFA from The George Washington University and a Fine Art and Furniture Appraisal Certificate from New York University along with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) certification.
Kristin Hemphill
Project Coordinator
Kristin comes to Fairgrounds with 25 years of expertise in design and creative project management. She has worked with some of the world’s leading brands overseeing commercial interior design, brand development and environmental implementation. A certified jeweler, artist and creative entrepreneur, Kristin has always had a passion for mixing materials creating unique environments that are as functional as they are beautiful. As Fairgrounds Project Coordinator she ensures project goals are met and each immersive space comes together in the most efficient, fun, and creative way possible.
Jonah Free
Project Coordinator
A native of South St. Pete and graduate of Gibbs High School, Jonah joins the Fairgrounds team as a Project Coordinator. With nine years of experience in the entertainment industry, he holds a BFA in Theater Design/Technology from Emerson College and has expertise in technical production and special effects. A member of the United States Institute for Theater Technology, Jonah has spent the past several years touring with musicians and theatrical productions as part of their special effects teams, and hopes to bring to his hometown the same awe and wonder that he showed so many crowds on the road.
Stephanie Adamo
Marketing and PR Consultant
With over 12 years in the music and entertainment industry, Stephanie joins Fairgrounds’ team as the Marketing and Public Relations Consultant. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, she holds a BFA in Sound Design. Her career has taken her from promoting small concerts in New York City to executing bespoke TV appearances with Disney On Ice worldwide. Now calling St. Pete her home, she volunteers with Girls Rock Camp St. Pete, and hosts a podcast called BoozySitters Club
Chad Jacobs
Graphic Designer
A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, Chad has more than ten years experience as a Graphic Designer and Illustrator. Hailing from St. Pete, he is no stranger to the local arts community; he has worked for American Stage, The Dali and Feld Entertainment, and is a Repertory Ensemble member of the St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival. Not only is he Fairgrounds’ Graphic Designer, but Chad is also a featured artist in the Floridarama exhibit!
Fenwick Wimbleton
Chief Snack Officer
A true jack of all trades, Fenwick inspects all snacks at Fairgrounds to ensure they are safe to eat. In between snacking and napping, he greets all visitors, asks his colleagues for scritches, and snores during meetings. When not in the office, Fenwick can be found barking at squirrels in his backyard, and chasing seagulls in Fort Desoto.
Sam Doty
Lighting Designer
Samuel comes to Fairgrounds with 25 years experience in creating lighting designs for theatrical productions and live entertainment. He developed an eye for lighting shows in high school and continued enhancing his creative designs at Valparaiso University, where he majored in Theater and TV/Radio Production. He spent 16 years at Feld Entertainment before joining the Fairgrounds team.
Elliot Davoren
Sound Designer
Elliot has always had a passion for sound and music. With over a decade of experience, he honed his skills by crafting immersive audio environments for video games, theatrical performances and live touring entertainment. A native of California he earned a B.S. in Earth System Sciences from the University of California Irvine.
Adam Campitelli
Carpenter Lead
Adam is the Carpenter Lead for Fairgrounds. He has worked for Cirque du Soleil at Sea and Busch Gardens Tampa as part of their technical teams before coming to Fairgrounds. A native of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and a graduate of the Florida School of the Arts.
Zoe Andrea Batson
A/V/L Technician
Zoë is Fairgrounds Audio-Video and Lighting Technician. They have five years of experience in lighting immersive environments, notably in physical laboratory theatre. Zoë worked as an Electrician and Associate Lighting Designer for Double Edge Theatre, as a Designer and Dramaturg for Faultline Ensemble, and most recently as a Designer for Open Flame Theatre. Hailing from Madison, WI, they have a BA in International Relations from Beloit College. Zoë engages in art-making such as Shape Note singing, writing poetry, acrobatics, and learning guitar in their free time.
Sarah Carolan-Rodriguez
Scenic Artist
Sarah comes to Fairgrounds with more than a decade of experience in scenic arts. A graduate of Binghamton University with a B.A. in Technical Theater, she has a background in interior design, construction, drawing, and painting. Before joining the Fairgrounds team, she was the Scenic Supervisor for Feld Entertainment for ten years.
Olivia “Liv” Scully
Education Manager
Liv is the Education Manager for Fairgrounds. An artist and lifelong learner, she received a BA in Studio Art from the University of South Florida. She has worked as an Art Education Lead at Great Explorations Children’s Museum, a Teaching Artist at NOMAD Art Bus, and a Gallery Manager at Creative Pinellas before coming to Fairgrounds. A native of Indian Rocks Beach, FL, Liv loves painting, walking on the beach in the mornings, and doing yoga.
Fairgrounds Interns
Josh Campbell
Creative Technology Intern
Josh joins Fairgrounds as a Creative Technologist Intern. He is originally from Los Angeles and has always been intrigued by recording interesting sounds. For twenty years, Josh served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is a graduate of the California Institute of Concert Sound Engineering, Armed Forces School of Music and The University of Tampa holding a BFA in New Media. In addition to his degree, he is a member of the Audio Engineering Society.
Tess Oldfield
Creative Technology Intern
A graduate of UMass Dartmouth with a BFA in Art and Design with a concentration in ceramics, Tess has four years of experience in ceramics and two years experience in LEDs and Arduino. Hailing from New Jersey and New Bedford, MA, she has worked as a Studio Coordinator & Assistant to Chris Gustin for three years. Additionally, Tess has acted as a Contract Installer with Poetic Kinetics’ “Silver Current” public artwork in New Bedford sponsored by DATMA 2019. Not only is she Fairgrounds’ Creative Technology Intern, but Tess is also a featured artist at Fairgrounds!
Internship Alumni
Haris-Adele Peteranecz
Fairgrounds Intern
Haris-Adele supports the team on a part-time basis in communications, events, and operations, all while being mentored by the team and acquiring relevant workforce skills. She is a graduate from Environmental Studies with a focus in Anthropology and Community Building from New College of Florida.