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St. Pete artist holds 'Say Gay' exhibit focused on Pride

Chad Mize: gallery art 'Speaks, screams, and yells Gay'
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Posted at 12:46 PM, Jun 24, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-24 17:02:05-04

ST.PETERSBURG, Fla. — Chad Mize is a St. Petersburg-based artist and owner of Mize Gallery. You may have noticed some of his work in and around the Tampa Bay area as he's designed several murals and even created the hats that were given out to fans at the Tampa Bay Rays game in June.

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Mize has lived in St. Pete for 20 years and said Pride and the inclusivity in the city are what drew him to move here in the first place.

“St. Pete Pride is celebrating the 20th year, and as a gay male, you just feel like it is a safe place to be. We just celebrate pride every day here,” said Mize.

Right now, he is hosting an art exhibit at his gallery called “Say Gay.” It features art that Mize said “Speaks, screams, and yells Gay.”

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One of the pieces in the collection was created by him and is even on display at Disney Springs.

“The piece behind me is called 'Say It Without Saying It.' It’s based on a mural that I did for Disney Springs this past May. This is a smaller version of it. It is basically the colors and has got the pride flags in it. But it is not screaming gay but it says gay,” explained Mize.

The “Say Gay” exhibit runs through Sunday at Mize Gallery in St. Pete.

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