Visit Kress Contemporary on Aug. 20 from 5 to 9pm to enjoy a building-wide arts open house, featuring literary performances throughout the evening. Free and open to the public.

Author Paul Wilborn and actor Eugenie Bondurant will perform a series of short readings from Wilborn’s 2026 novel, The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall. Based on a real-life Tampa mobster, the book explores Wall’s life of crime as both a love story and mafia adventure, brimming with humor and heart.

Catch performances at 7pm and 8pm in the second-floor Kress Room!

This program is held in conjunction with the current exhibition at Tempus Projects. Oh, Cuore Mia (“my heart”) is a love letter to Ybor City, an exhibition exploring the past, present, and future of a historic district in constant transformation. 

Other Third Thursday highlights include an exhibition by Jon Seals in the New Visions Art Lounge, an exhibition by Kress studio artists in the third-floor Wujcik Gallery, and more. Come join us for an exciting evening of visual, literary, and performing arts!

An author, professional musician, and award-winning journalist, Wilborn is currently executive director of the Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, the actor Eugenie Bondurant, whose film career includes leading roles in The Hunger Games (Mockingjay Part 4), and Marvel’s Werewolf By Night. 

The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall earned a five-star review from IndieReader, which called the book “surprising and brilliant.” Wilborn’s debut novel, Florida Hustle, earned a starred review from Kirkus and was named one of the “Best Indie Books of 2022” by Kirkus.