St. Petersburg, Fla. (March 25, 2013) — The Hotel Indigo Downtown St. Petersburg will hold a “meet the artist” open house on Friday, April 19, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., celebrating its newest artist, Andrew Vernon, a fine arts landscape photographer from Largo, Fla. Vernon’s photographs of striking sunsets, ominous storm clouds and serene water scenes will be on display through the end of the year.

When BayStar Hotel Group opened the Hotel Indigo five years ago, it dedicated the lobby to showcasing the work of local artists. After displaying the work for a year, the hotel purchases one of the pieces for its collection, relying on votes from attendees of the art show.

“This is our first photography exhibit,” said BayStar Hotel Group Chairman George Glover. “All the local shots really play to the Hotel Indigo’s ‘neighborhood story’ brand.”

A Florida native and Largo resident, Vernon has a large collection of Tampa Bay area images. His portfolio also includes compelling shots from his travels across the country, including stunning color and black and white photographs taken in Maine, North Carolina and Alaska. Vernon’s work has been on display in the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, in local restaurants and in Tampa’s Creative Loafing magazine. A second-generation photographer, Vernon manages the studio portion of his family’s portrait business and is an adjunct professor at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa. Check out his work at http://www.andrewvernonphotography.com/recentwork.

The public is invited to attend the free art show opening on Friday, April 19, at 5:30 p.m. at the Hotel Indigo-Downtown St. Petersburg, 234 Third Avenue, North or visit the lobby display anytime between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The Hotel Indigo is owned and operated by Tampa’s BayStar Hotel Group www.baystarhotels.com, a company that acquires develops and operates hotels throughout the southeastern United States. Its other Florida hotels are the Holiday Inn Express® Hotel & Suites – Largo Central Park, Hampton Inn & Suites – Largo Central Park, and the Holiday Inn Express® – Lake Buena Vista near Orlando, and the Holiday Inn Capitol Center in Tallahassee. Consistently recognized as one of the Americas’ “Best Hotel Companies” by industry sources, including Hotel Business and Hotel Management, BayStar Hotel Group also manages properties for other owners and provides consulting services. It can be reached at 813-849-0001.

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