St. Pete is celebrated for its fabulous weather, beautiful vistas, world-class food scene, and thriving cultural atmosphere, but the people of St. Pete truly make this city something special. In appreciation, each month Green Bench shines a light on one of the many people that make St. Pete unique.
This month we are highlighting Jeff Schorr. As the founder and full-time owner-operator of Craftsman House, his vision helped nurture the artistic-centered vibe fueling St. Pete’s renaissance. He’s also been actively involved with groups like Preserve the ‘Burg, Car- Free St. Pete, and the Jack Kerouac House preservation group as they endeavor to protect and preserve what’s special about the community.
Snowy Beginnings
Originally from Saratoga, N.Y., Schorr grew up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. Proximity to this pristine (and often snowy) playground allowed him to indulge his love of hiking and snowboarding while it also produced a lifetime appreciation for the importance of the natural world. This attitude coupled with his math and science skills led him to earn a degree in environmental engineering and then an MBA from Boston’s prestigious Northeastern University. After spending several years as a working engineer monitoring SuperFund sites, he realized he needed to make a change. He was good at his job, but it didn’t bring him joy, so he decided to open his life up to other possibilities.
Sunshine and New Possibilities
Schorr traded those snowy mountains for sunshine and sandy beaches, and he turned a sideline into a new career. For several years, Schorr had balanced his engineering career with his passion for selling and creating clothing and gear for the surf, skate, and snowboard community. Over the next few years, he successfully launched his own company and represented and sold premier clothing and gear. He even helped legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk launch his product line. As times and the industry changed, Schorr grew tired of the constant, necessary travel. He wanted to spend more time in the place he had decided to call home. He also had begun to think more and more about an even bigger dream: creating a community space where art, music, food, and people could come together. In 2003, he took the first step in fulfilling that vision when he bought an old house on Central Avenue, in what was then the desolate and rundown west end of the Grand Central District.
Craftsman House
Two years and three months later, that old bungalow became the renovated Craftsman House. Built in 1918 as the model home for what is now known as the Historic Kenwood District, it took on a new life as an art gallery / café / artists’ studio / performance venue. Schorr received considerable community support, which helped keep his dream alive. In particular, the foundational members of the arts community of that era welcomed Schorr and Craftsman House with open arms, and he quickly joined the handful of venues that made up the ArtWalk in the early 2000s. Since those early days, his girlfriend, Chrissy Auger, has helped with digital marketing and social media as Craftsman House diversified by adding an Airbnb on the floor above the gallery, and a second location at the St. Pete Pier. The Sunshine City has changed, but Schorr has stayed true to his vision. He still “loves art, music, food, and people,” and he’s created a shared community space where those things come together. His future path is intertwined with Craftsman House. “I don’t see that changing anytime soon,” he said.
For information, visit www.craftsmanhousegallery.com or on Facebook at Craftsman House Gallery.
