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Baroque + Bottle Book Club | Sacred + Secular

March 19, 2026 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Baroque + Bottle Book Club | Sacred + Secular

In conjunction with In Caravaggio’s Light | Baroque Masterpieces from the Fondazione Roberto Longhi, the MFA introduces the Baroque + Bottle Book Club, a dynamic literary series that pairs contemporary fiction with the timeless themes of the Baroque. 

Presented in partnership with Book + Bottle, St. Pete’s beloved independent bookstore and wine bar, each gathering invites readers to dive into contemporary novels that echo the emotional intensity, moral tension, and timeless questions embedded in the Baroque movement. With expertly paired wines, lively, guided conversations, and exclusive in-gallery experiences, this series creates unexpected connections between the masterpieces on view and the pressing issues of today.  

In a pivotal shift, Baroque artists began placing sacred and mythological stories within the messy reality of everyday life. By infusing the ordinary with spiritual resonance, these works challenged audiences to see the divine in unexpected places. This session explores how contemporary literature uncovers beauty, mindfulness, and meaning in the secular corners of our complex world.  

We’ll read Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, a modern reimagining of David Copperfield set in rural America. Told in the unsparing voice of Demon, a boy born into poverty and foster care, the novel follows his survival through loss, addiction, fleeting loves, and fleeting triumphs. Kingsolver channels Dickensian scope with contemporary grit, using humor, heartbreak, and fierce compassion to illuminate the extraordinary in lives often ignored.  

What to Expect:

  • 6:00–6:30 pm — Arrivals: grab a glass of wine and ease in with thought-starter prompts and casual conversation.
  • 6:30–7:30 pm — Guided discussion led by Book + Bottle, exploring the book’s themes and connections to the Baroque.
  • 7:30–8:00 pm — Gallery spotlight with MFA curators and educators: a focused look at a work from In Caravaggio’s Light to bring the conversation full circle.

Baroque + Bottle Book Club | Sacred + Secular

Thursday, March 19, 2026
6:00 PM–8:00 PM
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg
255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg FL 33701

$25 for Members; $35 for Not-Yet-Members.

Tickets include program and 1 glass of wine. Additional wine available for purchase. A limited number of copies are available at the MFA Shop and at Book + Bottle! Get 10% off the next book on the night of each book club!

 

Not yet a member?
Become a member today and enjoy all the benefits membership at the MFA offers! 

MFA Members enjoy free admission for an entire year, early access to special exhibitions, discounts at the MFA Shop and Café Clementine, special member-only exclusive events, and more. Bring the whole family!

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About Book + Bottle

Book + Bottle is a bottle shop, an independent bookstore, a coffee café, and a wine bar all rolled into one exquisite little package. They have the most passionate, friendly, and helpful team in town to help you choose a book or a bottle or to take care of you and your friends on your night off.

They’re an independent, woman-owned, values-driven, sustainably run, local-first business that believes little kindnesses can make our community—and the world—a better place.

About Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead

Demon Copperhead (2022) by Barbara Kingsolver reimagines Dickens’s David Copperfield in contemporary Appalachia, following a quick-witted boy as he fights to define himself amid poverty, foster care, and an opioid-ravaged landscape. Told in a vivid, unsentimental first-person voice, the novel traces resilience, community, and the power of storytelling without offering tidy answers—only hard-won clarity and heart.

See ALL Baroque + Bottle Book Club Dates and Times:

Images:

Jusepe de Ribera, St. Thomas (detail), c. 1612, Oil on canvas, Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy

Organized by Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi and Civita Mostre e Musei.

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