Collins praised the city’s municipal services, including higher education, healthcare, and the parks system, “but it’s our arts and culture that make us vibrant, and the exciting place that we live in and brag about all the time.

“I accept on behalf of all the artists, the musicians, the dancers, the actors, the creative businesses, cultural organizations, and the staffs that work for them. They’re the ones making St. Petersburg a dynamic, healthy city of the arts.” - John Collins