Myiah Moody Huff (MyiahPink), founder of HappySoul Revival Inc., has built her creative practice around faith, wellness, and helping others find their voice through art. Photo Courtesy of HappySoul Revival Inc.
The fourth annual Soul Revival Art Festival and Fundraiser returns with a three-day experience shaped by art, healing, wellness, and sickle cell awareness, April 17 through 19 in St. Petersburg. Founded by artist, educator, and philanthropist Myiah Moody Huff, Soul Revival has continued to grow into a cultural gathering grounded in creativity, community care, advocacy, and awareness.
This year marks an important turning point for the work behind Soul Revival. With Happy Soul Revival Inc. now officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Huff is building on the momentum of the annual event while creating room for more sustained, year-round efforts rooted in creative education, mental wellness, and support for illnesses that continue to affect Black and Brown communities at disproportionate rates.
Soul Revival grew from a deeply personal place for Huff, who created the event in honor of her aunt, LaMetra Moody. Watching her aunt live with and fight sickle cell disease gave Huff a firsthand understanding of how the illness can shape an entire family, and that experience became the force behind the work she would later build.
Huff said LaMetra still shapes both the spirit and direction of Soul Revival, remembering her as a teacher, a woman of faith and a fighter whose perseverance left a lasting mark.
“LaMetra’s legacy was one of love, joy, learning, and service,” Huff said. “Despite her struggles with sickle cell, she always found a reason to smile and put a smile on someone else’s face.” What began as a tribute has since grown into a public expression of that legacy, carrying LaMetra’s memory into a weekend that invites people into a deeper understanding of sickle cell disease and the lives it touches.
Myiah Huff, right, and her sister, Sherie Moody, left, with their aunt, LaMetra Moody, whose life and legacy continue to inspire the mission behind Soul Revival. Photo Courtesy of Myiah Huff
Honoring her aunt also meant widening the conversation around a disease that continues to shape far too many lives. According to the CDC, sickle cell disease affects about 100,000 people in the United States, with more than 90% of those affected identified as non-Hispanic Black or African American. The agency also reports that people living with sickle cell disease in the U.S. face an estimated life expectancy more than 20 years shorter than average, while many still struggle to access recommended screenings and treatment.
That reality helped define the purpose behind Soul Revival, giving the event a foundation that reaches beyond tribute and into public understanding. That purpose is clear from the first day and continues throughout the weekend’s lineup.
The weekend opens Friday, April 17, at St. Petersburg College Midtown with “Understanding Sickle Cell: Wellness, Research, and Lived Experience,” a gathering designed to ground the festival in the realities behind its mission. The opening program will bring together healthcare professionals, researchers, caregivers, wellness experts, and people living with sickle cell disease for a conversation rooted in lived experience, practical information, and a fuller understanding of the condition and the communities it affects.
On Saturday, April 18, Soul Revival heads to The James Museum for “The Revival Art Gala Brunch,” where brunch, live performances, and visual art come together in a setting designed to spark conversation around healing and wellness. Scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the brunch will include a panel exploring the role of art in personal and collective well-being, alongside work from local artists and performers across multiple disciplines. Huff said she hopes guests leave with something they can carry beyond the event itself. “We want people to walk away with a renewed mindset and tools in their pocket to maintain their overall wellness,” Huff said.
The weekend closes Sunday, April 19, on The Deuces, where Soul Revival’s festival and fundraiser will bring the event into the heart of the community through live art, local talent, and public engagement, with The Well for Life serving as home to a pop-up gallery. Set along one of St. Petersburg’s most historic corridors, the final day puts the weekend’s purpose on full display, showing how Soul Revival continues to turn creativity into something people can experience and support in real time.
This public-facing mission has also translated into measurable impact. Organizers say last year’s event raised more than $5,000 for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America St. Petersburg Chapter, and this year’s goal is $10,000. The fundraising effort supports continued work in research, education, and outreach around sickle cell disease, while reinforcing the larger purpose behind the weekend. As Huff sees it, the creative side of Soul Revival is part of what makes that possible. “Art is also a powerful way to bring people together, tell stories, and raise money,” she said.
As Soul Revival enters its fourth year, the event is growing into something with a wider footprint in St. Petersburg, shaped by a three-day experience, nonprofit momentum, and a mission that reaches beyond the weekend itself. What began as Myiah Huff’s tribute to her aunt, LaMetra Moody, now stands as a public-facing expression of that legacy, one that uses art to open conversation, deepen understanding around sickle cell disease, and pour back into the community that surrounds it.
To support Soul Revival, visit the organization’s website for more information on the weekend’s events and ways to contribute. Tickets are available for purchase for “The Revival Art Gala Brunch” at The James Museum, while the remaining Soul Revival events are free and open to the community.
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More Photos
Myiah Huff stands with family members and The president of the St. Petersburg Chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Mary Murph (far right) . in front of a display highlighting sickle cell awareness. Rooted in the legacy of her late aunt, LaMetra Moody, the event’s mission is closely tied to the family’s ongoing effort to bring greater visibility to sickle cell disease and support the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America St. Petersburg Chapter.
Myiah Huff with AR the Prophet, the featured artist for last year’s Revival Art Gala Brunch. AR the Prophet, an Orlando artist living with sickle cell disease, traveled to St. Petersburg for the festival and used his music and advocacy to help bring greater visibility to the condition and the experiences of those affected by it. Photo Courtesy of HappySoul Revival Inc.
Community members take part in Soul Revival activities during a previous festival on The Deuces. Images Courtesy of HappySoul Revival Inc.
