Scaffolding exhibit by Stephanie Ong Feb 3 - Feb 5
On Friday, February 3rd, Tampa-based artist Stephanie Ong debuts her recent collection of work, “Scaffolding,” at 2502 N. Howard Ave.
The concept of scaffolding has been an underlying current in Ong’s recent work.
“Scaffolding is supportive but not determinate,” she shares. “It doesn’t define, rather it provides a framework which offers many perspectives. I am interested in what, both as an individual and as a community, holds us up. My work explores the day-to-day moments and how they all build upon each other.”
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"Kaleidoscope," by Stephanie Ong.Heavily influenced by nature and life cycles, Ong’s paintings begin with loose, gestural forms. Subsequent layers build upon each other, influencing color, intent and composition. The paintings focus on time and our relationship to past and present events that shape our lives.
“The lines, layers, and colors were informed by how, at various moments of our life cycle, we interpret information and weave together our life's story,” she says.
As part of the exhibit, Ong has collaborated with writer Lindsay Bomstein for a series entitled “Conversations.” The exchange began as a way to create full circles of communication in a pen-pal-type format.
“For me, my paintings are not fully complete until they have been viewed and interpreted by someone other than myself,” Ong says. “The process evolved as a conversation would; my paintings informed Lindsay’s writing and her writing informed my paintings.”
The result is a series of works intimately connected and reflective.
The opening reception for “Scaffolding” is 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on February 3rd at 2502 N. Howard Ave., with an artist talk at 7 p.m. that evening.
For more information, go to Stephanie Ong art
The Stories They Tell: Indigenous Art and the Photography of Edward S. Curtis
“The Stories They Tell: Indigenous Art and the Photography of Edward S. Curtis” is on exhibit from February 4th through May 14th at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art.
The unique exhibition examines the relationships between art and cultural identity by pairing photographic images of Native American culture captured by Curtis with correlative Native art. Presented in three sections: Southwest pottery and basketry, California basketry and Northwest Coast carving and textiles, the show reflects on how objects harbor memories and tell stories about a time, a place and a people.
Curtis produced one of the most extensive photographic projects in history. He was working during the early 20th century, at a time when it was a commonly held belief among non-Natives that Native American culture would soon disappear. Curtis’s work reflects that concept. This exhibition offers examples of Native art from the 19th century to today, illustrating Native cultures as very much alive and thriving.
“This exhibition allows us to explore how diverse art forms are physical reflections of unique environments and ways of life,” Caitlin Pendola, Assistant Curator at The James Museum and curator of this exhibition, says in a press release. “The objects chosen for this exhibition, not often seen in Florida, provide context and a new way of understanding Curtis’s work and Indigenous art.”
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This jar by the late Native American artist Tony Da is part of the exhibit "The Stories They Tell: Indigenous Art and the Photography of Edward S. Curtis" at The James Museum.
Pendola and co-curator Jason Wyatt, Collections Manager at The James Museum, brought together over 90 Native-made objects from the permanent collection, four private lenders and seven museums from across the United States to tell the story. The Curtis works seen in this exhibition have been donated and lent by St. Petersburg couple Robb & Susan Hough. With this exhibition, visitors will get an immersive look into Native American material culture that bridges centuries of generational knowledge.
For more information, go to The Stories They Tell.
Dance Documentary “Telephone” at the Carrollwood Cultural Center Feb 4
On February 4th, the Carrollwood Cultural Center hosts a screening of the dance documentary “Telephone,” a disability arts film project aimed to increase awareness about accessibility within the arts.
“Telephone” is co-directed by Dark Room Ballet Founder Krishna Wasburn and choreographer/filmmaker Heather Shaw. The film aims to transform the world's perspective on accessibility to allow for the full inclusion of blind and visually impaired people in the arts. The film also educates audience members about audio description as an art form.
This screening is a part of the Carrollwood Cultural Center’s initiative to increase accessibility for blind and low-vision patrons and diversify programming. In April 2022 the Center was awarded a grant from the
Community Foundation Tampa Bay that allowed the purchase and installation of an assistive listening system.
Audio description and sign language services will also be available for the screening of “Telephone.” Following the 45-minute film, there will be a hybrid Zoom/live talkback with Telephone co-directors Washburn and Shaw. The conversation will center around accessible art, creative choreographic/filmmaking methodologies and the future of anti-ableism in the arts, generating thought-provoking inquiries and reflection.
For more information, go to Carrollwood Cultural Center.
American Stage presents Crimes of the Heart through February 5th
Three regional actresses play the Magrath Sisters in the American Stage production of “Crimes of the Heart,” which runs through February 5th. Follow the story of three sisters as they escape the past to seize the future. This dark and hilarious Pulitzer Prize-winning play is so true and touching and consistently funny it will linger in the mind long after the curtain has descended. Winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
For more information, go to American Stage Crimes of the Heart.
Leepa Rattner Museum presents the 48th Annual International Miniature Art Show
Don’t miss the unique exhibition now through Feb 5. The Miniature Art Society of Florida celebrates its 48th year with a spectacular exhibition of more than 600 exquisite miniature works from around the globe and more than 100 miniatures from the society’s permanent collection.
Throughout the duration of the exhibition, visitors can talk to and observe artists while they demonstrate their techniques including oil painting, scrimshaw, drawing, sculpture and more. Many artists create their work under magnification, using a variety of mediums and methods and the tiniest of brushes for paintings. Demonstrators may come from as far away as England and Canada, as well as across the United States and Florida.
For more information, go to International Minirature Art Show.
Vic’s Mix by Rubberband Dance Company at HCC Feb 10 & 11
Vic's Mix by the Rubberband Dance Company is at the Hillsborough Community College Ybor City Campus Mainstage Theatre on February 10th and 11th. Vic’s Mix is a compilation of Victor Quijada's best-known works as an artistic director and choreographer. The performance pushes the boundaries of traditional theatricality and challenges audience expectations by blending urban pop and classical music and featuring highly skilled and athletic dancers.
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Vic's Mix by the Rubberband Dance Company is at the Hillsborough Community College Ybor City Campus Mainstage Theatre on February 10th and 11th.RUBBERBAND, a contemporary dance company based in Montreal, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and continues to be recognized within the dance community for its innovative approach to contemporary dance, making it a leader in the Montreal dance community and acknowledged internationally.
For more information, go to Vic’s Mix at HCC.
Warehouse Arts District Exhibit features Black contemporary artists Feb 11
St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District Association (WADA), hosts a collaboration by The Well for Life, The Green Book of Tampa Bay and Artists Change the World for “ReIMAGINE,” a show featuring Black contemporary artists who have been impacted by the criminal legal system.
Participating artists include Alfred Cleveland, Catherine E. Weaver, Anthony Williams, Christopher Williams, F. Axom, Jabaar Edmonds, and David Lee Watson.
Stop by during the Second Saturday Art Walk. The themed show opens on the evening of February 11th and will remain until the end of the month. It will be located in the Tully-Levine Gallery at the ArtsXchange Plaza in the Warehouse Arts District.
For ticket information, go to ReIMAGINE.
Tampa City Ballet presents UN-DER-LINE February 17th
The Tampa City Ballet presents “UN-DER-LINE,” an immersive dance experience in an intimate setting at the Ybor City Kress Building on February 17th and 18th.
The first piece is “PLAYGROUND,” created by Fernando Suels, a former dancer with Pina Bausch.
The evening will also feature a showing of the film “UN-DER-LINE,” inspired by the exploration of tunnels and things that hide beneath the surface. It is an ode for freedom and the film will be followed by a piece of the same name, choreographed by director Paula Nunez.
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The Tampa City Ballet presents "UN-DER-LINE" on February 17th and 18th at the Ybor City Kress Building.
“The final piece explores the concept of emerging; the beneath and the emergence to the above,” Nunez says.
The entire evening examines the manifestation of the “othering” phenomenon - exploring the effect exclusion has on people’s perception of themselves, the world, and their place in society. The othering concept reflects a clear distinction between “us” and “them”, the “self” and "the others."
For more information, go to UN-DER-LINE.
Reception & Artist Talk “McArthur Freeman: Finding Form” at Gallery114@HCC Feb 23
“McArthur Freeman: Finding Form” is on display at Hillsborough Community College’s Gallery114@HCC through February 23rd.
The artworks in the exhibit consist of globular, amorphous forms spliced together and given organic features. The strange mutations suggest familiarity while simultaneously collapsing into abstraction, proposing the breakdown and reformation of new identities. Freeman’s work begins as speculative drawing—a term coined by the artist to express the intuitive nature of his process—and is then translated into digital sculpture, fabricated through 3D printing and finally cast in bronze. The pseudo-scientific multi-step process allows the artist to intentionally conceive forms virtually and then physically materialize them in the world. McArthur Freeman’s practice explores how identity construction and hybridity are visually generated.
Freeman will wrap up the exhibition at Gallery114 on the HCC Ybor Campus on February 23rd with a reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and an artist talk at 6 p.m.
For more information, go to McArthur Freeman: Finding Form.
ICONIC at the Morean ArtsCenter Feb 25
“ICONIC,” at the Morean Arts Center on February 25th, is a fundraiser and artistic event that allows attendees to witness the portraits of three local icons being created live, as nine talented artists compete head-to-head for a variety of prizes. Watch the creative process from start to finish, then vote for your favorite artist’s portrait in the People’s Choice awards at the end of the evening.
For more information go to Morean Arts Center ICONIC.
University of Tampa Art+Design All Faculty Showcase - now until Feb 25
Visit the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery on the University of Tampa campus until February 25th to view the Art+Design All Faculty Showcase.
The exhibit is curated by Lesley Wolff, assistant professor of art and design, and offers a look at the work of Chris Valle, Jaime Aelavanthara, Peter Cotroneo, Molly Evans, Kendra Frorup, Corey George, Jennifer Guest, Joshua Haddad, Samantha Modder, Alexander Nixon, Eric Ondina, Angelina Parrino, Emma Quintana, Joseph Scarce and Ry McCullough.
This showcase provides a glimpse into the variety and expertise of UT’s art and design professors and part-time faculty. The work ranges a variety of mediums including painting, print, fiber art, sculpture, installation, mixed media and photography.
For more information, go to UT Art +Design.
“Night Art Gallery” at Pinellas Ale Works
The exhibit “Night Art Gallery” is on exhibit at Pinellas Ale Works in St. Petersburg from February 3rd through March 17th, with an opening reception at 4 p.m. February 11th.
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Campbell Buchanan is of one the Life Enrichment Center artists whose work is featured in the show "Night Art Gallery" at Pinellas Ale Works.
The exhibit is a showcase and a fundraiser for the Life Enrichment Center arts education program. Campbell Buchanan, Sheila Holbrook, JoElla Young, Arlene Mariotti and Morgan Delph are the award-winning artists featured in the show. Their works in watercolors, oils and acrylic have been on display extensively.
For more information, go to Pinellas Ale Works and Life Enrichment Center.
Artists interested in displaying their work at Pinellas Ale Works should email [email protected].