April Arts Roundup: Emerging Artist Exhibition, watermedia art, and more

Meghan Christopher | Monday, April 4, 2022

The new Ferman Center for the Arts at the University of Tampa is a recent addition to the city's growing arts ecosystem. Photo by Diane Egner

A 200-seat, acoustically tuned theater on the ground floor of the new Ferman Center for the Arts at UT gives students space to perform in front of an audience. Photo by Diane Egner

Delayed almost a year by COVID-related safety concerns, the official ribbon cutting for the new Ferman Center for the Arts at the University of Tampa took place April 1, 2022, about a year after it opened to students. Photo by Diane Egner

The Morean Arts Center's Artist-in-Residence Program encourages program residents to further their education experience in ceramic arts. Courtesy of Morean Arts

Classes in ceramics are taught at the Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. Courtesy of Morean Arts

Emerging Artist Grant 22 recipient Alex Koffman’s piece titled Room of Iridescent. Courtesy of Creative Pinellas

Emerging Artist Grant 22 recipient Margherita Tibaldo’s piece titled February 17th, 1:08pm. Courtesy of Creative Pinellas

Emerging Artist Grant 22 recipient Ketsy Ruiz’s piece titled #boricuadiaspora. Courtesy of Creative Pinellas

Emerging Artist Grant 22 recipient Ashley Rivers’ [The Nature of Fire] piece titled Musing. Courtesy of Creative Pinellas

After the film “Outwitting Hitler,” attendees can participate in a Q&A with the film’s director Christopher Ward. Courtesy of “Outwitting Hitler” Director Christopher Ward

Courtesy of the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts David Gary Lloyd photograph for the pop-up exhibit to End Animal Homelessness.

Sofía De la Garza photograph for the pop-up exhibit to End Animal Homelessness. Courtesy of the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts

Watermedia piece created by Sue Downes Allen, instructor of the Tampa Regional Artists’ workshop Letting Go with WaterMedia. Courtesy of Sue Downes Allen

Donors, dignitaries, business and community leaders gathered at the University of Tampa on April 1 for the official grand opening of the new Ferman Center for the Arts. Photo by Diane Egner

It is no secret that the Tampa Bay Area is home to talented emerging artists. Each year Creative Pinellas awards up to 10 of these artists with funding, mentorship, and an exhibition through the Emerging Artist Grant Program. The grants are awarded for work in choreography, literature, media arts, music composition, theater/musical theater, visual arts, and interdisciplinary arts.

The sixth annual Emerging Artist Exhibition will include work from artists awarded with

grants from Creative Pinellas: Dorian Angello, Adam and Kayte Bush, Jon Ditty, Alex Kaufman, Teresa Mandala, Rachel Ratcliff, Heather Rippert, Ashley Rivers, Ketsy Ruiz, and Margherita Tibaldo.

“What’s exciting about this year’s Emerging Artist cohort is the diversity of mediums and perspectives. It’s been a lot of fun getting to know them and their work. It should be an engaging and unique show,” says Creative Pinellas Interim Gallery Director, Beth Gelman.

The opening reception for the 2022 Emerging Artist Exhibition will be held on Thursday, April 14th, at 6 p.m. at the Gallery at Creative Pinellas. The exhibition is free to the public and registrations can be made here.

What else is going on in the month of April?

The Florida Holocaust Museum is partnering with The University of Tampa and the Film, Animation and New Media department at The University of Tampa on April 7th, 2022 to tell the story of holocaust survivor Marian Pretzel. The film “Outwitting Hitler”

will be displayed at 7 p.m. in the Charlene Gordon Theatre -- Ferman Center for the Arts, which held its official opening reception at the beginning of the month. Guests are encouraged to stay after the film for a Q&A with the film’s director Christopher Ward. Tickets to the event can be purchased here.

Join the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay on April 22nd at 5 p.m. at the opening reception for a pop-up exhibit to End Animal Homelessness. The reception will help raise awareness about the importance of pet-human relationships. Tickets can be purchased here.

Explore the magic of watermedia at Tampa Regional Artists’ workshop Letting Go with WaterMedia. Join experimental watermedia artist Sue Downes Allen for the workshop

on April 23rd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Old Hyde Park Art Center to experiment with all water media.

“If you like to play with paint and water and would love to make something all yours, totally original, this is the class for you. I hope you will come out to play with us,” says instructor and watermedia artist Sue Downes Allen. Tickets for non TRA members are $65 and can be purchased here.

Curious about how to get the perfect photo of your art? The Warehouse Arts District St. Petersburg is hosting an evening with Jeremiah Khokhar on April 27th at 6:30 p.m in the Tully Levine Gallery at the ArtsXchange Campus. Khokhar is a musician, artist, photographer and educator of 7 years. He will provide attendees with insight about using the fundamentals of light and color to capture the perfect photo of their art. Tickets for non WADA members are $20 and can be purchased here.

The Pulse exhibition by Ringling College of Art and Design Undergraduate Jude Zawaideh invites viewers to immerse themselves into the experience of self. The exhibition is open to the public and will run until May 6th. The exhibition is free to the public and is located at 340 Central Avenue on the first floor of the Arcos building in downtown Sarasota.

The Inverso exhibition features work by 3rd year Master of Fine Arts candidates in the USF School of Art and Art History. Master’s Thesis work by Kim Darling, Aimee Jones, Natalia Kraviec, Krystle Lemonias, Tatiana Mesa Paján, and Marlon Tobias will be on display until May 7th. The exhibition is free to the public and is located at the USF Contemporary Art Museum.

The Clearwater Arts Alliance invites you to join a monthly morning and afternoon arts walk -- "a leisurely stroll past some of Downtown Clearwater's amazing public art'' -- on April 16th. The tours take about an hour, beginning at the Old City Hall Building around the Ring Canopy sculpture. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 the day of the tour.

Artists in Residence

The Morean Center for Clay (MCC) is located within the Warehouse Arts District of St. Petersburg, Florida and is home to the Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Program. The MCC encourages program residents to further their education experience in ceramic arts. Residents are individuals with their bachelor’s or master’s degree in art. The AIR program allows residents to expand their body of work and even participate in a solo exhibition, which highlights the work created over the span of the one-year term. Upon agreement between the artist and MCC, residents are offered a second term. The residency is a work exchange program and affordable shared housing is available.

"The Artist in Residence Program gives emerging ceramic artists the chance to explore their art and encompassing concepts within a thriving ceramics and arts scene. The Morean Center for Clay offers many opportunities that can help guide ceramic artists towards a clearer and more understandable career path in the ceramic arts," says Studio/Gallery Manager and Artist in Residence Coordinator Kodi Thompson.

Applications to the AIR program are due April 30th, 2022. Interested artists can check out the application and apply for residency. Residency will begin August 1st, 2022 and end July 31st, 2023.

Call to K-5 Student Artists

Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez’s Space Art Contest provides K-5 students with the opportunity to express their creativity and experience the wonders of space. Students can submit original, two-dimensional artwork based on the theme: Florida is the Place for Space: Celebrating Florida’s Contributions to Space Travel and Exploration. Submissions will be placed into two categories: K-2 and 3-5.

Interested artists can check out the guidelines and download the entry form. Submissions must be mailed to Space Florida, ATTN: Florida Space Art Contest, 505 Odyssey Way, Suite 300, Exploration Park, Florida 32953. All entries must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 25th, 2022.

Read more articles by Meghan Christopher.

Meghan Christopher is a graduating senior at the University of Tampa pursuing a degree in advertising and public relations. Originally from Palm Harbor, her dream job is to work for a public relations agency dedicated to social change. Meghan also is on the digital communications committee for PRSA Tampa Bay and currently works as a public relations intern for Lynn Public Relations. Meghan enjoys painting, spending time with friends, and finding new places to explore in the Tampa Bay Area.