Art News By Caron Schwartz
Seasons shoppings
With an exuberant theme of “Spread JOY” the Morean Arts Center hosts the annual holiday members’ show and sale through the holidays. The festooned galleries at 719 Central Ave. will feature locally made art and gifts that allow visitors to peruse great art while checking off gifts for every age and interest. Collectors can expect to find art by their favorite local creators and enjoy the opportunity to discover amazing new talent too! And remember, Morean Arts Center members save 10% at Morean Galleries and Gift Shops, supporting local artists and saving money too.
LocalShops1 is excited to present the 2020 Holiday Gift Guide! The guide, in collaboration with Tampa artist Monica Guerrero, features more than 100 gift ideas from LocalShops1 members. We invite you to sit back and browse through its holiday shopping guide. We’ve compiled a ton of local gift ideas for everyone, including pets, children and of course … yourself! Got the stocking stuffers, too. localshops1.com/blog/localshops1-holiday-gift-guide-2020
The St. Pete Arts Alliance is hosting its first-ever virtual silent auction benefit: Curate St. Pete Arts Fair. Online bidding begins on Dec. 6 and culminates with a virtual celebration and live auction on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 7pm. CURATE ST. PETE Arts Fair spotlights local artists, providing an online presence for direct sales during the holiday season. Sponsored by Duke Energy, sales will be split to benefit both the artists and the arts alliance. While you’re online check out Curate St. Pete Gallery Tours, which provides access to artists who don’t have the resources to establish and maintain a virtual creative business. For more information see curatestpete.com/art-fair and curatestpete.com/explore.
Seasons showings
American Stage continues their 2020-21 Reimagine Season with the third show in their Digital Theatre Series, “Nosotros La Gente” (We The People), an American Stage commissioned work by Jerry Montoya. As the country is on the verge of a World War, a pair of brothers toil planting date palms in the fertile soil of the California desert. Salvador dreams of owning land of his own, while Santiago dreams of seeing the world beyond the valley. When Santiago enlists, Salvador vows to care for his brother’s love, Sophie. Heartbroken and alone, the two must find a way to care for the land, for themselves, and each other. This story of America runs through Dec. 20.
- REIMAGINE Season Memberships Loyalty Membership Enjoy the full season of REIMAGINE’s productions, with all access to all streaming productions performed live on the group’s Virtual Stage. Receive members-only benefits including dynamic performances featuring new artists each month throughout the season. ($225 or monthly $25)
- Premiere Membership- Loyalty benefits plus Premiere-members-only opening performances with special artist experiences for each streaming production, and even more access to special shows, events and classes all season long. ($315 or monthly $35)
- Sustaining Membership- Help theatrical arts and education thrive in our community. ($405 or monthly $45)
Learn more about memberships at www.americanstage.org/membership.
Asolo Rep rings in the holiday season with We Need a Little Christmas, a holiday concert under the stars, performed at Asolo Rep’s newly constructed Terrace Stage, an open-air venue located in front of its box office at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. It previews Dec. 17, opens Dec. 18, and runs through Jan. 3. Tickets start at $25 for blanketed seating in the grass, bring your own blanket. Seated tickets start at $40.Tickets go on sale to Asolo Rep subscribers beginning at noon on Nov. 18. Tickets for the general public go on sale beginning at midnight Nov. 21.
Tickets are on sale at asolorep.org and are not available at the box office or by phone. You can print tickets at home, have your tickets scanned on your phone, or pick them up at will-call. For more information email Patron Services at patronservices@asolo.org.
In the face of COVID-19, Sarasota’s Circus Arts Conservatory has instituted rigorous health and safety protocols to continue to offer classes including Sailor Circus, Junior Sailor Circus, and Aerial Silks. And while seating capacity for the Sailor Circus Arena and Circus Sarasota Big Top has been reduced for social distancing, circus fans around the world can enjoy the season’s circus shows via video streaming. Tickets are now available, for live and video streaming options, for the full season of shows:
- Sailor Circus holiday show, “Season’s Greetings” (Dec. 26-31)
- Circus Sarasota 2021 (Feb. 12-March 7)
- Sailor Circus spring show “Star Voyage” (April 1-3 and 8-11)
- Cirque des Voix “Circus of the Voices” (April 30-May 2)
Livestream tickets for all shows will be for one viewing upon activation for $25/device; prices for live shows vary. For more information or tickets, go to circusarts.org or call 941-355-9335.
Opportunities for artists and makers in Gulfport … ArtWalk welcomes emerging and professional contemporary craft and fine artists throughout Pinellas. This juried event pairs artists and businesses; until
social distancing protocols end, artists will exhibit outdoors. Artists must present artwork professionally. Tents encouraged, though not required. First Friday ArtWalk runs from 5-9pm; load-in begins at 3pm.
IndieFaire is a maker’s market featuring high-quality local art, fine crafts, jewelry, and other exceptional items. This curated event features work that best fits the theme of unique, whimsical, and trendy. Every item at IndieFaire must be made by the artist or maker. Tents not required, although encouraged. Third Saturday IndieFaire runs from 5-9pm; setup starts at 3pm. Interested creatives must apply for Art Walk and IndieFaire each month at least seven days before the event. Questions? Email artworkshere@visitgulfportflorida.com.
The St. Pete Store & Visitors Center is looking for new artists to showcase in the store! The St. Pete Store is your one-stop St. Pete shop, selling local art, gifts, t-shirts, pottery, photos, postcards, masks, hats, home decor, housewares, pillows, totes, and much, much more. Interested in getting your pieces included in the St. Pete Store or volunteering with us? Email St. Pete Store Manager Shelli Hemans at shemans@stpete.com for more info.
Learn how to be a public-art artist during a virtual workshop 1-2:30pm Dec. 17 when the St. Pete Arts Alliance presents a Zoom panel discussion with public-art artists and public-art professionals to discuss how to compete for a public art commission. Topics range from building the artist’s resume and finding the right calls to artists, to writing proposals and collaborating with the right entities to create your project.
Panelists:
- Greg Belew – Architect, designer, consumer of public art in his museum installations
- Leslie Tharp – Blacksmith, creator, installer of public art pieces
- Mark Aeling – Public-art artist with a national reputation
- Cecelia Lueza – Muralist, international artist converting 2D art into 3D public-art installations
- David Ramsey – Member of the St. Petersburg Public Arts Commission, arts supporter
Moderator: Wayne Atherholt
Register at stpeteartsalliance.wildapricot.org/event-4059291 to receive the Zoom link. Free for Arts Business Partners, $5 nonmembers.
The Warehouse Arts District (WADA) is launching Ignite – Open Studio Sunday and Tuesday evenings and offering the opportunity to join on a monthly or quarterly basis. Painting sessions will be held in the large open space upstairs allowing up to 14 people to safely social distance in their own 6-foot area. Sessions will be overseen by resident artist Nancie Norman, who will provide easels, tables and chairs, inspiration and guidance.
To learn more, go to tinyurl.com/y6srpnbx to schedule a call with Nancie. If you are ready to subscribe purchase your subscription online: openstudioattheartsxchange.square.site.
When: Sunday & Tuesday evenings; 6-9pm.
Where: The Studios at the WADA, ArtsXchange Campus, 2nd Floor. 515 22nd Street S, St. Pete
Cost: Monthly memberships: $125 for 4 sessions. Quarterly memberships: $300 (includes one extra session/month or three total as space is available).
The St. Pete Arts Alliance needs you!
For the first time in Alliance history, the organization is asking the public to support its operations. Due to COVID, SPAA has lost $65,000 in event income, including its approved state arts grant for the SHINE Mural Festival that the governor vetoed. It does not have a dedicated income stream, and arts organizations are not eligible for county relief. Despite unprecedented challenges, SPAA has persevered through 2020 intact and remains true to its mission. This is what they’ve accomplished since April:
- Established the Arts Relief Fund with Creative Pinellas and the Pinellas Community Foundation and helped to raise $134,000 to grant emergency relief to 207 artists, 21 creative businesses, and 17 creative non-profit businesses.
- Awarded $20,000 in artist community engagement awards and one $5,000 professional development award.
- Raised approximately $15,000 for Funding Futures Awards to enable disadvantaged students to continue their arts education after school or during the summer.
- Raised $16,000 to create Curate St. Pete, a website that features individual marketing videos for 28 studios and galleries designed to help them gain national exposure
- Developed and presented five webinars on how artists can apply for funds or learn how to grow their businesses.
The Arts Alliance is the only St. Petersburg non-profit local arts agency that serves our arts and cultural community. All of the above funds raised this year went to the creatives – not one dollar went to administrative needs. SPAA absorbed the cost of salaries, bookkeeping, insurance, e-newsletters, Mailchimp, and other services that enable them to do what they do. Visit stpeteartsalliance.org/donate-2 to help.
WUSF Public Media has launched Arts Axis Florida, a free online streaming service that bridges a divide created by COVID-19 precautions. Visitors can stream and enjoy performances from a wide variety of arts genres and cultural destinations in Florida, including classical music, jazz, opera, performance theater, and dance. Presenters include Asolo Rep, Dalí Museum, Key Chorale, The Florida Orchestra, and many more. Go online to artsaxisfl.org and enjoy.
Non-profit arts organizations that want a profile page on Arts Axis Florida can learn more at wusf.org/arts-axis-florida.
Join the Dalí and partners from the Bishop Planetarium for a unique stargazing experience and a private viewing of the Van Gogh Alive exhibition. This experience will include the rare opportunity to see the conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, an opportunity that will not happen again until 2080! The evening will also include opportunities to see other celestial bodies and a talk on the Star of Bethlehem. Dec. 21, 6-8:30pm. Tickets $25 for Museum members, $35 for non-members. For tickets: thedali.org/visit/buy-tickets.
The Tampa Museum of Art (TMA) celebrates and honors the richness and complexity of Florida’s cultural tapestry with its newest exhibition, Living Color: The Art of the Highwaymen. On view through March 28, 2021, Living Color brings together 60 paintings featuring the works of the core group of Florida Highwaymen.
These celebrated Black artists depicted the state’s natural environment and rich tones through their unique self-taught painting styles. The Highwaymen produced artwork from the 1950s to the 1980s. Facing racial prejudice, these artists had little or no formal training or access to conventional art markets. To overcome these obstacles, they produced large numbers of works that could be sold at affordable prices, often door-to-door and sometimes from their cars.
Groups of four or more can schedule a private virtual tour, and groups of 10 or more can schedule an in-person tour of Living Color and any exhibition at TMA by visiting TampaMuseum.org/Adult-Tours.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Tampa Bay Chapter recently awarded its highest design award, the H. Dean Rowe FAIA Award for Design Excellence, to ASD SKY and Rogers Partners for the new St. Pete Pier. The jury selected the project for its innovative architectural design, sustainability, commitment to education, and excellence in landscape design. According to the jury, “the design transcends the expectations of a Pier … and is a community asset that has the potential to galvanize the fabric of a community in a strong, social, and equitable way.”
No one is traveling at this time, so Syd Entel Galleries and Susan Benjamin Glass in Safety Harbor did the next best thing: on Dec. 5 they open a multi-media glass show with the Borowski family from Poland. Glass work was shipped in from Poland and the Borowski’s will show off a video tour of their studio in Poland and discuss creating their extraordinary glasswork. Check out this multi-generational group of artists and their creativity that cannot be contained on this ODD BIRDS video: vimeo.com/470927672.
Borowski Jackson 