Art News By Caron Schwartz
Get yourself back to the garden
Florida CraftArt presents Art of the Garden, a juried exhibition of original art showcasing fine handcrafted work inspired by the natural beauty of gardens. Fifty artists created 90 pieces, from fiber art and delicate jewelry to ceramic garden sculptures. The show runs March 4 through April 19, when the People’s Choice Award will be presented. People can vote for their favorite work of art in the Florida CraftArt Exhibition Gallery and on Facebook. Docent tours available upon request.
Florida CraftArt
501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
www.FloridaCraftArt.org
727-821-7391
Can I get a witness?
Catch “witness…” a play by American Stage’s Producing Artistic Director and Resident Playwright Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj on March 7 at 7pm with American Stage and Creative Pinellas. This new free series will take place on the first Monday of each month at the Gallery at Creative Pinellas. “First Mondays” will feature stage readings with professional actors and artists. For more information and to register:
www.americanstage.org/first-mondays/
Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of The 1619 Project, will speak at The Coliseum in St. Petersburg on March 27, from 4-7pm at a gala fundraiser for the Woodson Warriors Scholarships Fund, hosted by the Woodson African American Museum of Florida. Now in its fourth year, the Woodson Warriors Scholarship Fund currently supports 30 St. Pete African American scholars throughout their undergraduate college studies. Tickets $100. Sponsorships available. To purchase tickets click towww.one.bidpal.net/woodson/welcome
Get lucky at the inaugural SHAMROCK Fest
Celebrate the luckiest day of the year as the Pier transforms into an Irish rock festival complete with dance performances, a nomadic magician, leprechauns, and more. Enjoy traditional Irish food and drink specials as live bands take the stage throughout the day, including Tom Petty and Guns N’ Roses tribute bands.
Get creative with a Gulf Coast Artists–Alliance class
As a student you will appreciate the GCAA gallery space and dedicated classroom. Projection technology allows you to see up close every brushstroke made by the instructors. New class options, dates and times give you better access to learning watercolor, oil, acrylic, wire sculpture, alcohol ink, collage, and more. Visit www.gcaa-fl.org/classes—events.html to get inspired and register for a class!
“To Life” raises $700,000
The Florida Holocaust Museum (FHM) held its annual “To Life” benefit virtually Feb. 3, marking the 30th anniversary of the museum. This milestone was marked by sharing memories, the museum’s important work, and plans for the future. The FHM’s success will prove helpful as it meets the challenges of increasing antisemitism, new technology, and the aging and loss of Holocaust survivors.
When you gotta go you gotta go
Archaeologists have often found ancient Roman earthenware containers on their digs, but never knew for sure what they were for. Now, thanks to microscopic analysis of a fifth-century ceramic pot discovered in Sicily, we know that the Romans used terracotta vessels as toilets, confirming a long-held theory. Examining a mineral deposit inside the pot, the team spotted the eggs of an intestinal parasite found only in humans, thus proving the pot had once contained human feces and would have served as a chamber pot.
Come up and see Maxime Lalanne’s etchings
The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete presents . . . Defining Lines: the Prints and Drawings of Maxime Lalanne through July 17. Lalanne’s (1827-1886) highly refined etchings, with their subtle use of line and delicate sense of shading, exemplify the scope and depth of a medium that underwent a significant revival in the mid-19th century. Inspired by the highly detailed prints of earlier practitioners such as Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), artists like Lalanne sought to reassert the medium’s dominance as a fine art over its more mundane uses as a method for reproduction.
The art of letter writing at the Dalí
Join us for an exclusive look at Picasso and the Allure of the South, then try your hand at writing and making postcards inspired by the master himself. The Dali will explore what it means to incorporate place into letter writing and design. Create playful interpretations of your surroundings in a surreal way during this workshop led by The Paper Seahorse and Tampa Bay Letter Writers. All materials are included.
- When: March 15, 6-8pm
- Where: The Dalí Museum’s Will Raymund Theater
- Cost: $30 for Museum members, $40 for non-members
- Tickets: www.tickets.thedali.org/WebStore
Calling all artists
The LGBTQ Resource Center of the Gulfport Public Library invites submissions for the 5th annual ArtOut exhibit, Queering the Pandemic. Wanted is artwork created by LGBTQ+ artists and allies that is inspired by experiences of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deadline for submissions is April 1. The international juried show opens June 1 and continues through the month, coinciding with Pride Month celebrations in Gulfport. For more information and to apply click to www.artout.lgbtqgulfport.org.
The Morean Arts Center is seeking Tampa Bay area portrait artists to participate in an exciting new event/fundraiser to be held at the Morean on April 30. In the spirit of the BBC’s hit TV series “Portrait Artist of the Year,” the Morean is creating its own version. Nine artists will be chosen. Three “icons” will serve as sitters and three artists will have two and one-half hours to create a portrait of each sitter. Benefits include eligibility for the top prize of $1,000 and the People’s Choice award of $500; possible sales of portraits and opportunities for future commissions. For more information and to apply contact Chief Curator Amanda Cooper 727-822-7872 ext 2112 or Amanda.cooper@moreanartscenter.org.
Deadline for entry is March 20.
Now’s the time to apply for Creative Pinellas’ Pinellas Recovers Grants, which help artists and nonprofit arts organizations recover from the effects of Covid-related economic losses while supporting underserved communities. Creative Pinellas was one of 24 arts agencies nationwide selected to receive a $500,000 American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Arts organizations need to apply is March 14; individual artists by March 28. For more information or to apply, please visit www.creativepinellas.org/pinellasrecovers.
The USF College of The Arts is expanding into The Factory in St. Pete’s Warehouse Arts District with GENERATOR: USF Contemporary Art Museum. GENERATOR is an incubator for new ideas and a place for expanded artistic experimentation. Primarily focused on moving image and time-based contemporary art, its 3,100-square-foot former industrial space has been reconceived as a dedicated home for exhibitions, public programs, and special projects. GENERATOR is anticipated to open this fall.
The Warehouse Arts District Association’s Pruitt Arts Education Center believes we all have something to learn and something to teach. With summer around the corner they are looking for artists to teach adult classes and summer camps for kids. If you see yourself as a part of the team contact Director of Arts Education Danielle Garcia, danielle.garcia@warehouseartsdistrictstpete.org