MASTER SCHEDULE-CUBAN SANDWICH SHOW 2012

August is the month-long series of events that is David Audet's feast of art and culture known as the Cuban Sandwich Show. In Tampa, the Cuban Sandwich is not a mere morsel for satiating hunger pangs. It is a cultural icon, encoded with history and sociology and one that is elevated to an art form. This series of events celebrates our indigenous origins and foundation myths. At a time when we're going to be visited by the RNC and thousands of media people, this show will say to the world:

This is where we come from, this is who we are.

[To Art Taco readers in St. Pete and other nearby areas: Gas up and cross the pond. This is one of the best festivals in the area. I can recommend it without reservation. I have put asterisks on those events I think are absolute "musts", but they are all extraordinary and well worth your time and attention.]

  Here's the Master Schedule of Events: 

August 1 (Wed.)
Opening Night Celebration
7 p.m. Free
Grownman Brand Studios
6412 Central Ave. Seminole Heights Phone 813-238-6242

August 2(Thurs.)
Tampa Films and Filmmakers: Curated by Paul Guzzo
7 p.m. $3.
The Buzz Coffee Bar
710 Harbour Post Drive, Harbour Island

August 3-30 (Starts Fri) *
The Cuban Sandwich Show
Artists reception 5:30-9 p.m. August 3, Free
Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays; Tuesdays noon-7 p.m.
A group of Tampa artists create a labyrinth of spaces, objects and
audio illuminating the mysterious city sheltering them.
Hillsborough Community College-Ybor Campus.
HCC Performing Arts Building,
2204 N. 15th Street Tampa, FL 33605.

August 4 (Sat.)
Absolut Art and Animals
1-4 p.m., $10. donation
Gaspar’s Grotto, Ybor City
1805 East 7th Ave., Tampa, Fl., 33605
A benefit for Animal-Based Charities; with a silent auction, artist Joanna Karpay painting animal portraits, and the revealing of a new mural depicting local pets.
 ________________________________End First Week_______________________

2nd Week: August 5 (Sunday)
Chusmeria de Ybor: Fables and Tales of Our Town
2-5 p.m. Free
King Corona Cigar Lounge, Ybor City
1523 East 7th Ave., Tampa, Fl. 33605
Open to all of Tampa;s storytellers, embellishers and taletellers.
Hear the “real” history of Tampa and Ybor. And believe it or not …

August 8 (Wed)
Strange Fruit: Readings by Tampa Writers and Poets
7 p.m. $3
Grownman brand Studios, Seminole Heights
6412 Central Ave., 33609 Phone 813-238-6242
Melissa Fair, Rhonda Nelson, Lisa Birnbaum, Don Morrill, Gianna Russo,
Cole Bellamy, Silvia Curbelo James E. Tokely, Sr.

August 11 (Sat)
Food for Thought: Forum on the History of Food in Tampa
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free
Hillsborough Community College -Ybor City, Performing Arts Building,
Corner of 14 Street and Palm Avenue. Phone 813-253-7674
10 a.m: History of Food in Tampa Panel Discussion
1:30 p.m: Living in America: 100 Years of Ybor. Film Director Gayla Jamison
will screen and host a panel discussion of her documentary.
3:30 p.m: I Am a Cuban Sandwich, a one-man performance by Richard DiPietra.
Panelists include moderator Tom Shereberger, from the Poytner Institute and former food editor for the St. Petersburg Times; Dr. Susan Greenbaum, Professor Emerita of Anthropology at University of South Florida; historian and USF scholar Gary Mormino, Chris Sherman, former restaurant critic for the St. Petersburg Times; Michelle and Robert Faedo, food truck owners, among others.
________________________________ End 2nd Week____________________________

3rd Week: August 12-31(Starts Sunday) *
Epic of the Sandwiche Cubano and other Poems of Tampa
Artist’s Reception, Aug. 12 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Regular hours, $10.
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
400 N. Ashley Dr., 33602 Phone 813-221-2222
Photo installation based on the poetry of Tampa Poet Laureate James E. Tokely, Sr. Photographers include David Audet, Jeff Fey, Michelle Fader, Laslo Horvath, Peter Melarango, Fred Smith, Matt Wiggins.

August 12 (Sunday)
Tampa Musicians Get Down
2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Free
New World Brewery, Ybor City
1313 8th Ave., 33605


August 18 (Saturday) *
Taste of the Cuban Sandwich
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free
Cuban Club, Ybor City Phone 813-248-2954
Food fest featuring traditional Tampa cuisine, featuring winners of the Cuban Sandwich Festival held in Ybor in May, plus Cuban sandwiches from numerous local restaurants; plus roast pork, deviled crabs, empanadas, flan. Live music by Ray Viladonga and Dreamboat, and a special performance of I Am a Cuban Sandwich, a one-man performance by Richard DiPietra is scheduled.
_____________________________End Third Week_________________________

August 19 (Sunday) *
BBQ Block Party and Chicken Parade and Rooster Promenade
2 p.m.-7 p.m. Free
Big Al’s BBQ, Gaspar’s Grotto, Dirty Shame, Ybor City
Lots of BBQ and drinks, live music, and a costume parade open to everybody: children, dogs, pirates, hipsters, and, of course, fowl of all feathers. Bring costumes, do-da hats, wagon floats and umbrellas as we celebrate the life and alas, demise of James E. Rooster, a famous feathered citizen of Ybor City. Parade begins around 6 p.m. Wear sunscreen and comfy shoes. Beads optional.


August 27-30 (Starts Monday)
Common Sense
Various hours. Free, call for gallery hours.
West Tampa Center for the Arts,
906 N. Armenia Ave. www.wtca-arts.org
National juried art show highlighting socio-political issues and documenting current public sentiment as seen through the eyes of the artists.

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