Seen/Scene: Burning Passion @ Duncan McClellan Glass

You saw it here first. Duncan gave me an exclusive on the space that has become the DMG Hot Shop. Back then it was mostly an empty warehouse. That has changed. The space now is an efficient workshop, complete with kilns and other things neatly arranged. A place where imagination and creativity are actualized into works of art. Duncan pulled out the stops for this grand opening. Jugglers juggling (what else?) glass balls, outside the Hot Shop an occasional 20-ft blast of flame reaching into the night sky....blinking ice cubes in cocktail glasses...first-rate glass art everywhere. There were hundreds of people having a great time celebrating the event, and everything running well. Duncan minds the details.  Here are a few pictures from that memorable evening...

The glass art exhibit, Distant Visions II, being shown this Saturday, will be reviewed in a separate article.

Congratulations to all the artists, Duncan and his crew for an evening to remember and for seeing his dream of a hot shop coming true.

--- Luis

This Side Effects Weekend, Feb. 8th - 10th

Jennifer Kosharek, "The Loop"

The Loop, @ Eve N Odd Gallery - A large installation literally hanging from the AC ducts almost to the floor. A comment on Love, and why it's transmitted by Cupid's sharp arrows. This will be reviewed here soon. Saturday, Feb 9th. From 6-9 PM. Followed by performances on Valentine's Day.
Covered by Lennie Bennett in today's St Pete Times (yes, I know the new name, pfft!) in the Weekend Section. In the Crislip Arcade at the 600 block. I can recommend this one without reservations.





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Neverne Covington in the WAD -  Neverne Covington, will be showing painting, drawings, sculptures & artists books at Strobel Design Build next door to Charlie Parker Pottery on Saturday evening during Artwalk!










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Bleu Acier is pleased to present an exhibition of the polymer gravure print work of Thom O'Connor.
Opening reception: Thursday February 7th, 2013, 5-9 PM.
Exhibition: February 8 - March 3, 2013

109 West Columbus Drive, Tampa, Florida 33602
813.272.9746 | erika@bleuacier.com | www.bleuacier.com
Gallery hours: Saturdays 1-5 pm and by appointment

Thom O'Connor started his career as one of the first Tamarind Master Printers with June Wayne. In 1962, parallel to his personal studio practice, he shifted towards education starting his thirty-eight year career of teaching lithography at S.U.N.Y. Albany. This is where I met Thom in 1979. He was my mentor during graduate school, and without him, I would not have fallen in love with stone lithography, discovered fully my passion, and chosen my career as a Master Printer. He was the first artist that I collaborated with, the master figure who through passion, devotion, and professorship guided me through one of the hardest periods of my life. During those years Thom's work as a colorist was exceptional and invigorating and made lithographs that were very hard to print. It is quite interesting for me to have this opportunity to exhibit his print work 32 years later that are polymer intaglios and for the most part black and white. Didn't Degas state at the end of his life that if he was to redo everything, it would be in Black and White?
As a fine art print publisher and gallery that exhibits mostly abstract imagery, one might ask why am I showing this work? The reason came from a discussion that I had with Thom recently, around one of Bleu Acier's notorious coffees, concerning the DIA Beacon's Sol Lewitt Wall Drawings, Agnes Martin paintings and Fred Sandback sculptures. Looking at his prints I realized how much the structure of his images comes from this minimalist thought process about the marking of space. Now, when I think back to the subject matter of the work; to the figures, the objects, and the landscapes; all mundane parts of our universe that serve as the ultimate subjects to make art and to communicate a structured environment: the most important aspect of O'Connor's vision.






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Whigfest Music & Arts Festival. Sake Bomb hosts the unveiling of the artwork created by some of the top artists in Tampa Bay.

Tampa's Thee Joker and TL Jentgens will be performing.

All the artwork is themed around the festival weekend.

:: CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS ::
- Chris Parks of Pale Horse Designs, Bask, Johnny Vitale, Chad Mize, Sebastian Coolidge, Cheryl Murphy, Laura Spencer, Twin Nnem, Zulu Painter, and WACHISV.

All at 548 Central Ave. St Pete. Friday, Feb. 8th. 7PM - 3 AM. Free admission.
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2 Cool Art Show @ Gulfport Casino -

Presented by PAVA. The Professional Association of Visual Artists is a non-profit organization founded by artists, FOR artists, and is devoted to promoting the visual arts in the Tampa Bay area and in the Florida region. Free admission.

February 9-10, 2013
5500 Shore Blvd. S., Gulfport, FL
10AM-5PM
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Soft Water Open Studios - See large studios, the artists, including Carrie Jadus, and their works. All at 515 22nd Street S., Saint Petersburg, Warehouse Arts District (WAD). Free admission.




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MGA Open Studio -  This is the premier Second Saturday opening of MGA Sculpture Studio and the grand opening of Soft Water Studios. Featuring artwork by Mark Aeling, Victoria Arendt, Bob Barancik, Carrie Jadus, Catherine Woods and more! Free admission.

515 22nd St S, Unit E, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33712-1758

You can ride the trolley or come directly to the studio. Trolley parking available at every stop as well as 1st Ave. S., Central and 1st Ave. N. between 15th and 30th. There is also a vacant lot on the NE of 29th and central that we have permission to use.

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Zen Glass Live Glassblowing Auction and Open Studio -

We are excited to present our newest creations at the ArtWalk on February 9th. Our hotshop and flameworking studio are working together to bring you our "next level" work on display in the gallery.

Take a walk in St. Pete's Warehouse Arts District and enjoy the creative and collaborative community we call home. With street musicians, food trucks, live music and public art, you will be inspired!

Featuring a live glassblowing auction ~ Bid for pieces being made in front of your eyes.

Jump on the trolley out front and take a tour of creative spaces and places for the traveling art experience.
600 27th Street South, Saint Petersburg
Free Admission.


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Distant Visions II @ Duncan McClellan Glass - Duncan McClellan is pleased to announce Distant Visions II: In Celebration of Glass, curated in part by Mary Childs, of Childs Art Studio from Great Barrington, MA.

Distant Visions II reprises last year's successful collaboration emphasizing the flexibility the medium of glass offers to those inspired by its color, transparency and plasticity. This group of internationally recognized artists, employ a variety of processes & bring their unique points of view to this compelling overview.

Featured artists include Latchezar Boyadjiev, Robin Grebe, Dorothy Hafner, Noel Hart, Gabriele Küstner, David Patchen, Doug Randall, Martin Rosol and Peter Wright. Also on exhibition will be the works of

Fritz Dreisbach, recognized as one of the pioneers of the American Studio Glass Movement.

We’ll have glass blowing demonstrations inside St. Pete Hot Glass and beer, wine & refreshments are available for a donation with proceeds benefiting DMG School Project.

Plus the Warehouse Arts District Trolley will be running from 5-9pm that night!

 550 24th St. South, Saint Petersburg. Free Admission.
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The windows at Mindy Solomon Gallery are shuttered. It must be that time again!

Post Coital @ Mindy Solomon Gallery - Mindy Solomon Gallery presents ‘Post Coital’ February 9-March 23, 2013. An Opening Night Reception takes place Saturday, February 9th, from 6-8:30pm, with an Artists’ Talk at 6:30pm by Christina West and Becky Flanders. This exhibition examines a diverse group of artists’ perceptions of romantic love: Rebekah Bogard, Georgine Ingold, Muir Vidler, Scot Sothern, Christina West, Becky Flanders, and Marta Soul (courtesy Kopeikin Gallery).
124 2nd Ave NE, Saint Petersburg. Free Admission.


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A Rare Breed @ Saint Paint Gallery - Join us Saturday Febuary 9th at 7pm! An incredible art show of your favorite critters illustrated by all your favorite DTSP artists! Work will all be priced to sell so come pick up an awesome one of a kind Valentine's gift! We will have live BODY painting on some purdy ladies as well!!!Also Q'PHUNK, one of the best Dj's in Florida will be doing a set. We will have him tearing it up while we BODY PAINT) The BEST artists around will have some incredible, affordable art available!!! SATURDAY 7PM!!! 





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The Muse @ Artpool - Celebrate love, sex, nudes & St. Valentine at ARTpool's 5th annual breathing canvas exhibition with models painted head to toe! With video art, music and lots of surprises!

Saturday February 9th from 8pm-12am. Come with your love or meet a special someone at this lovely event.
General admission tickets in advance $15, day of the event tickets $20. VIP seats front row for our hot runway show $35.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS - submit your art inspired by love, sex, nudes & St Valentine to the gallery January 15 - February 5 info below.
18+ only.
2030 Central Ave, Saint Petersburg.

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mmmmm

Street Art: Alley behind 1 of 1 Customs

This work is in the alley on the N. side of the 600 block, directly behind Rasta Geary Taylor's 1 of 1 Customs Shop. It was painted by Thirst, with assistance from Tek and a third artist.

Congratulations to the artists and Rasta for this addition to the 600 block alley mural gallery.

Street Art: Peace

I ran across this stencil in a city in another state. It is about eighteen inches tall.

Collections @ Florida Craftsmen.

This show at Florida Craftsmen consists of pieces from various collections. It is odd because it does not really have thematic unity, but there are many interesting pieces in it

Here are a few highlights....

Owen Pach, "RIT Demo"

This sculptural work by Owen Pach is light and airy looking, with subtle colors and the green spiral in the bottom center.

Alan Johnson, "Pinions"

Here we have a work titled "Pinions", by Alan Johnson, that conceptually toys with the idea of functionality. This is a pseudo-functional dress, one that cannot be worn, of course. 
The "cloth" looks very realistic.

This is by Chuck Boux and is titled "Under the Coral Head Lobster".  A beautiful work depicting the lobster and its nemesis, the grouper in the background.

Pete Kuenzel, "Point"

On the left, a slab-built raku boat by Peter Kuenzel, with flat, attenuated color.

Ross Gustafson-Hilton

Ross Gustafson-Hilton's "Tripod Vessel" is a deep and pungent blue with light purples.

Gallery View.

Congratulations to all the artists and Florida Craftsman Gallery for a good show, one very challenging to put together.


--- Luis

2Cool Art Show @ Gulfport Casino

Presented by PAVA. The Professional Association of Visual Artists is a non-profit organization founded by artists, FOR artists, and is devoted to promoting the visual arts in the Tampa Bay area and in the Florida region.

February 9-10, 2013
5500 Shore Blvd. S., Gulfport, FL
10pm-5pm

Come Together: Art Wars @ The Emerald Lounge

This is the second Art Wars show at the Emerald Lounge, located at 550 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Last year, Art Taco was there [Link]. This year, the same artists had work in this show: Jenipher Chandley, Chuck Majewski, Derek Donnelly  and Auralieus Artist.

The show at the Emerald Lounge

Jenipher Chandley, "Slight of Hand"

 

 

 On the left is "Slight of Hand", by Jenipher Chandley. A male hand pulls a woman's panties down to her ankles. The gesture of the hand and the legs slightly akimbo are about seduction, and it is hard to tell who is seducing who. Note the blue of the man's shirt, the pink topped and blue-soled and the royal purple background.

 "Capitalism Eats the Impoverished", by Aurailieus Artist is a political work that states what everyone knows, and most are afraid to admit.

Derek Donnelly, "American't"

A socio-political work, this one from Derek Donnelly, comparing revenues and deaths from alcohol and marijiuana, using a "Greatest Generation" type character from the '50's, wearing his trout-fishing hat.

 Chainsaw Chuck Majewski used to work for the legendary Ed Roth. He has carried forth the spirit of that style and era and recontextualized it into the present. The work is also connected to nose art, 50's pin-ups and neo-lowbrow art. It is self-referential in that it mocks certain styles while simultaneously referring to them. There's no shortage of buxom, sensuous women in various stereotypical situations.










Cogratulations to all the artists for a good grass-roots show, and to the Emerald for hosting and providing decent lighting to showcase the work.

--- Luis

Family, Farm and Folk Art: Ruby C Williams @ Gallery 221

Ruby C. Williams, "The Men of Bealsville"

The Ruby C. Williams story begins in Bealsville, a town South of Plant City founded by black freed slaves in the 1860's. First called Howell's Creek, its name was changed to Bealsville in 1923, in honor of Alfred Beal who helped save several of the town's members from foreclosure. Ruby was born into that community.

Ruby C. Williams, "So Sweet"

Fast forward to 1967 in N.J. By then Ruby was a Baptist minister, and married to one. He left her and their kids, and she began to paint. She returned to Bealsville, started a farm, sold produce from a roadside stand, and kept ministering. Rodney Hardee and later Bud Lee discovered Ruby, and helped her work to be seen. She tells the story of how people would stop at her stand, and buy the signs she had made of strawberries. Now she paints the strawberries as paintings, of course.










She ascended in folk art circles to where her work is presently in the collection of the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum [Link]. Katherine Gibson, Director of HCC Dale Mabry's Gallery 221, is well-versed in Folk Art, has known Ruby C. Williams for a long time, and collected over two dozen of her works.

Ruby C. WIlliams, The Choir installation.

 Farming, family, community, people and animals comprise the major themes in the work shown in Gallery 221. The gallery has brought in a church pew and it sits across the "choir", an installation consisting of a group of several painted wooden cut-outs of people. This introduces the ministry angle in an oblique manner.

"The Choir", detail.

The figures are anything but generic, and layered two or three deep. Their titles describe their eccentricities, attitudes and behavior more than their names. In an odd way, this, and other paintings in the show are reminiscent of the typologies that emerged out of 1930's Germany. Botanical ones by Karl Blossfeldt, social/class by August Sander, and many others, though in a far less rigid manner.

Ruby C. Williams, "Bessie so Cool"

The interconnectedness of the various elements in Ruby's life is readily apparent. Animals have rich personas and are treated in the work in an egalitarian manner, like people.

Painting by Ruby C. Williams

The strong ties between the people, faith, history, animals, land, produce and place and the artist's powers of observation, heightened awareness and love are strongly represented.  There are also works about the energies that faith deals with. Some are shorter-than-haiku visual sermons.

Ruby C. Williams (l), Katherine Gibson, (r).

 This show is a premier showcase for this living cultural treasure in Hillsborough County. Congratulations to Ruby C. Williams, Katherine Gibson and her staff, and Student Government for helping fund this very good show.

--- Luis

 

One Day Tampa Bay Book Launch @ FMoPA

Book Launch Event

Friday, February 8, 2013

7:00pm

  

FMoPA Members & ODTB Participants FREE
Not-Yet Members:  $10

  

Book Price:  $65

fmopa

Click logo for entry information: 

Finalists to be displayed in the
FMoPA Community Gallery

March 21, 2013  - May 15, 2013