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Street Art: Old and new. This is a crop from a much larger (5x7 ft). It was painted over a storefront window in an art project years ago. The place is closed now, but the murals still remain. This section is in a toy store, with a man and woman marionettes. The expressions on the puppets are good. I love the (relatively) free (no strings) stuffed armadillo on the glass countertop, and the delicate colors on the wallpaper. This appeared less than a month ago in a sheltered spot. This is at least the 2nd work by this artist I have run across. The same mandala-type compositions, but quite improved in color and detail. The tricolor swirling "arms" look a little like ostrich feathers. at the center, a cameo form with a woman's face. Note the little stencil on the lower left. We have seen bigger versions of it here before, in the same way, and in a larger figure form being held by a Madonna. The face wears a winged leopard (?) mask, crowned with five stars. This artist is perhaps bringing out representations of different feminine energies in a series. I'll have to go through my files and see if I can find the one prior to this. 

Freewheeling Art & Antique Bike Ride @ Phoenix Glass

The Freewheeling Art & Antique Bike Ride is put on by Susan Gott of Phoenix Glass Studios [Link].. She specializes in sculptural glass. Her studio makes everything from small glass curios to large blown and cast glass pieces, some going well over seven feet tall. The ride started out of and ended at the Phoenix Studio, with about 25+ riders of all ages and abilities. This was a social ride, not a race. Thankfully, we were provided with two courteous TPD bike officers with the same first name to stop traffic and help keep the group in line, literally.

We were led by the best publicist Seminole Heights is likely to ever have, and excellent bike ride leader and general expert bikie/cycling advocate Alan Snel, of Bicycle Energy. His pictures and account of the ride are here [Link] .

I took my single-speed, and arrived just in time to sign in and start the ride. We glided through the tree-lined streets of Seminole Heights, past beautiful bungalows, and people having coffee on their porches, doing yard work, etc., all of whom smiled and waved. The Bike policemen deftly helped us cross streets and deal with car traffic. We soon found ourselves at Kaleidoscope, a well-appointed store at 6415 N. Florida Ave. [Link] . It's not Ikea! Rooms, dense with antiques and cool decorative items beckon one to slow, thorough exploration.

A short ride and we were at Debra Vallejo's of D&D hosted us with goodies. Her shop is full of paintings and furnishings for the home.

Next we stopped at Charlie Parkhill's  home/gallery and enjoyed his beautiful art, expertly crafted wooden sculptures worked into any imaginable form. He graciously had cold water bottles and great muffins spread out for us. Charlie can be reached at 407.330.6534

We then met Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn at a roadside intercept stop. He was on his way to a roach coach event, but made time for us, was funny, pro-bike and took his picture with us.

After some meandering, including a couple of streets that had slight inclines (with a single-speed one feels this more), we came to Sherry's Yesterdaze, a chic retro dress and other goodies store. I eyeballed a '60 Ford Fairlane model (I used to own a full-size version), and ended up sorting through boxes of old photos, and bought a few along with some postcards. 5207 N. Florida Ave.

We crossed the street and rode into the Tempus Projects where we were greeted by Tracy Midulla Reller and Noelle Mason. The latter had finished installing a show which is reviewed directly below this post. We got a sneak preview. That show had a soft opening that night (I was there) and will have a closing reception on November 4th this week.

Soon we found ourselves back at Susan Gott's Phoenix Glass Studio, where plenty of cold water, drinks and a spread of sandwiches, cookies, and other treats awaited us. A glass-blowing workshop took place that afternoon, and people made their own Halloween pumpkins.

Congratulations to all the riders, Alan Snel, the two TPD officers, the shop owners and Susan Gott and her able phoenix glass staff for a very well planned and executed ultra-fun ride.

Posted by Luis at 10:24 AM 1 comment: Links to this post Labels: ry well

I can't go on, I must go on, @ Tempus Projects Tempus Projects is an exhibition and event space on Florida Avenue. Run by Tracy Midulla Reller, it has been in operation almost two years, with a very good track record of innovative exhibits. I ran into the current exhibit being set up while on the "Arts and Antiques" bike ride last Saturday.

"I can't go on, I must go on" is a group project by artists who were in the graduate program in Chicago's School of the Art Institute and are now, seven years later, scattered. There's work by Justin Cooper, Benjamin Bellas, Stuart Keeler, Clinton King, Noelle Mason and Margaret Wong, and I can't help but think that at one time there were others. Part of the exhibit is about their wanting to stay connected as the entropy of life disperses them. This is a theme common to most of us today. People move, follow different paths, take jobs elsewhere, get married, have children, etc. How many of our childhood friends are we still in touch with? College friends? Ex co-workers? Family? The feeling of community and tribal unity humans once had is gone. As with many displaced peoples, it has become conceptual. Everyone is a transient, a wanderer. It is also a popular theme in the culture, with movies like "The Big Chill", and songs like "Wish you were here". What holds us together are things like e-mail, phone calls/text, FB, and rituals -- like this show. How elastic are the ties that bind?

The curator, Noelle Mason, has a multi-disciplinary background, including performance/theater who has a significant footprint in the Chicago art scene, and other shows and installations nationally and internationally.  She told me the group has a varied background but focused on performance sculpture. Most of the members of this group dispense with the idea of preciousness of materials in the work shown. A good example lies below...

Four disposable lighters in a row as art? Even your kid could do this, or a crack addict after a binge, lining them up in a stupor. Look closer. Note how the tops are misaligned with the bodies of the lighters.

Some of these works have parallel texts. This one has a long accompanying poem by Bellas about personal honesty, and the haunting thought that at some point in an artist's career they will peak or make a work they will never surpass or equal in their lives. The truth is that this will happen to all of us on many planes. An excerpt of that poem:

"one of these times
it'll be the best I can do
and I'll never even know it
I'll never again approach it
perhaps it's already done
but I'll never know that
so I'll just keep going until...
I know my moment has passed
....but I'll never know that...
this is a monument to
the sound after the moment has passed
the silence after your moment has passed"

The lighters were lit and held continuously until they melted. How long will each of us hold on? Another work by Bellas was this sheet from a yellow pad pinned to the wall. It is puzzling until you realize that there's the imprint of cursive text on the paper, like from writing forcefully on the sheet above. It makes you want to use a pencil on its side to go over the imprint. This is like a photographic negative, or a memory, a trace of something that happened.

This also has an accompanying text.

From Magdalen Wong, sticky notes with words written on them in tiny writing. When a note is taken by a gallery goer, the sentence they form is sometimes altered.

This one is easy to miss. It looks so natural until you realize the fragility of the necklaces that take the place of the usual sturdy chain.

Justin Cooper's "Happy Hour" consists of a palm tree weighted down with binder clips. A bit of plant abuse, the plant looks so sad drooping under its load.

"Studio Visit", a performace video playing on that monitor was a great illutration of the feeling of struggle regarding a creative endeavor.

It sounded like it was narrated by Cartman on meth.

In the show, this is on the floor, in the center of the space. I've turned this picture vertical for a better visual idea of the work. Technically, this is a hand-woven Gobelin tapestry, which was originally a French method used for very fine works destined for royals and nobles. It was woven by Mexican artists Jose Antonio Flores and Jonathan Samaniego. Noelle used an ASTER (Advanced Saceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) image taken by NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS and US/Japan ASTER Science Team. The image is of the border area between Mexico and the US.

The colors are artificially assigned by the ASTER process, with the reds signifying cultivated agricultural areas, which are seen mostly on the US side. The green is assigned to arid un-farmed areas. This is a precious art object, elegant and beautiful, and about a conflicted area and line of demarcation between the haves and have nots. I had the pleasure of speaking with Noelle at length about this piece. It is rich with ironies, politically subversive and decoratively so as well. The viewer wrestles with all of these issues as they sink in. Ms. Mason ordered the tapestry of whatever size could be made for the amount it would cost to bring in the weavers and their families illegally across the border. The border had to be drawn in, of course. It's not visible.

Congratulations to the artists in the show, to Noelle Mason for putting it together, and to Tracy Midulla Reller and Tempus Projects for hosting this unusual show.

This show can be seen on request by calling 813.340.9056. It will have a closing reception on November 4th, from 8 - 10:30 PM. I can strongly recommend this one.

Posted by Luis at 6:16 AM 1 comment: Links to this post 

This Halloween Weekend, Oct 28th-30th

Williamson/Capouya Exhibition Panel Discussion:
Meaning, History and Legacy
Thursday, today, October 27, 2011, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The Morean Arts Center

Collaborators Suzanne Williamson and John Capouya join local archaeologists to explore the meaning of Native American mounds, and how these mirrors of the past reflect our culture and communities today.  Other topics will include the role of art in illuminating history and the conservation of Florida’s cultural heritage. Featured panelists include Richard Estabrook, Florida Public Archaeology Network, Crystal River Preserve State Park; Phyllis Kolianos, Educator at Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center; John Capouya, writer and Assistant Professor, University of Tampa; and Suzanne Williamson, photographic artist. This program is presented along with "Shadow and Reflection: Visions of Florida's Sacred Landscapes," an exhibition by Suzanne Williamson and John Capouya running from October 8 - November 27, 2011. Funded by the Florida Humanities Council. This Event is Free and Open to the Public.


Felipe Packard and Ricado de la Vega @ HCC Ybor - These two artists create full-scale cast paper sculptures. HCC Ybor Campus Performing Arts Building, Fine Arts Gallery, 1505 E. Palm ave. Ybor City. Runs through Nov. 22nd. Opening reception 5:30-8 PM Thursday Oct 27th (today). Free.

My Art is my Voice: Tony Blue @ Bamboozle Cafe - This arts-friendly restaurant is hosting an exhibit of the Dunedin artist's work. It is one of my favorite places for lunch. 516 N Tampa St., Tampa. Opens at 7 PM. Free. Tuesday November 1st.

Hyde Park Village Art Fair - Classic sidewalk art show in Hyde Park, Tampa, at Swann and Dakota Ave. It's been 22 years since it started. Runs Oct 29th & 30th. 10 AM - 5 PM. Free.

[This post is still in progress]
Posted by Luis at 7:25 AM No comments: Links to this post 

Jack Kerouac's Death Anniversary @ Flamingo Sports Bar

The Flamingo is easy to miss in spite of the glowing red roadside sign. On October 21, 42 years ago, Jack Kerouac passed away. Supposedly, it was at the Flamingo that he had his last drink at a bar. I have made pilgrimages to other Kerouac sites. His last dwelling, a nondescript house at 5169 10th Ave N. St Pete. I followed part of his route cross-country when he went with Robert Frank. On one of my trips to San Francisco I seached out and found the small red house where he lived with Neal Cassady and his wife. It is best seen from the alley. I also went to the other Beat places, Vesuvius, City Lights, etc. Thus I found myself with a friend at the Flamingo on Ninth Street (MLK), at 1230.

The place is dimly lit, wood-paneled, with two billiard tables parallel with the back wall, a longitudinal U-shaped bar, a front room with another billiard table, and some tables to sit at, then the front patio, where the concert was held. It is easy to imagine The Flamingo looking similar to the way it looked 42 years ago. It was a cool evening. Every seat in the patio was taken, and there were seats on the sidewalk, and a solid line of people standing on the grass between that and the road, stretching the length of the property. A few stragglers and poets stood around the neighboring bar's parking lot.

The concert featured Ronny Elliott, Grove Scrivenor, Valerie Wisecracker, Rebecca Pulley, Dog Peter Pat, The Spark Notes, and Wendy Barmore on the line-up. It was first-rate and in an intimate plein-air venue. On the left is Rebecca Pulley and one of the Reluctant Prophets playing. That's a backlit picture of Jack Kerouac on the left, on a window at the Flamingo. The sense of emotional urgency in Rebecca's voice is something to hear. [Link] On the right is Ronny Elliott, who knew Jack Kerouac. He played beautifully, including his "Burn burn burn" song [Link], and a mournful, angry and sad song about Kerouac's last days. [Link]. Elliott has been described as a cult artist, and it's easy to see how a cult following could arise around his performances. On the left is poet Johaniter Aurora, who read a few of his poems onstage (I was up there with him, holding a flashlight so he could see). On the right is the organizer of the event. On the right is Folk Singer/Acoustic musician Valerie C. Wisecracker, who played and sang beautifully. [Link]. Flamingo Bar, main entrance and patrons. I ran into Joe Walles, photographer and photo-editor for The Saint Petersburg Times, and Rebecca Skelton. One of the highlights of the evening was getting to watch Joe, a veteran photo-journalist and street photographer, at work.

Jack Kerouac said that St. Pete was a good place to come to die. Reportedly, he enjoyed his anonymity while he was alive. In death, he is anything but anonymous. Congratulations to the musicians, organizers and the Flamingo Sports Bar for keeping his memory alive. 

Salt Creek Artworks Members' Show

The yearly Members' Show at Salt Creek Artworks is up. Curated by Lance Rodgers, it is a sampler of the caliber of the artists who have studios in this St. Petersburg arts haven and great exhibition space. It is also a large space, the largest private artspace in Tampa/St Petersburg. It houses forty artists' studios, the gallery, and a classroom for USF St. Pete. The building, owned by the Price family for almost seven decades, is an integral part of the Bay Area Art Scene.

The Members' Show included works by (in no particular order) Daniel De Windt, Darren Carter Beisle, Michael Conway, Girard Louis Drouillard, Carolynn Del Monte, Angela Mc Collum, Linda Reifler-Alessi, Lance Rodgers, Robert Pieniak, Nila Shea, J.Warren Alessi, Herb Snitzer, Bassmi Ibrahim, Herbert Davis, Carol Dameron, Frank A. Lewis, Mary Grieco, Misao Adachi, and T. Cris Alencar. This is too many artists to review. I have chosen a few to highlight...

An intriguing mixed-media abstract by Drouillard in a long format, like a Chinese scroll. It is partitioned vertically by a near-black panel on the viewer's left. Cloudy panels, an "X" form, then an angled, bone-colored section, with faintly parallel cloudy sections, one with what appears to be an eye in it, leading to a sharp, red thin line. on the other side, a gray, encrusted with white barnacle-like bits, tube-like form arises. Twenty-two reasons are enough. Longing comes to mind when viewing this work. Carolynn Del Monte's "All She Could Do Was Hold Her Head in Her Hands" is a ceramic mixed-media sculpture of a figure about 1.5 ft in height, dressed in a black dress with white fringes, which are bouncy, as if moving, holding her severed head in her arms, which is carried so it can (or can't help but) see, perhaps to guide the figure on its way, as a kind of compass?

Lance Rodgers' "Key of Remembrance" is an oil on canvas painting of a man on a seashore, looking inland while stormy waves crash behind him. He squats on his haunches in a pensive pose, left hand to his mouth. In his right hand he holds a key that has a red ribbon tied to it. There is no visible lock. It lies within the figure. He holds the key.

Lance has been Salt Creek Artworks' Curator for fourteen years. This sculpture by Darren Carter Beistle titled "Erosion Series #1, Head of John", is made of steel, gypsum, oil color, polyurethane and wax. It looks weathered, and is heavily scored over most of its surface area, suggesting the passage of time, rich texture/experience/character.

Frank A. Lewis' "Doorway", an oil on canvas painting, has a very whimsical, playful simplicity to it, faintly like a Matisse paper cut-out image. The sparse color fields are well articulated. Note the upper part of the head is in black, the lower in a pink the door provides access to both.

Michael Conway's "Joy" is a large (about 40x60" or larger) photograph/mixed media work depicting a young woman picking high-hanging fruit from a tree in what could be an orange grove. It has a very nostalgic feel to it, with it being in black-and-white, and the highlights halated. It is striking to see a non-Mexican doing this type of work. From the woman's outfit, she looks like she was picking fruit for fun on a fine day. The title aids and abets that interpretation.

Congratulations to all the exhibiting Members, to Lance Rodgers for the curating, and Salt Creek Artworks for a good show. 

Street Art: Unintended Collaboration

As we have sen here before, writing over other people's work happens. This is one case where a figure was superimposed on an existing piece [Link], and the artist simply utilized that interloper's energy, added to it his own and made an entirely new piece. On the left is the figure, stripped down to its lines.

Incorporating someone else's work into a new piece is not easy. First, the extraneous figure had its colors stripped, down to the lines. It was obviously the work of someone who knew what they were doing. A kind of Hag/Kali destroyer Crone figure. This picture gives a better idea of the figure in relation to the original mural. It was ont he back wall of the little building next to Central Art. This shows the incorporation of the piece into the new 'collaborative' work. This has come down since it was done, but I thought the process interesting. Detail showing script in the above work. Congratulations to "Napi" for the artwork & to Central Art Supply, one of our few local arts stores left, for donating the space for Street Art to go up legally. I know the building will eventually be sold and/or come down, but until then, it is a great canvas for our artists. Thank you.

Central Art Supply is at

2429 Central Avenue in Saint Petersburg, FL
Telephone: 727.898.8300
Summer Hours:
Mon - Thurs: 10 - 6
Fri: 10-4, Sat: 10 - 2
Posted by Luis at 7:36 PM No comments: Links to this post 

Glass Diversity @ Duncan McClellan Glass

It was a dark and stormy evening for this opening party at Duncan McClellan Glass. Very windy, black skies, and stinging rain. A hardy bunch of gallery-goers braved the weather and attended the opening. On the left is "Which came first?" by Rick Schneider and Nikki Vahle, a blown glass figure standing on an outline of a chicken. The figure is dressed in loud street garb. Note the egg print on the pants. On the shirt is chicken wire, and chickens. To the right is "Eye in the Sky", by the artists above. A similar figure, hands outstretched, this time standing, with small plane print on the pants and an aerial view of an airport on the front of the shirt.

Several pieces by Duncan McClellan. The reddish one on the right side of the picture is "Communication". The silver and blue piece next to it was for the Mainsail Art Show.

The number of artists at the DM gallery is noticeably increasing, with many works from past shows remaining.  The bazaar feel is becoming stronger. I hear he's bringing in a well-known curator soon.

I had the pleasure of running into Ernesto Piloto-Marquez at this party and talking with him about art. From that spirited conversation, it occurred to me that some day Duncan, who has enough room, should organize an artist's symposium and have several give a series of small talks at the gallery. Just a thought.

These eye-candy cubes made from optical glass by Jack Storms were stand-outs in the gallery. He also had a lathe-turned glass bottle that was exquisite. Jack's agent told me he had to modify a lathe for using it with glass. Three beautiful works by S Studio. From left to right, "Water Nymph", "Thistle", and "Meadow".

The work on the left is a gorgeous object that plays with light, varying with every degree you move. This blown glass bowl by Massimiliano Schiavon, made with filigrana cane diamond-carved was pure unbridled color. Hypnotic color. The only negative to this work is that it will eclipse everything else in the room. Congratulations to Duncan McClellan and all his people for putting together another first-rate art event (these aren't just gallery openings) open to the public.

DM Glass is at 2342 Emerson, St. Pete.

Posted by Luis at 5:15 AM No comments: Links to this post 

This Kerouac Weekend: Oct 21st-23rd

Jack Kerouac Night @ Flamingo Sports Bar - Celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Kerouac's passing at the bar where he took his last drink. Free concert at 8:00 PM Friday Oct 21st., with Ronny Elliott, Grove Scrivenor, Valerie Wisecracker, Rebecca Pulley, Dog Peter Pat, The Spark Notes, and Wendy Barmore. They will be serving "Jack Kerouac Specials" (shot w/ beer chaser). 1230 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr St. North. St Pete.727.510.5474. Free.

Art and Antiques bicycle Tour @ Phoenix Glass w/ Bicycle Energy - A two-wheeled romp through Seminole Heights, with stops at several venues: Phoenix Glass Studio, Charlie Parkhill Gallery, Tempus Projects, D&D Antiques, Kaleidoscope, and Sherry's Yesterdaze. The tour begins at Susan Gott's Phoenix Glass Studio, at 9:00 AM (yes, AM), and you must get there earlier, to sign in and also fill out the waiver. It continues until 1:00 PM, ends at Phoenix Glass. There at 5:00 PM there will be demonstrations, refreshments and partying. Free, but you must sign up. Motorists are encouraged to participate as well, Saturday, Oct 22nd.  Please take time to make sure your bike is lubed and its tires pumped up. Phoenix Glass, 811 E. Knollwood St. Tampa.

Glass Blowing Workshop, make your own pumpkin @ Phoenix Glass Studio - A glass blower walks you through the process to making your own pumpkin. Noon to 5 PM. 811 E. Knollwood St. Tampa. $ 65 per pumpkin.

Abnormal Formal @ Artpool - Costume party at Marina Williams' Artpool. $15 advance, $20 day of show. 919 First Ave. North St. Pete. Saturday, Oct 22nd. 8:00 PM Saturday, Oct 22nd. These are great parties. 727.324.3878

Contradictions @ Mindy Solomon Gallery - A must-see show that was reviewed here [Link]. Mindy Solomon Gallery, 124 Second Avenue NE, St. Petersburg. Through Nov 5th. Gallery hours: 11 AM - 5 PM Wednesday through Saturday. Free.

2-4-2 @ The Bricks - Art by RJ Runas and Andrew Cosson. Music by Raguckas and Flat Stanley featured at this classic hipster hangout. 1327 E. Seventh Avenue, Ybor City (Tampa). 8:00 PM Saturday, Oct 22nd. 813.247.1785  Free.

Boxed and Bound @ 620 - From the workshop of Hank Hine, Director of the Dali, hand-printed books. Live readings, spoken word, etc. Runs through Nov 7th.  Studio @ 620, 620 1st Ave. South, St. Petersburg. Opens 6-9 PM Friday, Oct Oct 21st. Free.

Blowing Glass for Women Only @ Industrial Arts Center - $30-$65 fee. Choose and make glass pieces yourself. Industrial Arts Center, Gufport. 2902-A, Beach Blvd, Gulfport. 6-10 PM Friday, Oct 21st. 727.289.9365

Scott Tuason @ Scarfone Hartley/UT - Photographer presents his work, consisting of landscapes and underwater scenes. Runs through Nov 30th. $8 admission to opening. Free the rest of the time. 310 N. Boulevard, Tampa. 11:00 AM, Saturday, Oct. 22nd.

Posted by Luis at 8:00 AM No comments: Links to this post 
CIty of LIghts, Carol O'Bryon @ Art Lofts Carol O'Bryon is a painter with a studio @ Arts Lofts, right above the Florida Craftsmen Gallery. Her current show, "City of Lights" is a series of paintings of Parisian scenes. Some of these scenes are classic ones, others are more like vignettes that speak poetically of the City.

The sense of color and attention to space are two qualities that Ms. O'Bryon's style emphasizes in this series. In the work at left (I failed to get the title), there's a combination of realism in the trees that begins going a little towards the abstract in the water, and more so in the mottled sky. The colors articulate beautifully through the entire painting.

Yes, it's Venice, not Paris. In spite of the show's title, there is a little thematic eclecticism. This classic view of Venice, complete with the canals, and a parked vaporetto has a great sense of space. Note how the canal is off-center, disappearing into the wall of the building on the right. The reflections guide the eye, leaving us wanting to see more.

A very decorative view of Paris, with several identifying features. The lights simply pour in like confetti from the left side of the painting. The beautiful colors are in the sky and water, and the sense of space is accentuated by the street lamp in the foreground, the horizontality of the bridges, and verticality of the tower.

I could be wrong, but I can't help but notice what seems to be Russian influence in these paintings.

I saw this painting in Carol's studio twice in various stages of progress. Whereas some of the other paintings have a very economical style, this one is rich with painstaking, luxuriant detail. It is about a personal right of passage. The artist's emotional involvement with the image is obvious and has paid off. It is a beautiful contemplative image.

Congratulations to Carol O'Bryon and to Arts Lofts for an intimate show.

10 Fifth Street North

Posted by Luis at 5:54 AM No comments: Links to this post