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Culture, Cooperation At Heart Of Mural

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 10, 2008

The Children's Board of Hillsborough County recently unveiled a mural called "Our Community - Our History."

Created this summer by local artist Elio Lopez along with children from Children's Future Hillsborough, an integrated network of services created in 2004 to provide for the diverse needs of children and their families, the collaborative piece underscores the importance of culture and cooperation in all people's lives.

For the children, it was a chance for free expression, as they painted with their hands, feet and brushes on the 18-foot canvas. Then Lopez went in and overlaid images of his own and Ybor's historic past.

"Elio was born and brought up in Ybor," said Paula Allen, director of the Children's Gallery. "I asked him to take it home and put his own cultural experiences on there. He was really trying to give the piece that local flavor."

It was also a chance for Lopez to honor a few of his ancestors.

"One is of my grandfather, Servando Lopez, who helped bring in the unions to the cigar factory," Lopez explained. "Another is the old Centro Espanol, and there's one of my mother's family with Wilfredo Rodriguez. He was the last surviving lector."

"It helps increase people's awareness about the Latin culture in Ybor," Allen said.

In addition to the mural in three parts, the exhibit also includes photos by Diana Leavengood documenting the project. It will stay up at the Children's Board for only one more week, and will then tour locally.

Lopez likes working with children, and has done art projects with them before.

"I had a bit of a background in social services, working with children less privileged," he said. "And it's just been a big thing for me to help these children see there's something they can get out of the arts. When they do something like this, they get a sense of pride and accomplishment."

Lopez is currently part of a partnership between several artists and Hyde Park Village to create holiday-themed murals in chalk on the sidewalks there.

"I like working on a real big scale, and public art provides that forum - to work large and make a big statement," he said.

The public can see the exhibit at the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, 1002 E. Palm Ave in Ybor City, during regular working hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call (813) 229-2884 to make a Saturday appointment.

Visit www.childrensboard.org to learn more about the exhibit and the place where it is being held.

Exhibit Extols Printmaking Skills

Bleu Acier gallery and studio celebrates its fifth anniversary with an exhibition of new fine art print editions by artists who have been working with Bleu Acier owner and master printer Erika Schneider since the studio opened.

Called "New Editions," the exhibition expresses a varied range of printmaking techniques: lithography, etching, direct gravure, photogravure, woodcut and monotype.

For Schneider, teamwork is key in creating art, whether it's between public and private sectors or between different artists or artistic methods.

"The making of an original print is a collaborative alchemy of culture, character, talent, weakness, strength, understanding, accident, hazard, knowledge and questioning," she writes in an e-mail. "The final goal being the arrival of the artist's image on its desired support with the least amount of compromise of the artist's thought process."

The participating gallery artists are Herve DiRosa, Sylvie Eyberg, Dominique Labauvie, Diana Lucas Leavengood, Steve McClure, Claudia Ryan, Peter Soriano, Bernar Venet, Marie Yoho Dorsey and Theo Wujcik.

Guest artists are Debra Jo Radke, Judith Salmon and students from Schneider's printmaking class at The New College of Florida in Sarasota.

The public is invited to the opening reception from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. Bring a bottle to share and enjoy a piece of cake, Schneider says. The exhibit can be seen during regular gallery hours through Feb. 14.

Selected prints will be offered at a special pre-publication price for the opening and the month of December.

The gallery is at 109 W. Columbus Drive. Call (813) 272-9746 or visit wwwbleu acier.com to learn more.

Old Gallery In New Location

Come in and get a look at Tampa Artist Emporium's new digs during the free Holiday Art Mixer from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

The space is packed solid with original paintings, jewelry, sculptures and ceramics by 67 local artists. Add a complimentary wine bar, and a festive mood is set that's perfect for picking up presents.

The new location is 3415 Bay to Bay Blvd., in the Starbucks Plaza. Call (813) 835-0212 for details or directions.

Exhibit Closes With Reception

The University of Tampa's Scarfone/Hartley Gallery will close the exhibit of works by graduating seniors with a free reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Always looking to push traditional limits and find new ways to create art, the students present original constructions in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, computer graphics, animation and mixed media.

The gallery is at 310 N. Boulevard on the UT campus. Call (813) 253-6217 for details

Correspondent Esther Hammer can be reached at (813) 835-2108 or ehammer@tampatrib.com.

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