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By Melody Jameson
melody@observernews.net
Art in oils, art in silk, art in jewelry, art by the yard – it’s all on tap Sunday during the third annual SouthShore Art Frolic.
And just when the several senses are reeling from the sights, textures and tastes, the event will be capped with a relaxing, free afternoon concert presented by the Florida Orchestra.
This third art frolic, showcasing the works of a wide range of South County artists, includes seven venues on or accessed from U.S. 41 along a north to south alignment. Frolic exhibits are open from 12:30 to 3:30 PM, October 12. At some of the tour venues light refreshments will be served.
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| Art works of many descriptions will be exhibited Sunday during the third annual Art Frolic sponsored by the SouthShore Arts Council. From still lifes such as this “Pastel Flowers in Blue Vase” by Apollo Beach artist and teacher, Helen Solomon, to works in oil, watercolor and acrylics to art in silk flowers to novel gourd designs to many different pieces of jewelry — it’s all part of the planned showings open to the public and free of charge. An afternoon concert in Simmons Park by the Florida Orchestra will cap the day.
Photo Courtesy Helen Solomon |
Beginning at the most northern point, the first stop on the arts tour this year would be in the Beggins Enterprises’ Century 21 offices at Apollo Beach.
Here, at least seven students of painter and teacher Helen Solomon will be exhibiting their works in water color, pastels and oils. The subjects range from landscapes and seascapes to portraits and still lifes, Solomon said.
Among the exhibiting students will be Lou Giacona, an Apollo Beach resident in his eighth decade whose renderings in oil of scenes from the Little Manatee and the Alafia Rivers often feature Florida’s native birds in their natural habitat. Seven of Giacona’s oils are to be on display.
Another aspect of the Century 21 display will be handmade jewelry – rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets - in gold and in silver, using both precious and semi-precious stones, Solomon said.
Many of the art works will be available for sale, she added.
In downtown Ruskin, internationally-known artist Fred Rothenbush will be showing several of his oils at the Southern Grace boutique. Rothenbush, acclaimed for his meticulously-rendered Florida landscapes and lifelike Florida birds, also will have with him at least a sample of a recent series dealing with military subjects, said Frances Hereford, Southern Grace’s founder and owner.
The Ruskin-based artist has been working on several scenes depicting U.S. Army troops in action at desert sites in Iraq. The paintings have drawn rave reviews from Iraq veterans with firsthand experience in desert warfare for the almost photographic replication of detail incorporated in the paintings.
Dr. Joseph Spoto of Apollo Beach will be offering a counterpoint at Southern Grace with his photographic artistry portraying local scenes, many of them seashore related. The matted color photographs, suited to framing in an 11 by 14 inch size, also capture area landscapes, Spoto said, along with settings that will be familiar to longtime residents.
Many of the works exhibited at Southern Grace also can be purchased.
A short distance to the south, at Harriet’s Flowers on West College Avenue, the artistry of both floral and gourd design will be on display, said Gail Roszel, staff floral designer. Using either silk or fresh flowers in a variety of designs, the emphasis will be on “unique,” Roszel said. The designs, many of them in an autumn motif, will be of the types suitable for home or office display, she added.
Works of art here, however, are not limited to floral design, Roszel noted. Gourd creations springing from the imagination of Diane Piccola and as diverse as dolls and jewelry also will be exhibited as will the bead jewelry of Harriett Garbelman, master designer.
Yet another stop on the frolic art tour is the Big Draw Studio centered in the downtown Ruskin plaza. Here, a “smorgasbord” of work produced by local residents during the month-long Big Draw commemoration of Ruskin’s 100th birthday will be displayed “floor to ceiling” around the studio, said Bruce Marsh, artist, college professor and a leader in the 2008 community drawing event. “It is interesting, challenging, even unexpected,” Marsh said, “but most of all it is the result of introducing people to new ideas” and encouraging them to express their impressions.
The studio exhibit represents a sampling of the works that emerged from a wide variety of drawing and painting classes and workshops held during Ruskin’s Big Draw. The local event is a spin-off of the Big Draw held annually in Great Britain, inspired by John Ruskin, the Florida community’s namesake as well as noted English social critic and artist.
Unlike the works in many of the other venues on the art frolic tour, the Big Draw studio work is not intended for sale, Marsh said. About 80 percent of the studio exhibit was produced by adults, he estimated, with about 20 percent that of youngsters.
Another port on the tour in Ruskin is Wilhelm’s Heating and Air Conditioning center on 4th Street S.W., off West College Ave. Here artist Craig Todd, who works in both oil and acrylics, will be exhibiting some of his works.
And, over in the John Crawford studio at the SouthShore Regional Library on the north side of 19th Avenue N.E., members of the Art Club of Sun City Center and of the Kings Point Art League will be exhibiting a variety of creations.
Another venue in the Apollo Beach area is the SouthShore Gallery at 447 Apollo Beach Blvd. Showcased at the gallery noted for its many pieces of functional art are works in glass by Sandy Duran, fiber creations by Nina Tatlock and the jewelry fashioned by Kate Hamilton.
Gallery music for visitors’ pleasure will be provided by Crystal Daigle and Gary Tatlock.
The 2008 edition of the SouthShore Art Frolic will wrap up with a 4:30 PM concert in E.G. Simmons Park. The public is invited to bring blankets or chairs to comfortably enjoy another in the “Pops in the Park” series presented by The Florida Orchestra. The concert, offered at no charge to the public, is being sponsored by the Community Foundation of Greater Sun City Center.
©2008 Melody Jameson
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