RUSKIN — The Firehouse Cultural Center, located at 101 1st Avenue NE near the southeast corner of U.S. 41 and Shell Point Road in Ruskin, has named performance artist Leland Faulkner as the center’s first Artist-in-Residence.
Faulkner has been described as a man of a thousand faces. He earned accolades for directing performances at Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, won awards for his work in films and was a consultant on the highly successful film, The Polar Express. Over the course of 20 years, he has captured audiences around the world in live performances. As Artist-in-Residence from February 25 to March 2, Faulkner will bring his unique talent to the Firehouse Cultural Center, all designed with intimacy and close interaction with South Hillsborough residents in mind. During his residency, Faulkner will combine Japanese art forms, mime, shadow theatre, illusion, and improvisation with special effects to create unique and imaginative performances, all up close and personal for everyone in attendance.
As the first Artist-in-Residence, he will also herald in a remarkable achievement by the many volunteers who have poured countless hours of effort into making the Firehouse Cultural Center a reality in South Hillsborough. The new center has the potential to open a door to the arts in ways offered by few venues, providing a unique opportunity for more than 170,000 people living in the region to take part in art and performance.
Faulkner will open his residency with a performance on Feb. 25. On Feb. 27 through March 1, there will be numerous “Residency at the Firehouse” workshops with programming for all ages and experience. The first residency will conclude on March 2 with a final performance that will feature participants from the workshops.
For more information on the artist and a complete schedule of events, see next week’s Observer News, SCC Observer and Riverview Current or visit www.firehouseculturalcenter.org.