V.J. Hagenbuckle, “On Mars”, 2020, Oil on canvas
Paintings by V.J. Hagenbuckle
There are many incredible artists living and working in the Tampa Bay area and quite a few of them also teach. Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs is currently showing work by faculty from the Visual Arts department at St. Petersburg College. In addition to a statement about their work, each faculty member also contributed their teaching philosophy.
Artists included in the exhibition- Jonathan Barnes, Nathan Beard, Ragan Brown, Mason Gehring, Barton Gilmore, Kevin Grass, Marjorie Greene Graff, Jennifer Guest, Jim Hagenbuckle, Elizabeth Indianos, Kim Kirchman, Michaela Oberlaender, Krishna Sadasivam, and McKenzie Smith.
Tonight, 12/7, Jim Hagenbuckle will be giving a talk at the museum at 6pm.
This exhibition is on view until 12/17/23.
Michaela Oberleander, “Bleed Out”, 2010, Acrylic on canvas
Kim Kirchman, “Cultivating What Might Be Lost”, 2022, Terra cotta with slip transfer
Work from Nathan Beard’s “LIFE LINES”
The Memory Map works on view here are my very newest attempt at understanding the role that fallible memory plays in the shaping of culture and self. These small watercolor studies are Phase II of LIFE LINES, a grand 3-part project in which I am examining my family’s memory of themselves and making artwork that tells their story. I plan to collect all of these studies into a singular book that can be handed down through the generations, or perhaps even preserved in a museum for everyone to see.
To create Memory Maps, I have created a survey for each family member. I ask them some general genealogy questions, since this survey will also function as a historical record, including their three favorite colors. I then ask them to try to remember each year of their life, from birth til now, and assign a rank between 0 and 5 for a) how clear their memory of the year is; b) how important that year was for them; c) how “good” or “bad” the year was. I add these columns together to get an “Accumulative” data set that I use to create a skeleton composed of alternating pentagons and hexagons that rotate as they expand. This part is important since it incorporates movement through time and space as we grow outward. Using the fact that our life’s journey always wavers, I then connect the points and end up with a “map” that resembles the cross-section of a tree, and contains all the metaphors associated with tree rings and natural growth cycles.
The most important visual development presented itself with Cate Clark, where I allowed myself the freedom to incorporate representational imagery. I asked my wife about her favorite place ever, and she surprised me with the family trip we took to Letchworth State Park in upstate NY. I found a picture from that trip with our daughter Vera standing at the edge of wood, and proceeded to paint that memory in resemblance of an antique plate. I also allowed myself the freedom to stray away from the tree ring aspect, while still using the data skeleton to place the bursts of color.
For more information, his artist talk is available here.
Work by Jonathan Barnes
Sculpture by Jonathan Barnes
Sculpture by Jonathan Barnes
Soda/Salt Fired stoneware by McKenzie Smith
Acrylic on canvas paintings by Mason C. Gehring
Relief and silkscreen by Marjorie Greene Graff
Artists continue on page 2.
Lilian Butler, “Wave of Emotion”, Drawing
Lilian Butler, “The Value of Grey Thinking”, Drawing
Currently on view at Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs is Visual Metaphors, an exhibition of impressive work created by Pinellas County public high school students. Hopefully this is just the beginning for these young, talented artists.
From the museum-
Presented in partnership with Pinellas County Schools (PCS), this exhibition presents a selection of two- dimensional and three-dimensional work from public high school students in grades 9-12. Like its namesake, Visual Metaphors are comparisons used to create a heightened awareness or emotional connection to a statement, a figure of speech, or condition. Think “raining cats and dogs,” “rollercoaster of emotions,” or “tongue in cheek.” A visual metaphor represents a person, place, thing, or idea by means of an image that shows a particular association or similarity. The students asked themselves “How will I convey a visual metaphor through my art? Will I illustrate a metaphor that is part of everyday speech, a cliché, a poem, or a lyric? Are there seemingly unexpected images that I can combine to create a metaphor? Will the metaphor be humorous, subtle, or overt?”
Now on view at the Leepa Rattner Museum of Art (LRMA) for the first time, this installation of Visual Metaphors is a continuation of an exhibition series, which was previously hosted at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, for the last thirty years. LRMA is proud to continue our partnership with PCS, as well as showcase the incredible talent that makes up our student communities.
This show will be on view until 12/10/23. Below are a few more selections.
Jonah Williams, “Life’s But A Walking Shadow”, Photography
Asalyn Schrotenboer, “Hands On”, Painting
Siena Van Beynen, “Handle With Care”, Sculpture
Emily Delucia, “At The Center of A Web”, Digital Art
Trinity Breha-Huffman, “Burnt Out”, Painting
Sela Marks “Power is A Fire That Can Be Controlled or Released”, Drawing, and Mia Lemmons “Her Star Shines The Brightest”, Sculpture
Leora Stewart (1943-2021) “Banyan Tree”, Fiber wall hanging
Leora Stewart “Banyan Tree”, Fiber wall hanging (detail)
Norma Lewis (1929-2015) “Kimono”, Paper fiber
Nneka Jones- “Layers of Identity”, Fiber collage and embroidery on canvas
Kathleen “Kaki” King, “Syngonium”, Earthenware
Abraham Rattner (1893-1978), “Birds”, 1971, Wool
Taylor Robenalt, “Rookery Queen”, Ceramic
Josette Urso, “Chola”, 1990, Fabric collage, found object quilt
Duncan McClellan, “Alchemy”, 2013, Hand blown glass, sand carved
The works above are from Material Mastery: Florida CraftArt Permanent Collection of Fine Craft on view at Leepa Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs.
From the museum-
Florida CraftArt (formerly known as Florida Craftsmen) was organized in 1951 by Stetson University art professors Elsa and Louis Freund as a statewide organization celebrating fine craft. As the only statewide nonprofit representing Florida’s fine craft artists, Florida CraftArt is a member-supported organization helping mentor and advance artists. Now headquartered at 5th Street and Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, this vibrant organization has been at the center of St. Pete’s artistic renaissance.
The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art is delighted to partner with Florida CraftArt to showcase their permanent collection and enduring contribution to Florida’s cultural heritage. The goals of this collection are to recognize the significance of Florida’s fine craft art in our broad artistic landscape, document the rich tradition of craft art statewide and beyond, and to educate and inspire future generations of artists and arts appreciators.
This exhibition will close 8/27/23.
Artists included in this post-
There/Here: A Cry For Help, 2008/2011/2020
Three Carbon Catchers, 2021
The two works above are from Balance of Water, an exhibition of collaborative work by Carol Mickett and Robert Stackhouse, at Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
Information from the museum about the first image-
There/Here: A Cry For Help, 2008/2011/2020, is a map of the Gulf of Mexico with an overlay of a map of all the world’s water currents. It is meant to indicate that the world waters, as the world itself, is all connected. The Tarpon, representing all life in our waters, is encountering the effects of global warming.
For the second image-
Three Carbon Catchers, 2021- The Mangrove is a major absorber of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide, if left in the atmosphere or in our waters is one of the main contributors to global warming. This painting honors the mangrove.
Mangroves thrive in saltwater environments where most plants cannot. They protect our shorelines from erosion and flooding. Worldwide, mangroves absorb about 24 million metric tons of carbon in the soil each year.
From LRMA’s website about the exhibition-
Balance of Water highlights contemporary artists Carol Mickett and Robert Stackhouse whose collaborative work raises awareness of the effects of climate change on our waterways. As this delicate ecosystem nears a tipping point, they explore ways to alleviate the warming of our waters and reveal the consequences of the rapidly changing climate with a sense of mindfulness and urgency. Since relocating from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs in 2017, Mickett and Stackhouse unveil their work to their recently adopted community in north Pinellas County for the first time with a series of monumental paintings that tell the overarching story of the effects of global warming.
This exhibition closes on 8/28/22.