Are You Inside or Outside the Box?

Boxes … they’re everywhere … they play a huge role in our lives and yet, we really don’t think about them.  There’s pretty much no way to avoid them as for the most part, everything we eat, buy or store comes in a box and from the time we were little ones with big imaginations, we even played in them!  So okay, boxes are a given … they’re not going anywhere … but I guess my question is, when did we stop seeing their potential?  Or for that matter, when did we get stuck in them …

Modern Bohemian Gallery
Upcycled Shipping Container
Design by Mishou Sanchez

I have the distinct pleasure of being surrounded by creative people every day.  But as much as most of these fabulous artists are prone to “think outside”, even they can get mired in the muck of the closed box.  Don’t get me wrong, there are a few individuals that take life’s boxes and turn them into childhood castles to play in/with, but too often there’s always something in that box that will try to confine and define you. 

Upcycled Cigar Box
by Moira Shiver

ART of BOX is an attempt to get the juices flowing and to get people thinking outside their box.  The use of the box in this show symbolizes life and man’s ability to not only make choices, but to take the mind that appears finite and closed and open it to reveal the beauty within.  "Life is like a BOX of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get”.  If the artists are successful in breaking free, the submissions for ART of BOX promise to be just as intriguing.  

 

ART of BOX – October 25, 2013 – 7:00 – 11:00 PM         

https://www.facebook.com/events/145743878969574/ 

"THE REWIND" - An Artistic View of Tampa's Creative Past

 

West Tampa Center for the Arts (WTCA) is happy to announce its intention to take a step back in time to discover and embrace Tampa’s historic cultural past.  A kick off for the 2013-14 WTCA season, this themed art show is calling for artwork that captures the guts, gore, glory and glamour of “Vintage Tampa” and its long gone and often times forgotten eras of the 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. 

"Tampa Red"

Whether exploring "The Scrub", showcasing Central Ave and the “Chitlin’ Circuit”, the historical contributions of Tampa’s cigar industry and/or the underbelly of Tampa’s dark side, artists are encouraged to document and help teach newcomers and Tampa natives alike the rich cultural history of Tampa Bay and showcase the important influences it’s had on the world today.    

"Vicente Martinez"

"Santo Trafficante"

“They say that history repeats itself and I couldn’t agree more”, says Moira Shiver, Art Director of WTCA.  “When researching the time period for the show, I couldn’t help but notice the tenacity of Tampa’s artistic soul.  Just as in the past, there is an explosion of creative energy going on in Tampa Bay today, and that’s in spite of it also being one of the most challenging and financially oppressed artistic times in recent history.  Tampa artists of today remind me of our courageous ancestors who built a vibrant community in the throes of darkness and ended up producing some of the world’s most influential and celebrated artists of our time.” 



Artists interested in submitting work for consideration for “THE REWIND” can find the call on WTCA’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/WTCArts.  Additional information regarding subject matter can be found at the follow links but not limited to, http://www.tdblues.com/2010/07/tampa-blues-history-the-artists/, http://www.tdblues.com/2009/12/historical-blues-tampa-florida/  and http://www.cigarsoftampa.com/history.html. 

See you in the past!