Daily Loaf

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. The busy bees at the Best of the Bay-winning [5]art Gallery live up to the title this weekend, and we enjoy the sweet reward of their work with two interesting interdisciplinary events.

On Friday, the gallery debuts cumbas:echeverry:torres, a collection of recent works from Tampa-based artists: paintings by Edgar Sanchez Cumbas (also a BOTB winner); new media and printmaking by UT professor of art Santiago Echeverry ; and drawings by Alex Torres. A one night-only exhibit at the opening reception also includes mini-masterpieces from 5by5 that you can own for just $20 a pop. These small works on paper let even those of us on a Ramen noodle budget take home original art by hometown heroes like Allen Hampton, Rebecca Skelton, April Childers and many more. Our other local artisans – of beer, that is – from Cigar City Brewing provide suds and hors d’oeuvres.  Up next: Sleep of Reason Cinema Series. Read the rest of this entry »

Because it’s hard to know these days whether to be cautiously optimistic that the recession might be ending or terrified that nobody knows what will happen next, contemplating Florida’s place in the economic (and, increasingly, environmental) miasma is a harrowing exercise.

Artist Michael Parker has his own vision of the state’s fate, as expressed in a composite of digital photographs (”The Final Battle,” right): two toddlers, each sunk ankle-deep into cement, seeming to lunge toward each other in a grappling contest, set against a slightly surreal landscape of swirling clouds and an ominously looming tree.

The picture — simultaneously laugh-out-loud funny and disturbing — conveys in a nutshell for curator Manuel Lopez what the exhibit Slow Death of a Flamingo is about. Read the rest of this entry »

The Bradshaw Mansion is on the Historic Roser Park Home Tour.

When one door closes, another door opens, the saying goes — not an inappropriate sentiment for Easter weekend. It’s especially apt this year — because, as it happens, a number of art exhibitions and stage productions have their final shows this weekend. And speaking of doors, you can see what’s behind the ones in Historic Roser Park during Saturday’s house tour.

FRIDAY APRIL 10
Pompous Circumstance. A USF Senior Thesis BFA exhibition featuring 11 graduating artists. A reception with food, a donation bar and live music begins at 7 p.m. On display through May 1, West Tampa Center for the Arts, 1906 Armenia Ave., Tampa.

Global Lens Film Series: Getting Home. In Zhang Yang’s poignant dramedy, a middle-aged construction worker tries to fulfill a friend’s last wish. 8 p.m., The Studio@620, St. Petersburg, $8 general/$5 students and seniors, 727-895-6620, studioat620.org.

SATURDAY APRIL 11
Historic Roser Park Home Tour. For the seventh annual tour of homes in this lush, hilly St. Pete neighborhood, seven unique properties are featured, including the historic Bradshaw Mansion and the Ronald McDonald House. Sat., April 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., starts from the Ronald McDonald House, 702 Eighth Ave. S., St. Petersburg, $10 in advance/$12 day of event, roserpark.net.

400 Years of the Telescope:  A Journey of Science, Technology and Thought Get a sneak peek at a new film airing next week on WEDU, a cosmic journey through four centuries of astral discoveries. View Saturn and other starry wonders through powerful telescopes, followed by a special planetarium showing of Two Small Pieces of Glass. 400years.org, 6-11 p.m., The Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, 813-254-9338 ext. 3013, and The Science Center of Pinellas County, 7701 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-384-0027 ext. 226, $8 adults, $4 kids (free under 4).

Nancy Cervenka: Intersect. Cinematographer-turned-sculptor Cervenka uses long strands of movie film to create dramatic coiled forms in this solo show at C. Emerson Fine Arts. April 11-May 30, with an opening reception and artist’s talk 7-10 p.m. April 11, 909 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-898-6068, c-emersonfinearts.com. (Megan Voeller)

Last chance to see two classics: Final performances of Gilgamesh (3 p.m. at USF) and Lysistrata (3 & 8 p.m. at American Stage). Read the rest of this entry »

Britney Spears w/The Pussycat Dolls Over the past few years, Britney Spears has been through the media gauntlet. But the superstar songstress picked up the pieces, clocked some hours in the dance studio and got in svelte shape, hit the studio with the right producers, and got her pop groove back.  Sun. Mar., 8, 8 p.m., St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa.

Jessica Simpson The Strawberry Fest’s concert closer features the country-music-friendly curves of Simpson, who makes up for her limited singing ability with  sun-kissed girl-next-door sexiness. Sun. Mar. 8, 7:30 p.m., Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds, Plant City.

Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts More than 300 artists and crafters take part in the 39th annual fest, displaying paintings, ceramics, fiber, jewelry and more along Franklin Street and throughout Lykes Gaslight Square Park. March 7-8, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., Lykes Gaslight Square Park, downtown Tampa, free admission, gasparilla-arts.com.

GASP!Arilla. If you’re looking for the after-dark, floral-free alternative to the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Café Hey presents GASP!Arilla. The single-day art party features live music by Acho Brother, Bay Area Klezmer Konnection and DJ Fuego, and work by up-and-coming artists. Sat., March 7, 8 p.m., Cafe Hey, Tampa, free admission, myspace.com/cafehey. (Leilani Polk)

Verdi Requiem The Florida Orchestra and the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay present a Progress Energy Masterworks concert of Verdi’s powerful operatic work. More than 200 musicians and singers perform. Sat., March 7, 8 p.m., Progress Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, and Sun., March 8, 7:30 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, $19-$65.

After the jump: Whitest Kids, Pen Is Mightier, Abilities, Emerge, Urban Dare and more. Read the rest of this entry »

If you missed CL Wine Club’s Wine Rave at the West Tampa Center for the Arts last Saturday, sucks for you. If you were smart enough to be there, we know you had fun
See the pictures
See the handout with all the wines listed

350 people strolled two packed floors of this historic cigar building, staring intently at collections of 24 local artists, dancing to the tunes of DJ Coro and Jen Saavedra and sipping cocktails and over 60 wines. The vibrant social scene completely rocked. Smiles on everyone’s faces. Plenty of tipsy imbibers. The graffiti wall – where everyone gathered to paint their own brand of art (including a crudely classy sketch of the male anatomy) – proved a popular destination, as did the live body painter from Artworld. One of our fearless Street Teamers, Emma, bravely stripped half naked and had her skin airbrushed with grapes and vines. Like a married man with his wife at the mall, men timidly stole glances as her breasts slowly disappeared underneath the paint. Emma only giggled. 

West Tampa Center for the Arts apparently wants us back, so we’ll have another bigger and better one next year with Wine Rave 2009. In the meantime, we have cool wine events each month so sign up here to receive our weekly wine education newsletter to find out about them. OR, if you’re interested in being a part of our exclusive VIP wine tastings and winning tickets to wine and food events around Tampa Bay, sign up for our text alerts: send the phrase CLWINE to 50618 to be in the know.

Here are some Street Team pics from this year’s Wine Rave event – ART XTC, held at the West Tampa Center for the Arts on November 22.  

And many more here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenhammill/sets/72157609810143939/

 

1. Bay area faves Modern Skirts — who actually hail from Athens, Ga. — stage a CD release party for their new album, All of us in Our Night (pictured at right), at Crowbar on Friday night.

2. Two bike-friendly events are held Saturday — the Share the Road Ride in the morning and afterwards, a Bicycle Bash by the Bay in the afternoon.

3. West Tampa Center for the Arts stages Art-Oberfest, a one-night art show of emerging and established artists as well as a fundraiser for the West Tampa Council on Art, Culture and History. Guests enjoy live music, food, beer and wine from 6 to 10 p.m. this Friday.

4. As if we haven’t already pimped it enough — the Fourth Annual International BeerFest lands at Jannus Landing this Saturday night. All you can drink beer samples for $35 in advance/$50 at the door.

5. The Rays somehow managed to lose the game that would have put them in the World Series this past Thursday night, which means game six takes place at the Trop on Saturday. Good luck getting tickets; if you can’t manage, the game airs on TBS at 8 p.m.