TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

East Hillsborough Art Guild's 15th Annual

ADVERTISEMENT

By Cheryl Kuck

Published: December 20, 2006

Brandon, FL - Brandon, FL - For the past 15 Christmas holidays, the East Hillsborough Art Guild has given back to the public by throwing a community arty party, dubbed the "Annual Christmas Showing of Fine Art."

The festive event is open to guild members and the general public. This year, art patrons and members, wearing their holiday finery, crowded the Walden Lake Country Club buying tickets and vying for 31 donated pieces of artwork. The sale of the arty lottery tickets benefited their 2007 high school art scholarship fund.

The 2006 scholarship winner, Armwood High School graduate Emily Resciniti, had a special display of her work. Each year, the scholarship winner has guild funds, donated in trust for them, sent to the college they attend after graduation. In addition to showing their work at the annual Christmas showing, they also are given an opportunity to be presented in a one-person public art show. This past year, Emily was given a guild-hosted reception in her honor at the opening of her month-long exhibit at the Bruton Memorial Library.

Partygoers were also given the opportunity to view and purchase any of the additional 80 works of art presented by both professional and amateur artists and artisans. LouAnn Watson and Karen Crumley co-hosted the gala, in which LouAnn exhibited three of her acrylic paintings. Each guild member was given space to show up to three pieces of work. Valrico artist Peggy Little's colorful Koi fish swam all the way from her recent one-woman show at Center Place. Marilyn Day's beautiful basket sculptures showed well with Jon Courson's turned wood bowls and Harry Day's "Mountain Man" wood sculptures created interesting show variety.

"We couldn't be more thrilled with the great response to our annual Christmas show, it was a wonderful event," said chairwoman Watson. "Right now we are already busy planning the 2007 Strawberry Festival Art Show whose theme is 'More than just shortcake.' Guild members organized the annual judged show consisting of professional and amateur categories, including artwork submitted by Hillsborough County art teachers for their students from elementary to high school. A well-known artist always donates a painting for auction, which also goes to benefit our scholarship fund."

Crumley and Watson will also co-chair the February Strawberry Festival Art Show and want interested artists to know applications are now available by either calling 986-2966 or 719-6533 or by writing the art guild at P.O. Box 3055 Plant City 33564-3055.

Interested artist are welcome to come to the members meetings the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Plant City Women's Club. There are free monthly artist demonstrations and an opportunity to socialize with other artists.

Lisa Ward Landsman, a pop-style artist, has a zoological Christmas show called "Wiggle, Slither, Romp & Climb" at the Progress Energy Art Gallery at 6231 Grand Blvd., through Dec. 23. Call (727) 848-6500 or go to the gallery's Web site, nprgallery.com. She and renowned BRAVA artists are also on exhibit in a show at the Rivergate Tower in downtown Tampa through March 2007.

Congratulations to Bay Area Cardiology whose facility is hosting displays of artworks by Brandon League of Fine Arts Members. Greater Brandon area businesses interested in the display of works by well-known area professional artists should contact league president Pam Patton at fineart@pampatton.biz or call 741-3077. There is no charge for this wonderful opportunity.

League members hang all works and change them out on a regular basis. Christmas is the time to begin decorating your business halls and walls!

A word to the wise last-minute shopper, the Center Place Gift Shop, Pat's Corner, has great gifts and cards; our own area artists create many of the exquisite items for sale there.

If you need a recommendation, this columnist spotted Brandon Chamber President Tammy Bracewell shopping there! Call 685-8888 for shop holiday hours.

Cheryl Kuck writes about the arts

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT