|
2008-2009 Exhibitions
 |
|
|
A Mysterious Clarity: Mark Messersmith, Ray Burggraf, Lilian Garcia-Roig
May 17 – July 27, 2008
For Ray Burggraf, Mark Messersmith, and Lilian Garcia, the subject of the Florida landscape has been central to their work. Their approaches—both in their aesthetics and in their process—however, differ radically. Featuring the paintings of three artists who work and live in Florida, A Mysterious Clarity explores a range of impressions inspired by the complexities of our natural environment. Through these divergent visions we find this mysterious clarity—a glimpse beyond our everyday experiences towards a hidden nature made visible.
Top:
Mark Messersmith, Gatorland, 1995, oil on canvas with attachments, 65 x 70 inches, from the permanent collection of the Gulf Coast Museum of Art
Bottom:
Lillian Garcia-Roig, Charred Gateway, 2005, oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches |
|
 |
Victoria Block: Narrations
August 9 – September 28, 2008
Victoria Block’s large-scale abstract landscape paintings envelope the viewer in light and atmosphere through richly textured and vibrant impressions of a place, capturing a moment in a particular time of day. Block’s abstracted landscapes of vast open fields and lush gardens are accompanied by a ceramic forms. Equally rich in color and texture, these vessels evoke a sense of a passage of time reminiscent of archeological findings with impressions of natural forms such as coral and stone. Residing in Montreal, Canada, Block’s paintings are inspired by the unique light and landscape of Florida, a passion that has evolved into her work during her seasonal stays in the area. Organized by the Gulf Coast Museum of Art.
Victoria Block, Fall, 2005, oil on canvas with ceramic vessel, 71 5/8 x 119 3/4 inches
Studio Works
August 9 – September 28, 2008
Gallery One
The annual juried Studioworks exhibition presents the work of the Museum’s instructors and students. The exhibition is designed to demonstrate the strength of the Museum’s teaching program. Media included in the exhibition are painting, ceramics, metalsmithing, sculpture, mixed media, and fiber arts. Artists and instructors who have taught or taken classes or workshops at the GCMA during the past twelve months are invited to participate. |
|
 |
Christopher Still: Coming Home
October 11, 2008 – January 25, 2009
This retrospective exhibition brings one of Florida’s preeminent painters, Christopher Still, back to his roots with a culmination of masterpieces that spans Still’s artistic career from a gifted young boy frequenting the studios of the Gulf Coast Art Center in Belleair to his most recent projects with the Tampa International Airport and the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater. Among his most notable achievements is a commission of the portrait of Governor Lawton Chiles in the Florida Governors Mansion and his tour de force, ten murals for the House of Representatives in Tallahassee, which tells the history and heritage of Florida through captivating imagery and accurate detail. Still’s paintings are a combination of science, art history and natural history, ripe with symbolism and technical genius bridging the chasm between traditional realist painting and contemporary ideals. Organized by the Gulf Coast Museum if Art.
Christopher Still, Land of Promise, 1993, oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches, Collection of the Museum of Florida Art and Culture
Click here to view a recent interview with Christopher Still on WEDU. |
|
|
 |
