Guerilla Gallery No 1.

After the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit at the TMoA, I was inspired to take a alleyway photo. Walking around, I came across this spot and noticed a few things:

Seemed like nothing until I read the sign on the other side:

The pieces were pretty neat. Some looked like they had harsh reviewers. It’s an interesting concept to inject some individuality into the area. I am wondering who started this and if there are more. I decided not to post the pieces since I feel like you have to see them for yourself. Try to determine where the place is just by the above photos.

I’ll be on the lookout for more. Let me know if you find any too.

artLOUD! and clear

If you’re walking around downtown, you might run into a few art pieces like this one:

This and other public art pieces that are downtown are the result of a collaborative project between CREW Tampa Bay and the City of Tampa called artLOUD! that aims to add culture to the streets of downtown with pieces by notable Tampa and U.S. artists.

For all those looking for something to do, an artLOUD! scavenger hunt downtown isn’t a bad idea. Here is your map.

While you’re walking around, you can have a bite at one of my favorite restaurants, L’Eden Restaurant & Bar at the corner of Madison and Tampa Street (next to Lykes Gaslight Park).

TTR: Tampa Theatre Revival

It’s down there on the corner and out there in the street (CCR reference). The historic Tampa Theatre is a gem of the city. It’s always bringing great productions and events to Downtown Tampa (e.g, Stephen Dubner one of the authors of Freakonomics, and Don Hertzfeldt creator of Rejected). In addition to quality events, classic film line-ups, and cheap admission, they have an in house organ player.

TMOA: Part 1

The Tampa Museum of Art (TMOA) really surpised me. From the reviews I was expecting there to be hardly anything. It’s current exhibit lineup was impressive. A mix of sculptures, photos, paintings, and interactive art. I spent 20 minutes in just on room and didn’t really get to experience the rest as much as I would have liked. The Martin Z. Margulies collection of realism which included Davis Cone pieces was where I spent most of my time (so much detail to look at up close). Sadly, no photography is allowed in the galleries. The current exhibits range from abstract to ancient. The more modern pieces are up there with what I saw at MoMA. The ancient stuff is interesting, but don’t expect The Met.

There was one room that had a ton of records and record players. It seemed interactive. I think it was the John Cage exhibit. I’ll be going back before the start of May when it leaves to see what it’s about (hence “Part 1”). I got in free this time because of the Feeding America event, but admission is $10 (student discount: $5)

Art, Charity, & Spaghetti

I planned on going to the Tampa Museum of Art (TMoA) a few weeks ago. I didn’t, but good thing as I was just invited to a non-profit event hosted by Feeding America Tampa Bay at TMoA’s Sono Cafe which takes place tomorrow (January 27th). Late notice, but it means I’ll be updating soon with photos from the museum.

This post is more of a shout out to let others in the area know the details of the event since I’m not finding too much online:

Feeding America Tampa Bay “Spaghetti Supper Series” @ Sona Cafe

• Start: 5PM
• Price: $20 (includes spaghetti dinner with salad & sweets + donation)
• Address: Sono Cafe 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza Downtown Tampa

Museum entry is free from 5PM to 8PM

FMOPA Photo Op

Minutes away from the final downtown stop on the TECO Streetcar, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMOPA) is an excellent spot to visit for a quick cultural pick me up while downtown. And for the aspiring photographers, you can sign-up for one their photography workshops. However, don’t expect to spend hours here. It’s very small and you can see everything in about 30 minutes to an hour, which isn’t bad if you have other things to do and just want a cultural pick me up.

Streetcar Named Convenient

Think that streetcar in Ybor is useless? Well click on this map and think again!

I’ll be looking into this more when I go to the Photography Museum since this streetcar has two stops close by and since it’s only $5 bucks to ride all day.