Terri Simons invites artists to attend a very special workshop to learn about getting public art jobs. Simons is the Director of Program Services at the Arts Council of Hillsborough County.
Public Art - A workshop for artists
Tuesday, March 12, 2013, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost is $25 which includes lunch and breaks
Registration is online
Downtown Tampa - USF CAMLS, Classrooms 2A & 2B
124 S. Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602
The Public Art workshop is being held at USF Health’s Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation, a 90,000 square foot, three-story facility in downtown Tampa. Nearby parking includes the City of Tampa’s Fort Brooke Parking Garage located at the intersection of Franklin and Whiting Streets and the Levy Lot located at the intersection of Brorein St. and Florida Ave.
"The workshop is a joint presentation with the City of Tampa's Art Programs Division and includes experts in Public Art from three of the Bay area's counties," said Terri Simons. "Artists will get practical insight into how Public Art programs work as well as hear about personal experiences from two successful artists in the field."
"We had one of our largest turn-outs for our monthly networking meetings in December when the topic was Public Art," said Simons. "Robin Nigh, manager of the City of Tampa’s Art Programs Division, was the speaker. The artists in attendance were so interested in it that we decided to co-host a workshop with experienced professionals that could give all the details of how to get into public art and be successful."
"When a call for public art goes out, there’s usually a high dollar attached to the commission. This makes it very attractive and, of course, grabs the attention of artists thinking about getting into Public Art, " she said. "It’s a completely different arena though, from the typical studio commissions. This workshop will help de-mystify that, and give artists a better understanding of the complexities of the process and how those commission figures come about."
"The Public Art workshop is a joint venture with the City of Tampa’s Art Programs Division and includes a great line-up of experts. We thank the participants in the 2012 FIVE by FIVE event, which raised funds to provide affordable workshops to artists."
The schedule includes networking, topics covered in detail by individual speakers, a panel discussion, a public art slide show, and a chance to ask questions of the experts and get specific answers in a smaller group setting. Participants are free to move from area to area to network with the speakers.
Speakers include:
• Robin Nigh, Manager, City of Tampa Art Programs. Robin Nigh is a leader in the field of contemporary public art.
• Christopher Hubbard, Cultural Affairs Specialist, City of Clearwater. Christopher currently serves as the vice president of the Florida Association of Public Art Professionals, a state-wide collective of artists and administrators promoting awareness of the social and economic benefits of public art programs.
• Melissa LeBaron, Project Coordinator, City of Tampa Art Programs. Melissa is primarily focused on the Public Art Program, and manages Calls-to-Artists, oversees artist contracts, maintains the Public Art inventory, manages federal grant submissions, and maintains the division’s web sites.
• Bruce Marsh, Painter, Public Artist. Bruce is a professor emeritus at USF Tampa, where he taught for 38 years. Bruce has been involved in site-specific public art projects since 1980, primarily large-scale painting, having completed more than 50 major projects.
• Dan Myers, Senior Architect, Hillsborough County Public Art Program. Dan is a registered architect and has worked for Hillsborough County Architecture Services since 1999 as a project manager. In the private sector, he has coordinated the work of artists and artisans.
• Michael Parker, Muralist, Public Artist. Parker completed a number of community partnerships, from Bradenton to Montana.
• Ann Wykell, Public Art Coordinator, Bradenton Downtown Development Authority. Ann has been a private consultant in public art for municipalities across the country and served as manager of Cultural Affairs for the City of St. Petersburg from 2000-2009.
From the Arts Council of Hillsborough County:
"The allure of public art commissions with their large-figure budgets have prompted many artists to take a second look at those calls. The competition is often fierce for those contracts and the field of competitors wide. The proposal and selection process can be a challenge. A public art commission is unlike all other art processes. Find out if it’s right for you and whether to steer your career that way. This workshop will give you the inside look at what happens from the call for artists to the dedication ceremony. We’ll discuss public art vs. art in public places, contracts, reading the calls for public art, the different types of art, suitable media/portfolios, timelines and much more. The experts will get together for a panel discussion and you’ll get a chance to speak personally with them during the special conversations segment at the end of the day."
Some examples of public art commissions are shown in the slide show with this article. Jeff Monsein, artist owner of Splat Paint, has done many public art murals with his crew in Tampa over the years. His mural shown here was created for a popular venue when the St. Petersburg Times changed its name to the Tampa Bay Times.
“It was one of my favorite jobs. I really enjoyed it,” said Monsein. He acknowledges that the work can be really hard sometimes. "It’s physically challenging to be outside painting on location. When we painted the Tampa Bay Times forum, it was 40 degrees, and it was really tough working in the cold. You have to contend with rain and bugs. It’s always something!" he said. "For some reason, we are always asked to do finishing on the outside of homes in July, in the hottest months of summer. We worked at LegoLand in the middle of summer, and it was so hot! But when it’s over, it’s something to talk about."
"I will truly appreciate people sharing this very special opportunity with our area artists," said Terri Simons. "Tell your friends about it!"
Arts Council of Hillsborough County
707 N. Franklin St., 6th Floor, Tampa, FL 33602
Web site, Facebook
Terri Simons, 813-276-8250 extension 104, Email: SimonsT@TampaArts.org
To see more public art works in the Tampa Bay area, click to view the Public Art Archive, which includes photographs of the installations, as well as information about their location and the artist that created them.
Related Articles:
New Tampa Bay Times Forum mural by Jeff Monsein and crew of Splat Paint
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