 A
Word from the Director
If you've been reading the newspapers this year,
you know that this has been a very exciting time for arts and culture
in the
bay area. In
Clearwater, the City Commission adopted a new Clearwater Cultural
Plan and agreed to create a Cultural Arts Division under the leadership
if Margo Walbolt. Details of the plan include creating an
art in public places program, encouraging the development of strong
arts
education in the public schools and fostering the welfare of artists
as they live and work in Clearwater.
Meanwhile, St. Petersburg is bursting at the seams with the arts
as it celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Salvador Dali
Museum and wraps itself around the glories of the works of Dale
Chihuly. This
blockbuster exhibition entitled Chihuly Across Florida: Masterworks
in Glass, spotlights classic works and new large-scale installations. In
addition to this exhibit, activities at other galleries are also
focusing on Chihuly's work. The Arts Center is featuring Fire
It Up!, a glassmaking demonstration that illustrates the process
of creating such works. These activities occur with the encouragement
of Ann Wykell, Manager of Cultural Affairs for the City of St.
Petersburg.
Tampa is also experiencing amazing cultural developments. Our
new mayor, Pam Iorio, has hired Paul Wilborn, long-time Tampa resident
and arts figure, to serve as Creative Industries Manager and is
engaged in a nationwide search for someone to serve as the director
of the
cultural arts district.
Mayor Iorio has been fortunate to have the strong support of the
recent chairman of the Grater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Deanne
Roberts. Deanne
led the Chamber to a greater involvement in cultural development,
particularly through the Cultural Affairs Committee, and was instrumental
in bringing Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class,
a best seller focusing on the importance of attracting creative people
to urban areas as a stimulus for economic growth. She is
currently involved in developing Creative Tampa Bay, a group seeking
to foster
economic development.
As I have mentioned in previous columns, I have lived in this area
all my life and I have never seen the kind of energy and excitement
generated by the arts scene that we have now. Thanks to all
these wonderful developments, this is a very exciting time to be
a resident of Tampa Bay.
Melinda N. Chavez
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