Category: Press Releases

Tampa, Fla. (April 15, 2016) – Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) announces $15,000 in awards to six Tampa Bay area high school students to receive The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars fine and performing arts scholarships. Each scholarship winner will be awarded $2,500, one in each of six fine and performing arts categories: theatre, literary arts, dance, instrumental music, vocal music and visual arts.

Since 2007, TBBCA has awarded financial assistance for higher education in the arts to more than 50 Tampa Bay area students, some of the most promising and talented young artists and performers in the nation. This TBBCA program is named in honor of TBBCA Past President, the late Charlie Hounchell, who was the program’s founder and champion.

The 2016 winners of The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships are:
• Theatre – Courteney McClutchy, 12th grade, East Lake High School
• Literary Arts – Lyrik Courtney, 11th grade, Howard W. Blake High School
• Dance – Sabrina Downing, 12th grade, Howard W. Blake High School
• Instrumental Music – Jason Charos, 11th grade, Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School
• Vocal Music – Lillian Kraack, 12th grade, Newsome High School
• Visual Arts – Aidan Schaffert, 11th grade, Gibbs High School

This year, a deep talent pool of more than 100 students from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties submitted scholarship applications, judged on the basis of talent and merit by a distinguished panel of experts in their field.

The 2016 panel of judges are:
• Theatre – Eugenie Bondurant, singer, television and film actor, with featured role as Tigris in the “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2”
• Literary Arts – Lisa Unger, award-winning New York Times and internationally best-selling author
• Dance – Helen Hansen French, Juilliard graduate, a member of Karen Reedy Dance, Buglisi Dance Theatre, and St. Pete Dance Alliance, and on faculty at John Hopkins Middle School and St. Petersburg College
• Instrumental Music – Paul Wilborn, pianist, musician and bandleader, and executive director of The Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College
• Vocal Music – Dawne Eubanks, classical soloist and voice instructor at Eckerd College and Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School
• Visual Arts – Michael Murphy, gallery owner of Michael Murphy Gallery M.

Scholarship recipients will showcase their talent at The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 11 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at TBBCA pARTner The Museum of Fine Arts, located at 255 Beach Drive NE in St. Petersburg. The event is open to the public but advance registration is required, as space is limited. To register, please contact susanaweymouth@tbbca.org.

TBBCA is a 501 (c) (3). To donate online to The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships go to www.tbbca.org. Individual scholarship naming rights and sponsorships are available. Contact TBBCA at (813) 221-2787.

About TBBCA
Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts is a nonprofit organization serving Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties with the mission to unite Tampa Bay area businesses to champion arts education, arts and culture for a prosperous community. One of 11 national Business Committees for the Arts of the private sector network of Americans for the Arts, TBBCA provides connections, advocacy, funding and support for artists, arts education, and arts and cultural organizations. TBBCA programs are made possible through the generosity of TBBCA pARTners, including Chair’s Circle: Premier Eye Care; Stephen Gay/Gay & Associates Realtors; Linda and Michael Connelly; The Beaux Arts Group; MedHOK; Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick; Tampa Bay Magazine; Tampa Bay Times/*tbt; Cox Media Group, The Wilson Company, Chappell Roberts, and Alex McKnight Archival Images.

Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts “pARTners” with Gasparilla Festival of the Arts to bring TBBCA Chalk Walk March 5 & 6 under the eaves Tampa Museum of Art

TAMPA, Fla. (February 24, 2016) – Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) is pARTnering for another exciting TBBCA Chalk Walk with the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. TBBCA is once again producing this popular event, bringing ten commissioned chalk artists to create live interactive art experiences in the heart of the annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.

“We are proud to offer this TBBCA Chalk Walk in downtown Tampa with our valued pARTner Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts,” says Susana Weymouth, Executive Director of TBBCA. “It is a great opportunity to support talented artists while providing a free, fun, family-friendly and accessible program for our community and attracting the public to area museums and businesses.” Since its founding in 2008, TBBCA Chalk Walks have been entertaining audiences of all age groups and levels of art appreciation throughout the greater Tampa Bay area.

GFA President of the Board of Directors, Ashly Anderson, commented that GFA “Board of Directors and Committee are proud to present the 46th annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, featuring 250 artists from across the country once again in 2016. We’re all looking forward to enjoying it.” In the past, the festival has attracted tens of thousands of visitors from across the region.

TBBCA Chalk Walk will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 5th and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday March 6th, under the eaves of the Tampa Museum of Art alongside the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in Curtis Hixon Park. Meet the artists and watch their technical skill as they bring their amazing artistic creations to life throughout the weekend.

About TBBCA
TBBCA, a 501 (c ) (3) non-profit founded in 1989, is one of 11 national affiliates of Americans for the Arts. TBBCA’s mission is to unite area businesses to champion arts and culture for a prosperous community because “the arts are good for business and business is good for the arts.” Through innovative pARTnerships and sustainable programs like Call to Artists, Cultural Encounters, Chalk Walks and The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships, TBBCA provides valuable funding support for artists, arts and cultural organizations, and art education, and builds awareness of arts and culture as important economic drivers in our community and essential contributors to our quality of life.

TBBCA programs are generously supported by donations and sponsorships, including Chair’s Circle pARTners: Premier Eye Care; MedHOK; The Wilson Company; Stephen Gay & Associates, Realtors; The Tampa Bay Times/tbt*; Tampa Bay Magazine; B2 Communications; Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP; Alex McKnight; Linda and Michael Connelly; Cox Media Group; Chappell Roberts; Platinum pARTners: Greenberg Traurig; The Beaux-Arts Group; Katharine Weymouth, Phelps Dunbar; Barnett, Bolt, Longwood, Kirk and Koche; Gold pARTners: Hill, Ward, Henderson; The Lightning Foundation; The Gobioff Foundation, Vantage Point Advisors of Raymond James; Hyde Park Village; and Yann and Susana Weymouth. For more information, visit www.TBBCA.org or call 813-221-2787.

About GFA
The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation dedicated to producing an annual, premier juried outdoor art festival for the enjoyment and education of patrons, artists and guests as well as for the enhancement of the Tampa Bay area’s cultural arts. The non-profit organization relies on support from sponsorships, on-site retail sales and corporate and individual gifts to fund its programs and events. The Tampa based organization is staffed entirely by volunteers. Information for festival-goers is posted to the GFA’s newly relaunched website www.gasparillaarts.com or call (813) 876-1747.

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TAMPA, Fla. (January 26, 2016) All Tampa Bay area artists with a passion for music are invited to enter the 5th annual Gasparilla Music Festival (GMF) Poster Contest. The contest is presented by Hill Ward Henderson in pARTnership with Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts and the Gasparilla Music Foundation. The submission receipt deadline is 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 12, 2016.

The 2016 festival will take place in downtown Tampa on March 12th & 13th and will feature musical acts from a wide variety of genres on several stages and cuisine from the region’s top restaurants. The poster design should be an artistic representation of GMF. Artists are encouraged to incorporate Tampa Bay’s wide diversity of culture into its design; however, artists are discouraged from using “Gasparilla” themes such as pirates or beads. Including the GMF name or logo in the artwork is not necessary.

Entries will be judged by the GMF Poster Committee. Submissions will be evaluated based on concept, originality, lay out and marketing adaptability.
The winning poster design will be announced at the GMF VIP Sound Check party the first week of March 2016 (date TBD) and will be recognized as the Official Commemorative Poster of the 2016 Gasparilla Music Festival.
The winning artist will receive:
• Two (2) VIP tickets, valid for both days of the festival ($300 value). ∙ Featured bio in the festival program. ∙
• Recognition on GMF social media sites.
• A print of your poster, which will be gifted to GMF sponsors and individual donors.
• Featured poster-signing session at the festival.
• Possibility of your artwork will be reproduced as an “official” festival T-shirt.

The winning artist will receive a $400 cash prize together with the GMF winning artist VIP ticket package. The cash prize will be awarded to the winning artist at GMF Sound Check kick-off event. By entering the contest, you agree that if yours is the winning submission, it becomes the sole property of GMF together with all licensing and reproduction rights. The winning artist also agrees to no further compensation. Only the winning artist gives GMF license for reproduction for promotion and sales. Non-winning submissions remain the property of the artist and should be picked up by prior arrangement with TBBCA after the winner is announced.”

GUIDELINES FOR ENTRY
• The GMF poster contest is open to all artists residing in the Tampa Bay region.
• Limit to one entry per artist. Entries must be an original art piece (any medium) that is production-ready, vertical poster format and framed or matted.
• Canvas size must scale to 24”x36”.
• On the back of each entry, please include the artist’s name, address, phone number and email address.
• All artists interested in participating are encouraged to pre-register intent to submit; pre-register prior to
by sending an email to susanaweymouth@tbbca.org

To submit, artwork must be delivered by pre-arrangement only to Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts, 633 North Franklin Street, Suite 735, Tampa, FL on or before the submission deadline at 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 12, 2016. Please contact susanaweymouth@tbbca.org to coordinate your delivery.

RELEASE OF RIGHTS OF THE WINNING ART PIECE AND ARTIST – POSTER ART:
“Poster Art” is the completed version of the winning concept image submitted by the selected artist to be used by the Gasparilla Music Festival. The concept image must be adaptable, in whole or in part, for the use in other media, including but without limitation, posters, advertisements, t-shirts, magnets, brochures and rack cards. The Poster Art becomes the property of the Gasparilla Music Festival.
Entrants agree to release the Gasparilla Music Festival and partners Hill Ward Henderson and Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts, from any and all liability resulting from submitting poster art. The Selected artist agrees to release the Gasparilla Music Festival and TBBCA and all its officers, directors, volunteers, and agents from all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the artwork entered. Entry artwork submitted constitutes consent to use the Selected artist’s name, likeness, and art submission for editorial, advertising, and publicity purposes, without compensation

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Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts adds five business leaders to its Board of Directors
New Directors bring strong business expertise and passion for arts and culture to the Board

TAMPA, Fla. (January 20, 2016) – Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) is pleased to announce the election of five new Board Directors. The new Directors, Jamie Moore Marcario, Aaron Miller, Diane Bailey Morton, Jeffrey Nowak and Robert Simmons, each bring unique experience and expertise for TBBCA, a non-profit organization that for over 26 years has united Tampa Bay area businesses to champion arts and culture for a prosperous community.

“Jamie, Diane, Aaron, Jeff and Robert are outstanding business leaders who will add to TBBCA board’s breadth of talent,” said Premier Eye Care CEO Lorna Taylor, who leads the Board as President and Chair. “We are delighted to have attracted and elected to the important responsibility of non-profit board director creative individuals with such diverse backgrounds and wealth of professional experiences.”

“I welcome the addition of these five outstanding new board members,” said Susana Weymouth, TBBCA Executive Director. “They bring a passion to help increase TBBCA’s impact in support of arts education, arts and culture. I look forward to their ideas and advice and to working closely with them.”

Jamie Moore Marcario is an associate with Greenberg Traurig, where she focuses her practice on labor and employment law. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Florida, and her juris doctor from Stetson University. Marcario is also a visual and performing artist, and passionate arts supporter. She often performs with The Impromptu Players, a theatre group made up of business professionals in the Tampa Bay area, at Stageworks Theatre.

Aaron Miller is the general sales manager for Cox Media Group stations WHPT-FM and WXGL-FM. A North Carolina native, Miller began his career with The Daily Advance and The Progress Index newspapers, before moving to radio in 1994. He held progressively higher positions with Clear Channel radio stations in Richmond, Virginia, and Orlando and then joined Cox Media Group Tampa in 2010. As CMG General Sales Manager, Miller oversees numerous radio channels. Miller is also a visual artist whose works with acrylics on canvas, plaster moldings and metals have been featured in several Tampa Bay area art shows.

Diane Bailey Morton has enjoyed a successful 30-year career as an attorney in both the U.S. and England. She currently is the Chief Human Capital officer and General Counsel for C1 Bank. She served as Senior Labor Counsel at McAllister Olivarius in London, where she oversaw the American team of labor litigation. Previously, Bailey Morton managed her own law firm, served as the General Counsel to the Tampa Firefighters and Southwest Florida Police Benevolent Association, was an Assistant State Attorney, Chair of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee, and taught law at Stetson College. A dedicated supporter of arts and culture in our community, Diane Bailey Morton is on the Board of Directors for the St. Petersburg Opera Company. She was a Director on the Board of American Stage for over 20 years. She has supported and helped produce numerous plays at American Stage, Stageworks, and freeFall theaters, among others. Bailey Morton has also served as Volunteer General Counsel for Great Explorations, the Children’s Museum and member of the International Relations Commission for the City of St Petersburg.

Jeffrey Nowak is the vice president of customer success and innovation and senior member of the Executive Management Committee at MedHOK, Inc., an industry leading provider of SaaS software and one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. Nowak has over 20 years’ leadership experience with process improvement, market expansion, technology adoption predictive modeling, and financial and risk management at major Healthcare companies, including Wellcare and CIGNA. Prior to joining MedHOK, Inc., Nowak was Reed Elsevier’s Sr. Director of Operations. A native of the Tampa Bay area, Nowak graduated University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, where he studied under many renowned artists, including Theo Wujcik, Jeffrey Kronsnoble, Mernet Larsen and Robert Gelinas. Nowak earned his MBA cum laude from the University of Tampa. Nowak often credits his creativity and passion for the Arts as a major driver of his success in the business world by helping him identify new and innovative ways to look at and solve complex challenges.

Robert Simmons is the Regional Counsel, Allstate Insurance Co., Florida Region and Castle Key Insurance Companies. He began his career with Allstate in 1996 as General Counsel and Assistant Counsel at Allstate Motor Club (“AMC”), then served as Allstate New Jersey’s Insurance Company Regional Counsel, prior to transferring in 2009 to his current position. Before joining Allstate, Robert served as Deputy Chief of the Consumer Protection Division in the Illinois Attorney General’s office and was Staff Counsel at the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, Chicago, IL. Robert is a current Board Director of AMI Kids, Saint Petersburg. He serves on the Board of Personal Insurance Federation of Florida, is a Member of Civil Justice Reform Group and American Corporate Counsel. Robert holds a B.S. Northeastern University in Boston, MA, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, University of Illinois and a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. Robert is an avid supporter of the arts and himself a visual artist.

About TBBCA
TBBCA is a non-profit organization founded in 1989, and one of 11 national “Business Committees for the Arts,” part of the Private Sector Network of Americans for the Arts. TBBCA’s mission is to unite area businesses to champion arts and culture for a prosperous community with the philosophy that “the arts are good for business and business is good for the arts.” Through innovative pARTnerships and sustainable programs including, The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships, Chalk Walk, Call to Artists, Cultural Encounters, Arts in Lobbies, and others, TBBCA provides advocacy, valuable funding resources and support for arts education, artists, and arts and cultural organizations, and builds awareness of arts and culture as important economic drivers in our community and essential contributors to our quality of life.

TBBCA programs are generously supported by donations and sponsorships, including Chair’s Circle pARTners: Premier Eye Care; MedHOK; Stephen Gay & Associates, Realtors; Linda and Michael Connelly; The Wilson Company; The Tampa Bay Times/tbt*; Tampa Bay Magazine; Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP; B2 Communications and Alex McKnight Archival Images. Platinum pARTners: Greenberg Traurig; The DeBartolo Family Foundation; The Beaux-Arts Group; Barnett, Bolt, Kirkwood, Long and Koche; Phelps Dunbar; Katharine Weymouth; Yann and Susana Weymouth; Chappell Roberts; Cox Media Group; Gold pARTners: Hill, Ward, Henderson; The Lightning Foundation; Hyde Park Village/WS Development/Susan Martin; Helen Pruitt Wallace and Peter Rudy Wallace; Willis of Florida, and other pARTners and donors.

For more information on TBBCA contact 813-221-2787 or www.tbbca.org.

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Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts Announces
The 2016 Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships Program
Call for Applicants now open, deadline to apply is Feb. 29

TAMPA, Fla. (January 15, 2016) – Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) is pleased to announce the Call for Applicants is now open for its 2016 Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships Program. See www.tbbca.org for application.

The TBBCA Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships program is a unique funding resource for higher education.
Each year, TBBCA awards $15,000 in The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships to Tampa Bay area students based on merit and artistic ability. The scholarship is awarded in the fields of instrumental music, vocal music, theatre, dance, visual arts and literary arts, and it can be used for tuition at the college, university or professional arts training program of the student’s choice.

This TBBCA program to support arts education and young artists is named in honor of TBBCA Past President, the late Charlie Hounchell, who was the program’s founder and champion. Since 2007, TBBCA has provided financial assistance for higher education tuition to Tampa Bay area students who are some of the most promising and talented young artists and performers in the nation.

All qualified eligible current high school juniors and seniors from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties are encouraged to apply. The 2016 Application and Guidelines are available for download at www.tbbca.org. Interested parties can also contact TBBCA Executive Director Susana Weymouth at susanaweymouth@tbbca.org to request an email copy. There is no application fee.

The completed application packet must be mailed to the TBBCA office by the deadline of Monday, February 29, 2016. TBBCA will announce the 2016 winners in early April.

The 2015 Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships were awarded to:
• Theatre – David Friedman who graduated from Howard W. Blake High School in May 2015
• Literary Arts – Amy Malakoff who is currently a senior at Howard W. Blake High School
• Dance – Alexandra Desruisseaux who graduated from Wiregrass Ranch High School in May 2015
• Instrumental Music – Mark Trotter who graduated from Keswick Christian School in May 2015
• Vocal Music – Ginny Swanson who is currently a senior at Shorecrest Preparatory School
• Visual Arts – Indigo Naar who is currently a senior at Gibbs High School

The 2015 scholarship recipients showcased their talents at The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships Awards Ceremony at TBBCA pARTner The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.

About TBBCA
Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989, and one of 11 national Business Committees of the pARTnership Movement of Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. TBBCA serves Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties, with the mission to unite Tampa Bay area businesses to champion arts education, arts and culture for a prosperous community. TBBCA’s numerous programs support and promote arts and culture throughout the greater Tampa Bay area and provide advocacy, funding for artists, scholarship funds, and access to cultural programming.

TBBCA programs, including The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships, are made possible through the generosity of pARTners, including Chair’s Circle: Premier Eye Care; Stephen Gay, Gay & Associates Realtors; MedHOK; Linda and Michael Connelly; Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP; The Wilson Company; B2 Communications; Tampa Bay Times; Tampa Bay Magazine; Cox Media Group; ChappellRoberts; Alex McKnight, and others. To join TBBCA pARTnership Movement or to donate online to The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships go to www.tbbca.org. Individual CHASS scholarship naming rights and sponsorships are available. Please contact TBBCA Executive Director Susana Weymouth at 813-221-2787.

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Susana has built a career around deep pursuit of international education, business, culture and the arts. She has lead the 26-year-old TBBCA for a little more than a year now.

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/print-edition/2016/01/15/susana-weymouth-rooted-in-international-education.html

Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts sponsors TBBCA Chalk Walk with the Suncoast Arts Fest Jan.16-17, 2016 at The Shops at Wiregrass- Wesley Chapel

Tampa, Fla. – (Jan. 13, 2016) Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) is proud to sponsor TBBCA Chalk Walk as part of the 2016 Suncoast Arts Fest, Saturday, January 16 from 10-6, and Sunday, January 17th from 11-6 at the entrance to Dillard’s at The Shops at Wiregrass 28211 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543

TBBCA funds artists’ stipends and produces/sponsors TBBCA Chalk Walks – a celebration of public art held annually since 2008 in multiple venues throughout Tampa Bay. TBBCA Chalk Walks are free, fun, family-friendly, open-air, interactive, live art experiences, enjoyed by people of all ages and levels of art appreciation. Watch talented commissioned artists sponsored by Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts bring amazing chalk drawings to life! The Annual Suncoast Arts Fest features 125+ Fine Artists and Craftsmen. Free and open to the public. Free parking.

About TBBCA
Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989, one of 11 national Business Committees of Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. TBBCA serves Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties, with the mission to unite Tampa Bay area businesses to champion arts education, arts and culture for a prosperous community. TBBCA programs support and promote arts and culture throughout the greater Tampa Bay area and provide advocacy, funding for artists, scholarship funds, and access to cultural programming. Info: www.tbbca.org

TBBCA programs are made possible through the generosity of pARTners, including Chair’s Circle: Premier Eye Care; Stephen Gay, Gay & Associates Realtors; MedHOK; Linda and Michael Connelly; Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP; The Wilson Company; B2 Communications; Tampa Bay Times; Tampa Bay Magazine; Cox Media Group; ChappellRoberts; Alex McKnight; Platinum pARTners Hyde Park Village; DeBartolo Family Foundation; Greenberg Traurig; Phelps Dunbar; Katharine Weymouth; Yann and Susana Weymouth; Gold pARTners The Beaux Arts Group; Barnett, Bolt, Kirkwood, Long & Koche; The Lightning Foundation; The Gobioff Foundation; Hill, Ward, Henderson; Willis of Florida, and others. To join TBBCA pARTnership Movement or for more information on TBBCA programs and events go to www.tbbca.org or contact TBBCA Executive Director, susanaweymouth@tbbca.org

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Master works from Wujcik’s Blue Chip series have never before been shown in Tampa Bay

What: For a limited time, two masterworks by internationally known Tampa-based artist the late Theo Wujcik are on display at a Tampa Bay hotel. The pop up art installation is available for the public to view in the Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel’s lobby at no charge until Friday, Oct. 23.

The works temporarily on display are Balloon Dog and Times Square, which are part of Wujcik’s final body of work. Referred to as “Blue Chip,” the paintings represent Wujcik’s return to portraiture, and convey his deep and lasting friendships with some the most influential and prolific international contemporary artists. The fragmented background, found on discarded DJ cards around Ybor City, serve as a metaphor for the rise of DJ celebrity in popular culture. Thus, in Wujcik’s artworks, these giants of the art world become young and hip again, as they are presented as “DJ’s” to a new generation. The fragmentation also represents decay – of life, of fame, of values, of shifting centers of the art world throughout history. On a deeper level, Wujcik found beauty in the degraded cards, seeing them as stories of nights untold, youthful energy and one’s own aging process.

The Theo Wujcik Legacy Foundation has loaned the two pieces on display at the hotel. The works have been exhibited at Gallerie Urbane in Dallas and Bob Rauschenburg Gallery in Ft. Meyers, Florida, and it is the first time the two works have been shown publicly in the Tampa Bay area.

Why: The pop up installation leads into Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) 2015 Impact Awards, which will be held at the hotel on Thursday, Oct. 22. At the event, Wujcik will be posthumously honored with the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award for his extraordinary accomplishments and contributions to the arts.

Wujcik’s work is on display in numerous museums and private collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Library of Congress, Tampa Museum of Art and the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. He served as director of Graphicstudio at the University of South Florida, where and he was also a professor of drawing, painting, and printmaking. He remains an iconic figure in the art world, and his legacy will impact future generations.

When: Through Friday, Oct. 23, 2015

Where: Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel, 4200 Jim Walter Blvd. in Tampa. The pop up installation is located in the lobby, which is open to the public.

Public relations agency supports arts education and culture in Tampa Bay

TAMPA, Fla. (August 4, 2015) – B2 Communications is the newest Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) “pARTner,” a sponsorship that will support arts education, local artists, cultural events and arts organizations in the Tampa Bay area.

TBBCA’s pARTners provide valuable support for TBBCA programs, such as Chalk Walks, Call to Artists, and the Impact Awards, which honor businesses and individuals for their exemplary leadership and contributions to Tampa Bay’s arts and cultural community. The Impact Awards fundraiser benefits arts education through The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships. TBBCA pARTners also participate in special Cultural Encounters, raising awareness, engagement and support of local arts and cultural institutions.

“B2’s support and participation as a pARTner will have a significant impact on TBBCA, and in turn, the community,” said Susana Weymouth, TBBCA’s executive director. “We are pleased to have their support as we promote arts and culture in the Tampa Bay area.”

Supporting the arts is a passion for B2’s principals Missy MacFarlane and Kyle Parks. The public relations agency is currently working with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Tampa Bay to publicize a public art program that will involve sculptures of historic streetcars. B2 has also worked with the Ybor City Museum Society to promote its annual Buildings Alive! Ybor City Architecture Hop, where visitors tour and learn about the architectural styles of Ybor City’s unique buildings.

Community involvement is important to the agency. Its team members are involved in the Tampa Bay chapters of Urban Land Institute (ULI), American Institute of Architects (AIA), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Best Buddies, and Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA), along with the University of Tampa’s Board of Fellows, St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce’s marketing committee, High Hopes in High Heels and Ekhos.

As part of its pARTnership, B2 will participate in TBBCA’s Arts in Lobbies program, which showcases local artists’ work in pARTners’ offices.

About TBBCA

TBBCA is a non-profit organization founded in 1989. It remains today one of 12 affiliate organizations in the U.S. of Americans for the Arts. TBBCA’s mission is to unite area businesses to champion arts and culture for a prosperous community because “the arts are good for business and business is good for the arts.” Through innovative pARTnerships and sustainable programs like Call to Artists, Cultural Encounters, Chalk Walk and The Charlie Hounchell Art Stars Scholarships, TBBCA provides valuable funding support for artists and art education, and builds awareness of arts and culture as important economic drivers in our community and essential contributors to our quality of life. For more information, visit www.TBBCA.org.

About B2 Communications

B2 Communications helps clients communicate with those that affect their organizations, creating and executing wide-ranging, client-specific programs that may include such professional communication services as: media relations, community/industry relations, direct outreach, content development, and message coaching. Among its clients: Colliers International Tampa Bay, Central & Southwest Florida; Colliers International South Florida; Sunstar Paramedics; Ybor City Development Corp.; USAmeriBank; Halpern Enterprises; Revenue Management Solutions; SPCA Tampa Bay; Premier Eye Care; St. Petersburg Free Clinic; and Fisher & Phillips. For more information, visit www.B2communications.com.