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The annual show organized by the Professional Association of Visual Artists isn't as big or serious as its outdoor counterparts but it's a great summertime refreshment.
By LENNIE BENNETT
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 18, 2002
ST. PETERSBURG -- Summer is a cruel season for local artists. Those who can afford it follow their affluent patrons to cooler climes such as North Carolina, Colorado and Maine, where galleries bustle and outdoor art shows abound. Here, the arts scene slumbers.
The COOL Art Show is a midsummer wake-up, easygoing and blessedly cool.
Organized by the Professional Association of Visual Artists, The show takes place Saturday and Sunday in the air-conditioned comfort of the Campus Activities Center at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.
The COOL Art Show is in its 15th year. It is organized by a small group of PAVA members, not a large volunteer committee as with many shows. Its self-governance has led to friction in past years among members, especially regarding the selection of artists, a task usually assumed by an outside committee or juror. But that sense of everyone being an insider, along with the element of enclosure, makes the show seem like a party among a group of creative friends with some very original decorations.
It's small. Only 50 artists can fit into the building, so visitors will not have the depth and breadth of outdoor shows such as Mainsail and Gasparilla. And it leans toward work that is more decorative than thought-provoking.
"There is a lot of representational art and stuff on the craft side," said lead organizer Bill Scott.
But maybe the point is not to be too challenged during this time of overheated inertia. The artists are a friendly group; most are familiar names who work in a variety of mediums. Among the offerings are the wonderfully complex, digitally manipulated photographs of Jack Breit; Denis Gaston's intriguing portraits; luminous watercolors by Bill Scott and Bill Renc; charming paintings on silk by Elizabeth Mitchell and Deborah Dabinet; glass work by Jack Roseman; and assemblages by Bill Darrah.
This show does not have food or drink vendors but that's okay, too. A few blocks north are numerous restaurants and sandwich shops, also air-conditioned. Leave the sunscreen, floppy hat and panting dog at home, maybe bring an umbrella, definitely bring your checkbook, and spend a few hours in artful beguilement.
The COOL Art Show is Saturday and Sunday in the Campus Activities Center at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, Sixth Avenue and Second Street S. Hours both days are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show is free and free parking is available in some USF lots and on the street. (727) 556-0550.