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Blake High will honor its artistic 'treasures'

The faculty has nominated 20 local artists to be celebrated and to share the evening with the students of the arts magnet school. Most of the nominees will perform or have their work on display at the fundraiser.

By ERIKA VIDAL
Published March 24, 2006

The faculty at Blake, the only arts magnet high school in Hillsborough County, has nominated 20 local artists to be honored at Wednesday's event in the Don Thompson Theatre. Most of the nominated artists will attend to exhibit their work in the gallery or perform.

Students from the school's culinary department will do the catering. Artists' works will be auctioned.

Rita Ciresi, director of the creative writing program at the University of South Florida, will read from one of her novels. Georgia Lee Collins, an artist whose daughter went to Blake, will present a slide show with commentary.

Duncan McClellan, a local glass artist, will have 10 pieces on exhibit, including a small, midnight blue vase titled Alchemy. The bidding will start at $400, but McClellan has said that if no one buys the piece, he'll donate it to the school.

Suzanne Camp Crosby, Tampa's 2004 photographer laureate and a Hillsborough Community College professor, will have eight pieces on display. She's donated a color photograph to the school's collection.

During the event, school officials will announce the treasured artist of the year based on his or her contributions to the community.

Mayor Pam Iorio is scheduled to present each nominated artist with a silver and sapphire pendant. The treasured artist of the year will receive a gold and diamond pendant. The pendants were made from gold and silver collected by students and crafted by Teresa Winston, a master jeweler and Blake's fine arts coordinator.

The back of each pendant reads, "When art finds its genius, the world has its treasure,'' a quote submitted by Gianna Russo, who teaches creative writing at Blake.

Winston, who called the professional artists "true treasures of the community,'' hopes that seeing artists applying their talents and making a living off art will inspire the students.

The students helped create the 36-by-50-foot promotional banner hanging on the side of the school, facing Interstate 275. Visual arts students submitted sketches for the banner, and photography students took pictures of a bronze-painted dance student, Samantha Murphy, whose profile is on each pendant. Blake alumni and painter JahzmineRuiz created the final product.

Winston says the image represents the "magnificence that goes in Blake." Proceeds from the event will go toward school art supplies.

Erika Vidal can be reached at evidal@sptimes.com or 813 226-3339.

[Last modified March 24, 2006, 11:40:22]