A hearty arty party
Gala Corina, always fun and funky, makes a splash in Ybor City through Friday.
By RICK GERSHMAN
Published November 12, 2006
YBOR CITY - The 2006 home of the Gala Corina art exhibition is an enormous warehouse full of mysteries. Turn a corner, turn around, peek around a divider, and you never know what you'll find.
On one wall, check out paintings by Nick Mitchell, a.k.a. NEM, who has produced twisted but strangely beautiful caricatures of Johnny Cash, Napoleon Dynamite, Bono and Batman, among others.
Turn the corner and admire Jackie Denning's illustrations, such as Goth Girl Sitting, Goth Girl With Chair and Reclining Goth With Beads. She'll fit in well in Ybor.
Swing around the other side and admire James Reiman's series of photos of men who used to be women.
And try not to be too grossed out by his sculpture Torn, which is a head and torso, the head adorned with two faces, the two faces splitting apart, leaving deep, bloody gouges. For good measure, a hand is raking a bloody trench through the two-faced guy's chest.
It's always a diverse collection at Gala Corina. The eighth annual show of homegrown artists is open through Friday.
Gala Corina takes on new digs every year, usually in a raw space in an emerging part of Tampa. This year it's an old factory and warehouse at 1925 E Second Ave. in Ybor City.
Formerly the Gulf Millwork & Fixture building, it was donated to Gala Corina for the week by the law firm Sponsler Bennett Jacobs & Cristal.
Remnants of the factory have become art elements, like signs that read:
Don't Run Saw Without Guard Protectors
No opere sierra sin los protectores
This year's event is called Esperanza, which is Spanish for "hope." Collective president Amy Kroslak said the name represents hope for the future of Gala Corina as well as a new community service element of the event.
This year, a portion of proceeds will benefit the Children's Home in Tampa, which serves children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned.
Many of the 100-plus participating artists illustrated cardboard cutouts of children that were sold through a silent auction last Friday. Other artists donated different pieces for the auction.
All proceeds went to the Children's Home, as did part of the $5 suggested donation at the door.
Last year's suggested donation was $2. Gala organizers upped it to cover increased insurance costs and to give to the Children's Home.
For the first time, Gala Corina is a registered nonprofit corporation.
Kroslak said that was necessary to deal with the costs of putting on the event, which can total $10,000 to $12,000.
"The cost of insurance, of course, is a big one," she said. "If you figure what it costs to insure your house, you can imagine what it costs for this."
Gala Corina gets help from sponsors, many of whom provide materials and other in-kind donations. Artists pay $50 to participate.
Jenny Brockwell-Frank is participating in her second Gala Corina. She's an aerial photographer for Aerial Innovations, which will display an intricately illustrated mannequin named Roxy at the event. The mannequin will be auctioned for charity later, she said.
"I just love the artists getting together," said Brockwell-Frank, who will be exhibiting her ground-level photos of Tampa locales.
"It's cool to take over an old warehouse and turn it from some dingy, nasty place into an art gallery for a week."
Dan Rojas, a core member of the artist collective, expects a big turnout for this year's event.
"Last year there were 4,000 people on opening night," he said. "It's got such a wonderful following. We get calls about the show months in advance."
Rick Gershman can be reached at rgershman@sptimes.com or 226-3431.