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Diversions

Fans have art in right place

Pregame Art on Ice gives hockey fans a way to express their spirit.

By RON SAAR
Published December 21, 2006

Hali Roberts, 12, of Palatka, and Emily Rotella, 3, of Land O’Lakes, participate in the Art on Ice program behind Sections 323 and 324 on Saturday at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.
	[Times photo: Dirk Shadd]

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Dirk Shadd] Brandon Ruperto, 10, of Tampa, designs a hockey player before a Tampa Bay Lightning game.

TAMPA

Inside the arena at the St. Pete Times Forum, fake noise meters implore fans to make an eardrum-shattering ruckus to support the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Out on the concourse behind Section 324, though, the noise often falls away as amateur artists concentrate on their creations.

"Sometimes, when we have all of the seats filled with people working on an activity, it's so quiet you can hear a pin drop," said Rob Giordano, programming director of the Arts Center in St. Petersburg.

The center's Art on Ice program has become a popular part of pregame festivities this hockey season. Fans - from youngsters to senior citizens - can create pennants, make necklaces and color pictures of players.

When the project is complete, participants receive a gift such as a Lightning pennant, poster or Christmas stockings.

And it's all free.

So far, fans have crafted about 4,000 items.

"It gives kids a chance to make a better connection to the game," said Nancy Crane, executive director of the Lightning Foundation, which sponsors the event. "If they're drawing a picture of No. 4 (Vincent Lecavalier), No. 19 (Brad Richards) or No. 26 (Martin St. Louis), they're going to feel a little more attachment to that player when they see him out on the ice."

But that, Giordano said, is only part of the equation. The program also serves as outreach for the center's programs.

"To me, it has gotten people involved with the arts. If we're getting involved in the community, we're also getting the community involved with the arts," he said. "As you can see, we touch a lot of people."

Rosie Sulander brought her 13-year-old nephew, Hudson Redning, from Naples for a Lightning game recently. Before they found their seats, they hit Art on Ice.

"I think it's great," she said. "The kids can use their imagination to be a fan."

Hudson, finishing a Lightning pennant, agreed: "It's cool."

Nearby, Scott Nevitt, of Tampa, was waiting as his son, Brett, 6, finished coloring a picture. The youngster discovered the program a week earlier.

"He was intrigued by it," Nevitt said. "He definitely wanted to come back."

And, if you ask Giordano, that's what it's all about.

"It becomes a part of the fan experience," he said. "That's what we want."

The Arts Center ran a similar program during Tampa Bay Devil Rays games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg last season. It will resume at the Devil Rays home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 6.

Fast Facts: Holiday alert Because of Christmas, many businesses and attractions will have modified hours. Call before you go.

Art on Ice

On the concourse near Sections 323-324 at the St. Pete Times Forum, Channelside Drive, Tampa, before every Tampa Bay Lightning game.

The next five games are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday vs. New York Rangers; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28 vs. Philadelphia Flyers; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 30 vs. Montreal Canadiens; 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins; and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 vs. Washington Capitals.

The program is available two hours before the game through the end of the first period. For more information, call the Arts Center at (727) 822-7872.

[Last modified December 20, 2006, 10:44:54]