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See Hispanic cultures through eyes of artists

clearwater An exhibit now in City Hall helps viewers learn aboutand gain insight into several ancient and modern worlds.

By LARITA JACOBS, Times Correspondent
Published October 7, 2007

If City Hall doesn't make you think of dominoes, Don Quixote and Aztec mythology, then check out Clearwater's new local Hispanic art exhibit.

As part of National Hispanic Heritage Month, works by local Hispanic artists are on display at City Hall, 112 S Osceola Ave., until Nov. 30.

Painter Aurora Heuple, a native of Mexico City who now lives in Largo, is an expert in Mesoamerican mythology. Her art is influenced by aspects of the Aztec and Mayan cultures, and her work is featured in art collections worldwide.

"We learn of our common elements through the study of civilizations," said Heuple, 65, who has been a featured speaker for the Hispanic Cultural Society of the Library of Congress. "We should all be proud of who we were so we can move forward."

Jose Alvarez, 35, says his works "reflect Hispanic culture in relationship to cultures on the rest of the planet."

Alvarez, born in Havana, moved to Tampa in 2005. His painting of four men playing dominoes reflects a time of sharing.

"Several nationalities are depicted, there is no betting, and coffee is the most common drink while playing," he said. "It is the conversations while playing that are important."

The city's Division of Cultural Affairs received submissions from 28 artists and chose five featured artists. In addition to those of Heuple and Alvarez, the works of Manuel Rodriguez Bello, Gustavo Briceno, and Darwin Leon are on display.

The participating artists belong to the Hispanic Alliance of Tampa Bay Cultural Committee, or Alianza Hispana de la Bahia de Tampa. The alliance promotes more than 120 Hispanic and Latino artists and more than 40 not-for-profit community arts organizations.

Clearwater officials and the Clearwater Arts Foundation brought the exhibit to City Hall as part of the city's cultural plan.

"Since we don't have an art museum, we have to be creative, using City Hall, the library and other areas," Mayor Frank Hibbard said recently at the exhibit's opening.

And seeing the art in a government building surprises visitors.

"When we are changing exhibits we often have people say they don't want us to take it down," Clearwater cultural affairs programmer Elizabeth Minor said. "We assure them that new exhibits are on the way. And people are really surprised to find that these artists live in their communities."

If you go

What: Exhibit featuring works of five artists from the Hispanic Alliance of Tampa Bay Cultural Committee

Where: Clearwater City Hall, 112 S Osceola Ave.

When:8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, through Nov. 30

Cost: Free

[Last modified October 6, 2007, 21:02:04]