Creative Clay Celebrates April with Art, Inclusion, and Community
This April, Creative Clay continues its 30th anniversary celebration with a vibrant series of events that uplift the voices of artists with disabilities and invite the community to connect through folk art, live music, and creative expression.
Friday, April 4, 10am–2pm, Creative Clay hosts its First Friday Art Market featuring folk art, ceramics, handmade cards, and artist portraits. Enjoy live music by Koala Fire, karaoke, and food from Twisted Garden. Don’t miss the special plant swap and sale—featuring artist-made ceramic planters. Special guests Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Love there!
Saturday, April 12, 5–9pm brings the Second Saturday ArtWalk exhibit Retrospective 30: Featuring 30 Years of Creative Clay’s Artists at Creative Clay’s Good Folk Gallery. Enjoy decades of paintings, sculptures, and ceramics alongside live T-shirt printing with Big Frog, a plant sale, portrait drawing, and music by Deb Ruby.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.creativeclay.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn(@creativeclaystpete)
Surrealist and Experimental Photography From the David Raymond Collection at the Dalí Museum
And the Influence of Sigmund Freud
The Subversive Eye: Surrealist and Experimental Photography from the David Raymond Collection, exhibited at the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, showcases a collection of provocative and imaginative photographs that push the boundaries of visual perception. This exhibition highlights the work of pioneering photographers who drew heavily from the principles of Surrealism — a movement deeply rooted in Sigmund Freud’s theories of the unconscious, dreams, and repressed desires.
Freud’s influence is palpable in the works featured in The Subversive Eye, where photography becomes a medium to explore the hidden dimensions of the mind, blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy, and challenge societal norms. Through techniques such as double exposure, solarization, photomontage, and unexpected juxtapositions, these photographers applied Freudian ideas to create dreamlike, subconscious imagery that reflected the deepest recesses of the psyche.
Freud’s theories, particularly those outlined in The Interpretation of Dreams (1899), provided a framework for Surrealist artists to explore the unconscious mind and reveal latent desires. Three core Freudian concepts shaped the photographic works included in The Subversive Eye:
1. The Unconscious and Repressed Desires – Freud proposed that repressed desires, often of a sexual or violent nature, reside in the unconscious and manifest through symbols in dreams. Surrealist photographers, inspired by this notion, sought to access and represent these hidden desires through their work.
Man Ray, a key figure in Surrealist photography, employed techniques such as solarization and photograms to produce ethereal, otherworldly images that echoed the fragmented and symbolic nature of dreams. His photographs, such as Noire et Blanche (1926), often juxtaposed the human form with inanimate objects, evoking a sense of eroticism and mystery that mirrored the tension between desire and repression.
2. Dream Imagery and Symbolism – Freud believed that dreams use symbolic language to express unconscious thoughts. Surrealist photographers adopted this approach by using visual metaphors and unexpected juxtapositions to create scenes that disrupted conventional logic.
Hans Bellmer, known for his disturbing images of dismembered dolls, explored the idea of fetishistic desire and objectification, reflecting Freud’s theories on sexual repression and the uncanny. His photographs, which often evoke a sense of discomfort and fascination, expose the darker dimensions of the unconscious.
3. The Uncanny and Doubles – Freud’s concept of “the uncanny” (Das Unheimliche) described the unsettling feeling that arises when something familiar becomes strange or distorted. Surrealist photographers embraced this idea by creating unsettling, fragmented compositions that blurred the line between reality and imagination.
Claude Cahun, a gender-fluid photographer whose work explored identity and transformation, used self-portraiture and double exposure to create unsettling and ambiguous images that challenge traditional perceptions of gender and self. Cahun’s work resonates with Freud’s exploration of the fragmented self and the duality of human identity.
Key Photographers in The Subversive Eye and Their Freudian Connections
Man Ray’s contributions to Surrealist photography epitomized the application of Freud’s ideas to visual art. By embracing automatic processes like solarization and photograms, Ray tapped into the unconscious and produced imagery that defied rational interpretation. His work, which often featured fragmented female forms and erotic symbolism, echoed Freud’s exploration of the relationship between desire, repression, and the unconscious.
Freudian Influence: Man Ray’s Le Violon d’Ingres (1924), where a woman’s back is transformed into a musical instrument, suggests the fetishization of the female body, an idea closely aligned with Freud’s theories on sexual objectification and sublimation.
Man Ray, Portrait of Dora Maar, 1936. Image via The Red List.
Dora Maar, a French photographer and painter closely associated with the Surrealist movement, used her camera to explore themes of alienation, memory, and psychological distress. Her photomontages, often featuring distorted perspectives and fragmented bodies, evoke a sense of unease that aligns with Freud’s concept of the uncanny.
Freudian Influence: Maar’s work frequently explored the blurred line between reality and dream, exposing the anxieties and desires hidden within the unconscious. Her compositions, rich with symbolic imagery, serve as visual manifestations of repressed emotions.
3. Hans Bellmer: Exploration of the Repressed
Hans Bellmer’s disturbing and provocative images of dismembered dolls were a direct exploration of Freudian ideas about repression, trauma, and fetishism. His work confronts the darker dimensions of the unconscious, often portraying distorted and fragmented bodies that evoke discomfort and fascination.
Freudian Influence: Bellmer’s La Poupée (The Doll) series (1934–1937) challenges societal norms of beauty and desire, reflecting Freud’s notion that suppressed desires often resurface in distorted or symbolic forms.
4. Claude Cahun: Identity, Transformation, and the Fragmented Self
Claude Cahun’s avant-garde self-portraits, which challenged gender norms and conventional identity, embodied Freud’s theories on ego, id, and superego. Cahun’s use of masks, disguises, and role reversals suggests a deep exploration of the fragmented self and the duality of human identity.
Freudian Influence: Cahun’s use of self-portraiture to explore the multiplicity of identity aligns with Freud’s theories of the fragmented psyche and the conflicts between the conscious and unconscious mind.
Freud’s Legacy in the Techniques and Themes of the Exhibition
The works showcased in The Subversive Eye demonstrate a profound connection to Freud’s ideas, not only through their subject matter but also in their techniques. Many photographers in the exhibition used methods that mirrored Freud’s free association and dream analysis, allowing unconscious imagery to surface:
1. Photomontage and Collage
Inspired by Freud’s concept of the fragmented psyche, Surrealist photographers like Max Ernst and Dora Maar employed photomontage and collage to create dreamlike juxtapositions that challenged linear perception and narrative.
2. Double Exposure and Solarization
Man Ray’s solarization technique, where light reverses portions of the photographic image, creates a surreal visual effect that evokes the uncanny and mirrors Freud’s ideas about the blurred boundaries between the conscious and unconscious.
3. Automatic Photography
Drawing parallels with automatic writing, some photographers experimented with unplanned, spontaneous photography, allowing their unconscious minds to guide the composition and subject matter.
Salvador Dalí and The Subversive Eye: A Freudian Connection
Given that The Subversive Eye is showcased at the Dalí Museum, the exhibition naturally invites comparisons to Salvador Dalí’s own Freudian-infused work. Dalí, who described his artistic process as “paranoiac-critical,” used his paintings to give visual form to unconscious desires and fears, mirroring the approach taken by many of the photographers in the exhibition.
Shared Techniques: Just as Dalí meticulously rendered dreamlike landscapes with symbolic imagery, the photographers featured in The Subversive Eye used photographic manipulation to create visually unsettling and symbolically rich works.
Exploration of the Unconscious: Like Dalí’s surreal worlds, the photographs evoke the unconscious through fragmentation, distortion, and symbolic language, making Freud’s ideas visible in unexpected ways.
Dalí’s Meeting with Freud
Dalí’s admiration for Freud culminated in a meeting with the psychoanalyst in 1938 in London. Dalí famously brought his painting The Metamorphosis of Narcissus (1937) to show Freud, hoping to demonstrate how his work embodied Freud’s theories. Although Freud was reportedly skeptical of Surrealism, he acknowledged Dalí’s extraordinary ability to visually articulate the unconscious, stating: “I have never seen a more complete example of a Spanish fanatic.”
The Metamorphosis of Narcissus (1937)
Freud found Dali surprisingly refreshing and eye-opening, as he explained to their mutual friend Zweig, “Until then, I was inclined to look upon the surrealists… as absolute (let us say 95 percent, like alcohol), cranks. That young Spaniard, however, with his candid and fanatical eyes, and his undeniable technical mastery, has made me reconsider my opinion.”
Freud’s Lasting Impact on Surrealist Photography
The Subversive Eye: Surrealist and Experimental Photography from the David Raymond Collection stands as a testament to the enduring influence of Sigmund Freud’s theories on visual art. Through dream-inspired imagery, fragmented compositions, and symbolic juxtapositions, the photographers featured in the exhibition explored the deepest recesses of the human psyche, echoing Freud’s revolutionary insights into the unconscious. Whether through Man Ray’s ethereal photograms, Dora Maar’s psychological landscapes, or Hans Bellmer’s provocative dolls, these works exemplify the Surrealist mission to subvert reality and expose the uncharted territories of the mind.
Freud’s influence continues to shape contemporary art and photography, reminding us that the subconscious remains a boundless source of creative inspiration.
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The Subversive Eye: Surrealist and Experimental Photography from the David Raymond Collection exhibition at The Dalí Museum features over 100 works by more than 50 artists. Notable artists include Eileen Agar, Eugène Atget, Hans Bellmer, Brassaï, Dora Maar, Lee Miller, Lucia Moholy, Osamu Shiihara, and Man Ray.
The exhibition is curated by William Jeffett, Senior Curator at The Dalí Museum, with works on loan from artist and art collector David Raymond.
Visitors can also engage in interactive experiences, such as a “photo studio” to recreate surrealist techniques on their smartphones, and an AI-powered Dream Tapestry that transforms written dreams into black-and-white surrealist images.
The Subversive Eye: Surrealist and Experimental Photography at the Dalí Museum
Runs through May 4, 2025
(included with general admission tickets to the museum)
Presenting sponsor of The Subversive Eye is Marion R. Rich, with a deep appreciation for Surrealist photography. Supporting sponsors: Ingrid and Jake Jacobus and Adele Visaggio. Airport Partner: St. Pete Clearwater International Airport (PIE) and Hotel Partner: TradeWinds Resort on St. Pete Beach.
Directed by freeFall Artistic Director Eric Davis and stars Renata Eastlick, Sara DelBeato and Matthew McGee with Kelly Pekar, Glenn Girón and Francine Wolf.
Rehearsals start this week for the world premiere of For Closure! by acclaimed playwright Hannah Benitez. This contemporary farce set in Florida’s Gulf Coast is a hilarious and satirical look at the foibles and hypocrisies of modern life.
Lesbian couple Raven (Renata Eastlick) and Amanda (Sara DelBeato) are trying to keep the family real estate agency afloat in trying times. When a nefarious local politician threatens to bring even more disruption to their lives, they must join forces with the enigmatic psychic, Camille Chevalier Milk (played by Tampa Bay favorite Matthew McGee) to Renatraexpose the true nature of this threat to the town before it’s too late. With the help of a wild cast of Florida characters including a handyman, a rapper, an oligarch’s mistress, a bird lady and an exotic dancer, they just might pull it off.
Renata EastlickSara DelBeato
Matthew McGee (Camille Chevalier Milk) was recently selected by Creative Loafing Tampa as Best Actor in their 2024 Best of the Bay Issue (Reader’s Pick) for his work in Jobsite Theater’s smash hit production of The Rocky Horror Show at the Straz Center. McGee also won a Theatre Tampa Bay Award as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as The Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show. For many years, he was a cast member at Walt Disney World and has appeared in numerous plays, musicals and commercials. Renata Eastlick (Raven) is no stranger to Tampa Bay audiences after appearing with American Stage, Tampa Rep and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. She received a Theatre Tampa Bay Award for her work in Good People with American Stage. Eastlick works both nationally and internationally and has appeared Off-Broadway at The Public NYC in for colored girls as well as feature films, television, commercials and as a sought after voice over artist. Sara DelBeato (Amanda) most recently appeared as Mama Mizner in freeFall’s Road Show and is a busy character actress, comedian and singer with extensive touring and regional theatre experience. DelBeato originated the role of the incomparable Belle Barth in Raunchy Little Musical.
Matthew McGee
Rounding out the cast is freeFall favorite Kelly Pekar, Glenn Girón and Francine Wolf. Pekar recently appeared in freeFall’s holiday hit, Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty as Irene Adler. The acclaimed actress calls Brooklyn, NY home and has appeared in numerous regional and international venues. Glenn Girón traveled the country as Patsy in the national tour of Monty Python’s Spamalot and has appeared Off-Broadway and regionally in a variety of musical productions. Both Pekar and Girón play numerous roles in For Closure! 35 year showbiz veteran, Francine Wolf (Cheryl) is an actress, comedienne, writer and performance artist. Wolf has worked in film, television, commercials, regional theatre and has created her own one-woman shows in various venues throughout the Tampa Bay area.
Kelly Pekar
Costume, property and sound design is by freeFall AD Eric Davis with lighting design by Trenten Szabo and set design by Tom Hansen. The production will feature sound engineering by Nathan Doyle.
Since its founding, freeFall has presented numerous world-premiere plays including The Buffalo Kings by Natalie Symons, Wolf’s Blood by Jethro Compton, American Monkey by Mihkel Raud, The Tempest: Esta Isla Es Mia by Eric Davis, OZ: A New Musical by Eric Davis & Michael Raabe, and Fable by Doug DeVita.
freeFall Theatre brings For Closure! to the stage for 5 weeks. For Closure! opens April 11 and closes May 11, 2025.The space is located at 6099 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at freefalltheatre.com or by calling 727-498-5205. All matinees at freeFall are at 2pm and all evening performances are at 7pm. Tickets are $55 ($25 for youth under 18 and for all seats to previews) or included with your $29/month subscription.
Located in West St Petersburg, freeFall Theatre Company is one of Tampa Bay’s most exciting professional theater companies. freeFall was founded in 2008 and moved into its current space at 6099 Central Avenue in 2011. freeFall presents a varied range of classical and new works that are bold, daring, and presented in ways that invite, entertain, and challenge audiences. All freeFall productions are produced and presented locally using acclaimed theater professionals from across the country including many that make Tampa Bay their artistic home. In addition to a full season of shows, freeFall also presents an award-winning series of cabarets, concerts, and special programming as part of their Tandem Series.
It’s WUSF’s biggest event of the year! Enjoy a gourmet meal right down the middle of Bayshore Drive in downtown St. Pete with hundreds of other members of the community.
Your four-course meal paired with fine wine will be topped off with our “Arts Axis Florida” Longest Table After-Party at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. Where & When Location: Downtown St. Petersburg Date: Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 Time: 5:30 PM
Get your seats quickly, before they sell out, by clicking the button below.
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in St. Petersburg, Florida, is hosting an exhibition titled “Kimono: The Triumph of Japanese Dress” from March 8 through June 8, 2025. This exhibition showcases over 150 exquisite objects, including kimono dating from the late Edo period (1603–1867) through the Shōwa era (1926–1989).
The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the beauty, complexity, and cultural significance of the kimono. From ceremonial robes to everyday attire, these garments tell rich stories about Japanese history, social movements, and artistic traditions. The kimono are masterpieces of construction, ornamentation, and symbolism that transcend time and geography.
In addition to finely woven damasks or brocades, many kimono feature intricate free-hand painting using a resist process, often combined with superb embroidery using gold-wrapped or even lacquered threads, as well as glorious shibori, which is akin to Western tie-dyeing. The exhibition also incorporates related accessories, including obi—the prized, traditional sashes—as well as Japanese photography, woodblock prints, and decorative arts.
The exhibition is organized around several interwoven themes, exploring the kimono’s evolving role in Japanese culture and society. Visitors will encounter a diverse array of garments, from brilliantly colored furisode with their elegant long sleeves to somber juban with their secret inner hand-painted or brocade scenes.
Access to “Kimono: The Triumph of Japanese Dress” is included with general admission to the museum. The museum is open Tuesday–Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm, with extended hours for Art After Dark from 5–8 pm on select Thursdays.
For more information about the exhibition and associated programming, visit the MFA’s official website:
At the Upcoming 55th Annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
The 55th Annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is set to bring together an extraordinary lineup of artists, and this year’s event will shine a special spotlight on Tampa Bay-based artist and wildlife conservationist Sammy Dormio. With a mission that extends far beyond the canvas, Dormio’s work is a compelling fusion of art and advocacy, bringing attention to the urgent need for wildlife conservation.
Sammy Dormio’s passion for endangered species has been a lifelong pursuit. With a Master’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, she has dedicated years to scientific research and education. Recognizing the power of visual storytelling, she channeled her expertise into art, founding Wild Planet Creations. This initiative donates 10% of all art sales to organizations committed to protecting endangered species.
Her paintings are more than just visually stunning; they are an educational tool, featuring informative captions and engaging short-form videos that provide insight into the animals she depicts. Dormio hopes to bridge the gap between research and real-world conservation efforts by merging art with science.
As a Local Artist Spotlight selection at this year’s Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Dormio’s work will be on full display, offering festival-goers a chance to experience the intersection of creativity and environmental advocacy. Her exhibition is a must-see for art lovers, environmentalists, and anyone inspired by the power of art to drive meaningful change.
The 55th Annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts will take place March 1-2 at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in Downtown Tampa. For more information, visit GasparillaArts.org.
About Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (GFA) Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to producing an annual, premier juried outdoor art festival for the enjoyment and education of patrons, artists, and guests and to enhance the Tampa Bay area’s cultural arts. The non-profit organization relies on support from sponsorships, on-site retail sales, and corporate and individual gifts to fund its programs and events.
For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact: Rebecca Hagen Marketing Chair, Board of Directors 813-255-9917
“Music is the soundtrack of your life” – Dick Clark
In 2018, two musicians with a deep love for jazz and a shared commitment to making people feel good set out on a musical journey that would not only transform their lives but enrich the lives of countless others. David Busch, a retired history teacher from the Hudson Valley and Larry Cangelosi (“my spiritual advisor” as Busch calls him) emerged from the vibrant Tomkats Jazz Orchestra – the 17 member ensemble known for its big band sound has played continuously for 40 years.
Their vision to bring live music to smaller more intimate venues started at the Fountains retirement community with jazz infused renditions of American Songbook classics, music that resonates with the 40’s and 50’s generation. They still play monthly, travelling recently to Sarasota where the residents have relocated due to the storms.
What sets the St. Petersburg Sax Quartet apart is their commitment to creating an atmosphere of fun rather than perfection. “We try to include the audience in each performance with sing-a-longs and audience participation. “Music is a personal connection.”
David Busch Laura Montgomery Cindy Paauw Larry Cangelosi
Planning for collaboration with the audience starts in rehearsals. Each arrangement is a cooperative effort. The medley of 5th Dimension hits, for example, is a crowd favorite, with the tenor and alto saxophones – played by Cincy Paauw and Laura Montgomery – leading the charge. Both Laura (also a vocalist) and Cindy encourage audiences to sing along, particularly during the 5th Dimension medley, making each performance feel like a shared experience.
The COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 opened up new avenues of participation. They performed outside the windows of the Fountains playing as loud as they could. Residents in their windows were cheering. They bonded together window by window with music. “People in lockdown were no longer climbing the walls; they were dancing.”
David Busch Laura Montgomery Cindy Paauw Larry Cangelosi
The quartet’s dedication was to bring music to those who needed it, where they lived, be it under condo windows, in a field in Belleair, or on docks in Tierra Verde. It cemented their reputation as a group that goes above and beyond for its audience. “We are about people. Music is the vehicle to something nice.”
For Busch telling the truth of music and history has been central to his life. For him both music and history “are apolitical.” Anyone who has attended his talks at OLLI or his St Pete Beach Library series on The Presidents are aware of his entertaining even-handed approach.”You can’t teach anything if you are not trusted.”
“Where words fail, music speaks.”
– Hans Christian Anderson
As Busch details in his book, “I did lie on one occasion, to get admitted to a different Junior High School in another neighborhood in Brooklyn. I altered my address and forged my mother’s signature. In 7th grade, my music teacher, Walter Davis, put a Baritone Saxophone in my hands – because I was the biggest kid in the class. It changed my life. Two years later I auditioned for the NYC High School of Music and Art, which inspired the film FAME.”
He had a “tough childhood.” The ”lonely teenager who stuttered, and played music in his bedroom every afternoon” was transformed by the school, the teachers who took him under their wings, especially Justin DeCioccio who mentored him. He left his dysfunctional family behind emerging as the outgoing persona we know today.
His experience was not unlike Maya Angelou who stated “Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” They not only shared a very difficult childhood, having been muted most of it, he was like Angelou who stated, “When I decided to speak, I had a lot to say.” •
This poem reads itself by the light of itself. Speaks of itself in the fifth person. Believes in me more than the devil does in evil. There will be no generic blessing. Right now this poem is powdered concentrate, translated from a 100-foot echo. I am a conduit for your coincidence. You are uncanny and resist the tourniquet of sleep. Sometimes I am a box of afraid. But you, the hell-bent juggernaut, like the cracked axle on an 18-wheeler out of control jack-knifing into my heart like a perfume. You give me the capacity for the noise of fire. Give me the breath for another poem on fire. My voice is not the voice of the poem. My handwriting collapses, sucked into secret whirlpools. I write poems with revenge over the third hand I used to have.
Habanero
They say to catch the devil in the act, we need to set the trap within ourselves.
So, one summer twilight in Gainesville, Florida after a jar of homemade dandelion wine
I tramped into our steamy backyard garden to sing aloud the newly painted sign:
‘Abandon all taste buds ye he eat here: 577,000 Scoville units’
One step away the habaneros hung like the little gonads of demons.
I leaned down and bit the pepper right off the twig. While my tongue was being excommunicated
from the flaming church of my mouth, I was forced to wonder whether God was feeling this. Was the devil?
Were they laughing? Ten thousand snowy nights and ten thousand Niagaras could not calm the anger of this
dangerous vegetable whose power kills bacteria, amnesia, and the milk of human kindness. Yes, I cried. My ears they
cried too. And then I ate another.
Sweet & Sour Lifespan
(at the sift of the clock) I walk west into my body (unleashing my language) the seed of a single voice (each syllable a knot of slang) Dew awakens from its fathom (coming from the other side of day) in a brighter silence (of only the moon being clairvoyant) to a sky whose blue has been shed for a door to water (umbilical to the horizon) airtight from laughter (an equinox of confusion) My life a fuse that has been lit (by a spasm of light)
Yolk
It is from a sentence of bird, I am but of stone. My mineral wings spark against a subterranean sky. I am eggless, but round in my bones. The moon takes to sugaring the trees while crickets chirp in F sharp major. A cloud passes by without a word. These words I say with an unknown breath, wait to become mystic again. I free myself from Chinese handcuffs, but my belief is stranded on syllables of anxiety. I travel headlong into absence where the opposite of happiness is not sadness but boredom. I feel responsible for the falling of stars as astronauts who return to earth half as strong as they were. But be careful with what’s resurrected. In the sub-basement, a weather balloon lurks like a prophet. My halo isn’t made from halo, it is halo.
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Stephen Lindow earned an MFA in Creative Writing from UMass/Amherst in 2004. He’s been writing since 1986 and is very active in Tampa Bay’s poetry scene. Recently, he led an ekphrastic poetry reading at Hillsborough Community College in Ybor and is winnowing poems for his first collection.
The persons asking and answering the questions are both photographers, the former Photo Laureate and current Photo Laureate of St Petersburg. To make a portrait of what it means to be practitioners of this way of seeing, its degrees of perspective, they have agreed to opposite sides of the interview. Through the lens, the viewfinder of questions has been removed but the frame of answers remains.
I got my first camera when I was eight, third grade, when I lived in Huntington Station, a suburb on the north shore of Long Island, 30 miles outside NYC. It was a Kodak Brownie Starflash that had a built-in flash, the kind that used one bulb at a time, burned your fingers if you touched it too soon, and blinded everyone in its path.
Mother and Child, Philippines, 2003
My mom was a creative art director for a Manhattan firm and could sketch anything in a second. I couldn’t draw at all. My dad, a musician, had a Rolli (Rolleiflex). He shot black and white as a hobby and sent the film off for contacts. Mom would grab sheets of tracing paper from her basement studio and make cutouts, cropping the photo proofs per her taste. Looking back, she took the photos seriously like she was critiquing some artist’s work. It’s funny because I never saw my mother pick up a camera––never. But the way she went over dad’s photos was like the director on a movie set. This made me think photos were important which they were, especially in the 60s.
I always had Kodak Instamatic cameras, point and shoots, a Polaroid in high school. Frozen moments fascinated and haunted me. I took a photo of three friends in our garage; we watched it develop before our eyes. I looked at it again, alone, that night and thought, “My friends look like the people in our high school history book. Sitting Bull, Abraham Lincoln, all dead.” I have this epiphany that time is relentless, nothing stops it, and we’re all doomed! My photography comes in part from an obsession with death.
Working in an orphanage in Germany, a waiter in Spain, a college semester in Ireland working weekends in a pub, a sailing ship in the Caribbean, I took my Kodak Pocket Instamatic and its tiny 110mm negative cartridge film with me everywhere. It even made me an instant wedding photographer in the small Filipino fishing village where the Peace Corps sent me after college in 1976. That self-inflicted hardship ended in 1978, but a year later I returned to marry my girlfriend, and I brought my first completely manual, 35mm Fujica. During the 24-hour flight to Manila, I clicked the shutter at least 300 times and read the manual the rest of the time.
Boy with Lollipop, Athlone, Ireland, 1998
A big tree had been uprooted by a tornado somewhere between Lakeland and Fort Meade, Florida. It laid flat, next to a barn. When I got there, I asked an older man if there was a way to get on top of the barn. He said there was a ladder on the other side. I climbed up and shot down on the spread-out tree using a wide-angle zoom. The chief photographer loved it. They had sent a regular staff photographer to shoot it, but my shot was used. Later, the photographer asked how I got on the roof. I told him I just asked if there was a ladder. I learned a lot about being hungry to make the best photo, following an idea or an instinct, and to never be lazy.
Well, basically, I would describe my current work as portraits of people and light. You must think of light. The camera only records light. It doesn’t see faces, recognize whether you have Jack or Jill in front of the lens. So, I see light and think what might work in black and white. You can’t make an intimate portrait, no matter how much pressure you create on yourself. Once you understand aperture and its relation to shutter speed you can foresee images in your mind, but you must get the right subject at the right time. And there is really no controlling that. You keep trying and failing. That’s film. It is a tough teacher.
Girl in Plastic Chair, Clearwater, 2000
Any photograph––except for its ability to show a “likeness” of someone––is an illusion. Generally, with portraits, I’m on the eyes. They acknowledge me; I acknowledge them.
Not necessarily always looking at the lens, but what the eyes are doing: they might be glancing downward or sideways, displaying contemplation, sadness. But the face speaks a certain language if you’re listening, visually. I don’t waste time pursuing subjects because it doesn’t work when they don’t give. It’s a gift when someone really gives his or herself to the lens. When it happens naturally, I love blur, especially when combined with a stationary part of the photo. This is something cinematography can’t do, but photography can, showing motion in what is a still photo.
Jonathan Lighting his Cigarette, St. Petersburg, 2024
Some people just don’t have faces that give you anything even when they agree to be photographed. My first good portrait was of a guy on a rock in the Philippines. So, I look for interesting faces. The more a person has gone through in life, the more they bring to the lens. Most people lock other people out. Meeting someone on the street is usually a collaboration to get a decent photo, subject and shooter experiencing each other in life in a moment in time. Even when no words are spoken, there must be mutual openness. I would describe my face as older, asymmetrical, but not quite decrepit yet. I am 71, so how people see me has changed. I am aware of older people’s reluctance to be photographed.
I am not crazy about color photography. Black and white is more interesting, more emotional. There is so much color from digital, all the phones. It is much easier to shoot color than black and white. It took one smart person to invent digital photography, but a lot of real devils to promote it. Black and white takes practice. I see in black and white when I am shooting. So many images in color just wouldn’t work in black and white because color differentiates easily, and we see in color. But there are times when I would like to shoot something in color that I know won’t work in black and white. Also, I see a lot of color photographs that have been printed too vibrantly. It’s visual stimulation, like TV commercials. I like muted color, or shots that contain only one or two colors. I find it peaceful and serene.
Police Officer Guarding Epiphany Service, Tarpon Springs, 2025
The deepest and most supreme photos are spiritual. They involve luck, accident, and effort. The slowness of the darkroom helps to bring out the spiritual, especially when listening to music. There is an Al Green song where he sings “…love is a dimension between time and space…” I first heard it sitting alone in my dorm shortly after returning from my father’s funeral. I felt the lyrics very deeply, and they apply to photos. The photos of mine that are spiritual, that border on the surreal, are the ones I don’t remember catching in the viewfinder, the ones taken by the unconscious. These, I believe, preserve the soul. A photographic portrait is a way to see into someone who will one day pass. They stare into the camera in a solid way, in complete confidence, no fear, and come alive in the future for the empathetic viewers who stare back. Portraits are nostalgic to me. In the end, we are products of our environments––with a good dose of genetics. •
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Ric Savid was born in New York City in 1954, attended Rollins College, Columbia University, and moved to Florida in 1982. He is the author of “Portraits from My Darkroom” and was named the Photo Laureate of St Petersburg by SPMOP (spmop.org) in 2024. His exhibition, “Darkroom Silver Linings,” will be presented at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA), April 29–June 1, 2025. His website is www. ricsavid-photo.com.
If you haven’t noticed, historic Ybor City in Tampa is experiencing a renaissance. Every day, something new seems to open—restaurants, coffee shops, apartment buildings, and businesses of all kinds. While the nightlife and clubs remain, the district now offers a broader range of experiences, particularly in the arts. At the heart of this cultural revival is the Kress Building at 1624 E. 7th Avenue.
Originally built in 1929 as part of the S.H. Kress & Co. “five and dime” department store chain, the three-story brick building later housed the U.S. Customs and Border Protection offices for decades. Developer and arts advocate Darryl Shaw acquired the property as part of a larger master plan to transform Ybor into a more walk-able and livable neighborhood.
Today, the Kress Building is a hub of creative energy. On the ground floor, an upscale steakhouse is under construction next to the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, which opened in 2023. The upper two floors are home to Kress Contemporary, a thriving arts collective.
Tracy Midulla
Tracy Midulla, a fourth-generation Tampa native and founder of Tempus Projects, was entrusted by Shaw to activate the building and curate this dynamic arts community. Since its founding in 2009, Tempus Projects has been a champion for artists, showcasing innovative work and fostering creative connections. In October 2022, the organization moved into the Kress, bringing with it a growing collective that now includes sixteen artists and seventeen arts organizations.
With its rich history and new artistic energy, the Kress Building stands as a symbol of Ybor City’s evolving identity—a place where culture, creativity, and community converge.
Midulla recalls, “The goal was to showcase the vibrant creative culture while providing a space for the community to gather, celebrate, and connect. This initiative continues to evolve and expand, fostering an ever-growing artistic environment.”
And evolve it will. Currently under construction are a new printmaking lab and darkroom photography studio, offering artists expanded opportunities to explore their craft through hands-on practice, demos, and workshops. Later this year, a new event space in the West Annex will open, providing a versatile venue for public and private gatherings, intimate concerts, literary events, workshops, and lectures.
Events and openings continue to engage the community with visual, performing, and literary arts. On any given night you might watch a play, buy some yarn, purchase that perfect piece of art from a gallery, or attend a workshop. Every third Thursday Kress Creative holds an open house featuring open studios and gallery hours, giving artists a platform to showcase their work, exchange ideas, and connect with the public.
Discussions are underway to expand open hours, so be sure to check the website (www.kresscontemporary.com) for the latest visitor information and event listings. Individual artists and organizations can also be contacted directly. •
Karol Batansky Studio Marc Brecwald DLUANCE: Ashley Cantero and Juan Espinosa Elizabeth Fontaine-Barr Eileen Goldenburg Mary-Helen Horne Nancy Koch Chase Parker PAZ Art Creations: Carlos Ponz Kim Radatz Lisa Ramudo Lynn Rattay Fine Art Keith Robertson Design and Photography Marilyn Binder Silverman Shades of Gray Studio: Ron Watson
Organizations:
Art Noire Gallery: Camille Washington Dave Decker Photography Drift Gallery Fringe Theater: Trish Parry Gratus: Jenny Carey Studio Heard Em’ Say Youth Arts Collective: Liz Prisley Honey Gallery: Effren Denson House of Shadows: Jose Gomez Jess Veguez Photography Kitchen Table Literary Arts: Slam Anderson OXH Gallery: Odeta Xheka Pop Yarn: Damara Besker Project Flash: Tracy Midulla REVERB Gallery, USF: Patrick Carew and Tom Rosenow Tampa Repertory Theater: Emilia Sargent Tempus Projects: Tracy Midulla Ybor Art Factory/Tempus Volta: Vicente Armor
