Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art. Can you hear it? In this rich and diverse exhibition at the MFA, marginalized voices are being heard, recognized, and embraced. With all 92 pieces pulled from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s vast collection of Latino art, this exhibition will explore how the contributions of Latino art, identity, and culture influenced important movements of the mid-20th century. We no longer have to ask, “Where is Ana Mendieta?” She’ll be right here, along with other artists including Mario Brito, Frank Romero, Ignacio Gomez, Marcos Dimas, Margarita Cabrera, and Sophie Rivera. Oct. 27-Jan. 22. Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. N.E., St. Petersburg, 727-896-2667, fine-arts.org.
Complicated Beauty: Contemporary Cuban Art. The MFA and TMA must have been channeling similar thoughts this year with concurrent exhibitions putting the spotlight on unseen, but important, artists. In this survey of Cuban art ranging from the ’70s to contemporary works from the TMA’s permanent collection, as well as loans from the Bronx Museum of Art and other private collections, this show aims to explore Cuban aesthetics while mining the complexities of the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba. A sample of the artists included are José Bedia, Tania Bruguera, Los Carpinteros, Humberto Diaz, KCHO, Glenda León and Ana Mendieta. Oct. 8-Jan. 22. Tampa Museum of Art, 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa, 813-274-8130, tampamuseum.org.
Ferran Adria: The Invention of Food. Let your mouth and eyes water. Just as Dalí changed the grounds of art, Adria — the internationally renowned chef whose restaurant El Bulli in Spain’s Costa Brava was voted best in the world by Restaurant Magazine — has shifted the role of cooking from mere necessity to aesthetic experience. This exhibition of documentary photos of Adria’s work will be paired alongside images from the source of his inspiration: the natural world. Visitors will be able to taste a bit of this culinary genius’s creations at The Dali’s Cafe Gala, where you can sample a unique seafood gazpacho Adria made specially for the museum. Sept. 25-Nov. 27. The Dalí Museum, One Dalí Blvd., St. Pete. 727-823-3767, thedali.org.
SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival. It’s back! After its successful debut last year, local and international artists will return to paint the town in Technicolor. Spend 10 days strolling the streets of St. Pete and watch as creatives transform block after block of bland wall space into an outdoor museum. Sept. 1-10. shineonstpete.com.
Paradise Cities: Urban Art in Florida. Coinciding with the SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival, 10 Florida female artists will exhibit work with mesmerizing street art flair. Sept. 10-Oct. 30. Opening reception, Sat., Sept. 10, 5-9 p.m. Morean Arts Center, 719 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, moreanartscenter.org.
An All Star Cast. With a focus on works done in cast glass, DMG features work from six artists including Deanna Clayton and Stephan Pon in this solid group show. Sept. 10-Oct. 8. Opening reception, Sat., Sept. 10, 5-10 p.m. Duncan McClellan Gallery, 2342 Emerson Ave. S., St. Petersburg, dmglass.com.
Views from the Waterline: New Work by Lynn Manos. From pastels to oils, Manos’s new multimedia solo show revolves around her love of sailing and the water. Sept. 23-Oct. 29. Opening reception, Fri., Sept. 23, 7-9 p.m. Clayton Galleries, 4105 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, claytongalleries.net.
Lessons from the Shadows. New Orleans photographer Josephine Sacabo uses the medium to narrate tragic histories. Sept. 24-Dec. 3. Polk Museum of Art, 800 E Palmetto St., Lakeland, polkmuseumofart.org.
The Works of Paul Antonelleo Houzell. Houzell is inspired by the human figure to converse about spiritualism, education and healing. Sept. 24-Dec. 31. Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum, 2240 9th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, woodsonmuseum.org.
Becky Flanders. Creating hand-built kaleidoscopes, Flanders uses the body to create mesmerizing fleshy repetitions in her newest series of photographs. Oct. 1-Nov. 4. Opening reception, Sat., Oct. 1, 7-9 p.m., Tempus Projects, 4636 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, tempus-projects.com.
Manuel Carrillo: Mi Querido Mexico (My Beloved Mexico) and Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. As if the Cuban art exhibition wasn’t enough to get us scrambling to the museum doors, the TMA goes all out with these two additional exhibitions. Both shows on view Oct. 1-Jan. 8. Tampa Museum of Art, 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa, 813-274-8130, tampamuseum.org.
Sallie Hackett Brown and Terry Brett. Hackett Brown’s “reconstructed” sculptures will be featured alongside Brett’s abstract paintings. Oct. 8-Nov. 5. Opening reception, Thurs., Oct. 8, 6-9 p.m., Leslie Curran Gallery@ARTicles, 1431 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, interiormotivesstpete.com.
Matzevot for Everyday Use: Photographs by Łukasz Baksik. Polish photographer Baksik wanders the streets of Poland to see how people use either stolen or re-appropriated matzevots (tombstones) as fences, walls, and pavements. Oct. 15-Jan. 29. Florida Holocaust Museum, 55 5th St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-820-0100, flholocaustmuseum.org.
Akiko Kotani: Soft Walls. Weaving traditional craft with contemporary narrative, Kotani will create a site-specific silk installation in a new iteration of her monumental traveling work. Oct. 17-Dec. 2. Opening reception, Thurs., Oct. 20. Gallery 221 @ HCC, 4001 W. Tampa Bay Blvd., Tampa, 813-253-7386, hccfl.edu/gallery221.
Lynn Saville: Dark Cities. NYC-based photographer Lynn Saville is known for capturing cityscapes in the moment between daylight and nightfall, but in Dark Cities she explores how artificial lighting creates an eternal, glowing “twilight.” Oct. 20-Nov. 20. Opening reception, Thurs., Oct. 20, 5-7 p.m. Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, 400 N. Ashley Dr., Tampa, fmopa.org.
This article appears in Aug 25 – Sep 1, 2016.