Wednesdays are like mini-Thanksgivings, when we express our gratitude for surviving the first half of the week (and this week, a stressful Election Day) and start counting down to Saturday and Sunday.
Let's give thanks for worthwhile things to do, now that we've sufficiently regained our energy to go out in public again.
Tonight at the Bamboozle Cafe — for those of you unfamiliar, an ultra-fresh and modern Vietnamese eatery in downtown Tampa — the Retro Art Show steals the spotlight from the restaurant's tasty rolls and noodles. On display are original paintings, lithographs, screen prints, etchings, photographs and wood-block prints by local and internationally renowned artists, pieces dated from the 1930s to '80s.
It's a show that embodies Florida's (and Tampa Bay's) history and place in the artistic world and includes artists Ferdie Pacheco, Burgert Brothers, Clyde Butcher, Mario De Ferrante, Bernard Buffet, Jonathan Winters, Arnold Blanch, Lebadang, Peter Max, Salvador Dali, Scott Anthony, Sunol Alvar, Jere, Tip Freeman, Frank Wallace (whose piece titled #3 is pictured here), Tomikichiro Tokuriki and others.
Hard to imagine that so much art can fit in such a little place. Let's see how the organizers make it happen. The opening reception is 6-10 p.m. , and the exhibit remains on view through Nov. 30. Bamboozle Cafe, 516 N. Tampa St., Tampa. 813-223-7320.
The University of Tampa’s Scarfone/Hartley Gallery, along with cultural institutions throughout Tampa Bay, celebrates Arte 2010, an annual showcase of special events recognizing Latin arts and culture.
One of the events, Caribbean Essence, offers a lecture and demonstration on the influences and qualities of Caribbean dance and movement. The event is free and features UT alumna Susan Barnes Pereira and students from her Barnes Dance Academy Limited in the Cayman Islands.
The event is followed up by a performance in the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery this Friday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m., when the university presents its annual Evening of Experimental Dance. 8 p.m. The Scarfone/Hartley Gallery is located in the R.K. Bailey Arts Studios, 310 N. Boulevard, at The University of Tampa campus. For more information, call Susan Taylor Lennon at 813-257-3745.
The inaugural Ybor Jazz Festival (its slogan "There's nothing smooth about it!") presents its official kick-off concert with Kenny Drew Jr. (pictured), Richard Drexler, Ken Hanks, Billy Marcus, Kym Purling, Bryan Shuler, Robert Winslow and Genadi Zagor. The evening opens in the Studio Theater with prelude performances by a trio of baritone saxophonists and singer/actress Jayne Trinette, who recently appeared as iconic jazz artist Lena Horne in a production at American Stage. The Mainstage Theater concert, "An Evening of Solo Jazz Piano," features performances by celebrated key men Hanks, Drexler, Drew Jr., Marcus and Purling along with some special piano improvisations by Shuler, Winslow and Zagor. Paul Wilborn hosts. (Contributed by Leilani Polk; HCC-Ybor Mainstage Theater, Ybor City)
