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Creative Clay’s amazing Artlink program — an annual collaboration between professional Bay area artists and artists with developmental, physical and emotional disabilities — unveils its latest results at Florida International Museum at St. Petersburg College this week. Conceived by Creative Clay executive director Grace-Anne Alfiero, the program has produced wondrously imaginative, well-crafted art and life-changing relationships since 1999. The mentors of Artlink 2010, each paired with a Creative Clay artist for six weeks, include fashion designer Ivanka Ska, dancer-choreographer Dwayne Scheuneman and actor-director-playwright Bob Devin-Jones. (Thursday’s opening reception spotlights performance-based work.) Sculptor Leslie Fry teamed up with Creative Clay artist Chris C. to create an “exhibition within the exhibition” of painted bas-reliefs surrounded by miniature papier maché viewers. “In order to keep up with Chris, I had to loosen up and let go — fun!” Fry says. Artlink 2010, Aug. 12-28 with an opening reception Thurs., Aug. 12, 6 p.m., Florida International Museum at St. Petersburg College, 244 Second Ave N, St. Petersburg, 727-341-7900, spcollege.edu/fimuseum, creativeclay.org.
—Megan Voeller
This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2010.