Large, abandoned, industrial spaces are few and far between in downtown Tampa nowadays. The days of raves and guerrilla art and music shows seem part of the distant past.
The Refractory, a “new media, installation and performance art event” organized by Hampton Arts Management, was held last year at The Heights, the former trolley barn hugging the riverfront North of downtown Tampa. This year the Refractory was to be held in the old Kress Department Store building on Franklin Street in downtown Tampa.
Hampton Arts Management manages several non-profit programs including Philanthropic Young Tampa and the Arts Microgrant program. Two other events were scheduled at the Kress to coincide with the Refractory — PYT's Postmodern Cocktail Experience and a night of live music simply called the "Kress Building Party." The entire Refractory weekend serves as a fundraiser for these non-profits. However, an ongoing battle between the owners of the Kress block and the City of Tampa caused the Refractory event to be canceled at the last minute.
This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2011.