MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
255 Beach Dr. N.E., St. Pete. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thurs., hours until 8 p.m.; Sun., 12-5 p.m. Memberships start at $60 ($40, students); admission for nonmembers, $17. 727-896-2667. More info here.
There are two things happening here, both totes worth seeing: Moon Museum: Art and Outer Space and Gregg Perkins: Sunshine City.
Must see: Gregg Perkins: Sunshine City In 2016, we put an E.G. Barnhill colored postcard on the cover, and this exhibit celebrates that 1930s-era St. Pete artist — as well as St. Pete's unsung history. Perkins draws from Barnhill's extensive collection of hand-colored postcards (Gary Monroe's book details Barnhill's work), using animation and other digital means of manipulation, to show a Barnhill-esque present-day St. Pete. Whether you're an art fan or a history buff — or you simply love the Burg — this is a don't-miss homage to the city. Bonus: Perkins is a local artist and an Associate Professor of Film, Animation, and New Media at The University of Tampa. Feb. 10-May 27.
Also see: Moon Museum: Art and Outer Space is exactly what it sounds like. OK, so not exactly — there's no museum on the moon — but close: it's an exhibit of artists who create works relating to space travel. It's all post-American-space travel, too — don't go expecting Jules Verne — so expect to see more modern art. Feb. 3-May 20.
MOREAN ARTS
Morean Arts Center: 719 Central Ave., St. Pete. Free. 727-822-7872.
Chihuly Collection: 720 Central Ave., St. Pete. $19.95. 727-896-5427.
Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 12-5 p.m. moreanartscenter.org.
Must see: Shayna Leib: Into the Deep at the Chihuly Collection. Leib's glass evokes images of waving anemones, serenely brilliant coral reefs and the rainbow-hued underwater oceans. That's no accident; she's a diver and underwater photographer, and her estuarine experiences inform her above-the-surface creations. Her exhibit will combine her graceful glass with her photography. Feb. 9-May 12.
Also see: Fresh Squeezed 2 is the second year where the Morean will showcase emerging Florida artists. We love Fresh Squeezed one, because it highlights local (and we heart local) artists and two, because it brings wider exposure to artists who don't get — but deserve — said exposure. Mar. 10-Apr. 27.
TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART
120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa. Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sat.-Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Memberships start at $50; admission for nonmembers, $15. 813-274-8130. tampamuseum.org.
Must see: Mernet Larsen: Getting Measured, 1957-2017 is something you've already seen — hopefully. Caitlin Albritton praised for its “calculated simplicity of Larsen’s geometric figuration” — and she also praised the TMA for acquiring Larsen’s “Raft” as part of its permanent collection. This exhibit has layers — literally — so if you haven’t yet seen it, get there soon to do so, before all that’s left is the lone “Raft.” Through Feb. 11.
Also see: Claudia Ryan and Rob Tarbell: Skyway Curators’ Choice. Last year the TMA — along with the MFA and The Ringling —presented Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration, a curated exhibit of tri-county artists and a strong argument for inter-museum collaboration. This year, see more work from some of those artists, selected by the five curators of the original exhibit. Through Apr. 1.
THE DALI MUSEUM
One Dalí Blvd., St. Pete. Daily, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thurs., until 8 p.m. Memberships start at $60 ($40, scholar); admission for nonmembers, $24. 727-823-3767. thedali.org.
Must see: Student Surrealist Art Exhibit: The Marvelous, the Fantastic & the Grotesque. While there’s a full-steam exhibit styled along this museum’s usual lines (see below), this annual student showcase of the surreal is what’s worth the price of admission. Instead of looking backward, this is the one place where the museum stretches forward into the future of surrealism. Started in 19825, the student showcase exhibits surrealistic interpretations of art from students throughout the state. First up? Hillsborough county students. Mar. 17-May 6; portions open later and run through the summer.
Also see: Dalí/Duchamp. Dadaists, rejoice. This is your moment — an exhibit marrying the surreal with your people. Marcel Duchamp —you know him for many reasons, although his “Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2” was the real shakeup in 1912. In this exhibit, his readymades (slightly altered everyday items) brush up against the how-the-hell-would-you-make world of Salvador Dalí. Confused? Nah, it’s simply how they do here. Check it out. Feb. 10-May 27.
Cathy Salustri is CL's arts + entertainment editor.
