Dominique Labauvie calls Tampa home, but he's famous the world over for his talent with sculpture — and at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, he's about to reveal his holiday vision for the Great Hall.
The Museum of Fine Arts has an annual tradition of placing a tree in the Great Hall, and this year, Labauvie and the MFA will take that tradition a step further. Labauvie has created a site-specific metal installation for the Great Hall — as well as some one-of-a-kind ornaments for the MFA's holiday tree.
The MFA put out a call to artists for a new vision for their holiday tree, and Labauvie answered the call. His vision explodes the idea of the MFA's Great Hall as a hearth that's at the core of the museum. Running with that "hearth" theme, he created an installation that — ideally — will extend a welcome to all who gather, and a popular holiday icon that will signify a cross-cultural sense of protection, the museum's Tuesday afternoon press release implies.
The museum will waive its admission fees for the night — it's a Thursday night, so that's not shocking — and offer music and light drinks. They'll also light that holiday tree, and yes, Labauvie's ornaments on it will be for sale. The proceeds of those ornament sales go to the MFA.
Deck the Great Hall | Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg | Nov. 29: 6-8 p.m. | Free admission for event hours only | MFA St. Petersburg information
