Between the influx of public murals, mixed-used spaces, multi-media art events and concert bills bursting from the typical single-genre box to encompass a diversity of sounds, the creative community has been striving to re-make Tampa’s cultural face. This Saturday, all those elements come together when the next installment of Basement Sessions — a finely curated evening of poetry, soul, glitch, turntablism, hip-hop and original art — hits MF (Mixed Field) Arts Ybor.
The big, airy converted warehouse space that’s home to MF Arts was founded by enterprising local artist Jo Williams, who grew up in South Tampa, studied at Flagler College in St. Augustine, and returned here about three years ago. She says it was a supportive roommate who witnessed her relentless art creation and ultimately encouraged Williams to put on a show. After scouting out spaces, she says, “It turned out my uncle had this [Ybor City] warehouse that was just sitting there. I asked if we could use it; he said yes.” The inaugural exhibition there happened last October, before the space even had a name, and the turnout was so impressive, “my uncle decided to give us the building to use.”
After that, she says everything just fell into place. She knew so many artists who’d never shown their works — who, like her, created purely for creation’s sake. “I just wanted to show their stuff off,” she says. “I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.” Williams launched MF Arts with business partner Alyssa Hernandez “to just show art and bring something beautiful into our community.”
She’s humble about it, however. “Our community is what made this happen, they make it possible, everybody around us has made this possible and supported us in doing it, and made it feel easy.” Though accounting has proven the biggest challenge and putting on shows can be stressful, “In the end it all comes together … and it feels so good, it’s so worth it, every second of it. That it’s still open is definitely our biggest triumph.”
The musical element was introduced at the second MF Arts show in April, and the latest music-driven endeavor to coalesce here is Basement Sessions, a series presented by local promoter Joe D’Acunto (who got involved a few years ago) and Samurai Shotgun vocalist/rapper Mateo Henley, who helped launch the inaugural Basement Sessions with artist/designer Tony Krol in 2011; Krol asked him to perform and help book the music. “The idea behind it was art inspired by soul, funk, jazz, and hip-hop. Having live musical guests added the ‘something special.’”
The location changes each session because, according to D’Acunto, “we feel like each space can lend itself to a unique experience, vary the programming a little bit and just spotlight some of the other unique businesses’ events spaces in our city.”
The visual and musical artists change each time, too. “We like to keep it fresh and showcase the Bay’s hidden and extraordinary talent,” Henley explains. “People complain that there isn’t a scene in Tampa. There surely is, you just have to look for it.”
This seventh installment spotlights eight performers plus eight artists who’ve created works exclusively for the event. The murals in the MF Arts courtyard — by names that showed at this year’s Art Basel — are still on display as well. Amid the must-sees in music: multi-instrumentalist one-man band Rogerthomas, Samurai Shotgun’s DJ Qeys (“who possesses the craft of great turntablism that wows the crowd every time,” according to Henley), and QueenofEx Carter (“her energy and passion can be felt in every part of the room”).
Henley says he and D’Acunto tap artists based on what they have to say or show, and how much passion they put into their work.
“We don’t like the norm,” he explains. “We prefer to think outside the box.”
Show details: Basement Sessions at MF Arts Ybor, with performances by QueenofEx Carter, Danny Pynes, Alma Contra, Jon Ditty, WE SPOKE, Rogerthomas, Wally Clark and DJ Qeys, and artwork by Jaylene, Christy Marie, Samuel Mull, Charles Gallagher, Brooklyn Porter, Ladi Dadi, Junkyard and StrangeCat Toys, Sat., Dec. 12, 7-11:30 p.m., 1616 E. Second Ave., Ybor City, 813-610-3800, $10.
This article appears in Dec 10-16, 2015.