Peter Cowie was arguably Tampa Bay's most widely-viewed artist: His portrait sketches of high-profile federal trials involving the Rev. Henry Lyons, the Aisenbergs and Sami Al-Arian were viewed by millions via television. In addition to being the courtroom sketch artist of choice locally (his work has been seen on CNN, NBC, CBS, NewsChannel 8, Fox 13 and WINK in Fort Myers), Cowie was a respected art teacher. A native of Trinidad, Cowie fell ill and passed away during the Al-Arian terrorism trial. His work lives on, however, and will be on display in an intimate gallery setting in A Toast to Peter Cowie. None of the works are for sale, but guests can view early pieces, portraits, oil paintings and courtroom sketches now held in private collections. Sat., April 8, 5-9 p.m., Augustine-Ludovico Studio, 2851 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg, free admission, 727-322-0450.
