Sports bars, big box stores, movie theaters, strip malls, chain restaurants and gyms abound in North Tampa — but art galleries are rarer in the area than a Florida freeze. Shawn Scalise and Meaghan Farrell are taking a step toward changing that with Tada! Traditional and Digital Arts Gallery. Located in the same plaza as the popular O'Brien's Irish Pub off North Dale Mabry, it's a multi-faceted organization specializing in "local artists for the local business or home owner." The grand opening takes place this Saturday and kicks off the gallery's first exhibition, the Caribbean Consciousness Charity Art Show. Bay area artists display and sell works, with a portion of proceeds from sales to support Engineers Without Borders at the University of South Florida (EWB-USF) — the local incarnation of an international humanitarian organization — and specifically, to the org's "Water for Miches" Project to develop a clean water supply for an underdeveloped community in the Dominican Republic. The opening party features live music, wine tastes by Aspirations Winery and cupcakes by Hotcakes Bakery. Tada! Traditional and Digital Arts Gallery Grand Opening, Sat., Nov. 1, 6-11 p.m., $5 suggested donation, and Caribbean Consciousness Charity Art Show, on display through Nov. 23, 11730 N. Dale Mabry, Suite A, Tampa, free admission, 813-932-6500, traditionalanddigitalarts.com.
