On the same night that Jeff Whipple's show opens in his new museum, Avant Garde — the Tampa Museum of Art's young professionals group — hosts an exhibit called Equinox: Stitched Together in another Centro Ybor storefront, formerly the site of trendy boutique Ocean Drive. "We're throwing out all these artists who aren't always seen together," says Noah Rollins, one of the exhibit curators.
The show — staged to take advantage of the former clothing store's quirks, such as abandoned dressing rooms — promises an artsy look at garments de- and re-constructed through art. Gulfport sculptor Nancy Cervenka will display a pair of dresses made from 35mm slides and celluloid film, while collaborative pieces by Frank Strunk III and David Williams place lingerie-clad female figures in compositions of rusted metal. St. Petersburg designer Ivanka Ska provides wearable fashions, and T-shirts by artists including Carolina Cleere and Brandon Dunlap will be for sale.
In a spirit of community support, Avant Garde has banded together with other Ybor galleries and art spaces to cross-promote a night of activities along Seventh Avenue. In addition to the Jeff Whipple Museum of Art, longtime attractions Brad Cooper Gallery and Gallery Hoffman Porges will stay open late, while a new gallery hosted by property owner Walter Romeo opens next door to King Corona in the space formerly occupied by Neo Trash. Admission to Equinox: Stitched Together (Fri., April 4, 8 p.m.-midnight) is $5 for members of Avant Garde and $10 for the general public. For more information, go to tampa-avantgarde.org.
