The Big Art Show

Large-Scale Works
by Creative Clay On View

Through September 30
Free
Eckerd College
Details here

Scientists will tell you that purple moons don’t exist. What we see is a “halo effect,” or Lunar Halo, caused by lavender and purple hues from light rays diffracting around the moon. Still, a beautiful sight to see.

Visitors to Lewis House at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg can see Purple Moonlight, among other vibrant pieces, in The Big Art Show.

Creative Clay Member Artist Marquise R.’s Purple Moonlight is an example of the ability of art expressing anything within the realm of imagination. Marquise’s talent for combining vibrant colors with imaginative expressions reflects the beauty of the Moon and night sky.

Purple Moonlight by Marquise R., Acrylic on canvas (36”x 24”)

A longtime partnership between the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC) and Creative Clay brings The Big Art Show to Lewis House at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

As the exhibit title implies, visitors to the gallery at Lewis House will see large-scale art on a variety of subjects popping out from a backdrop of red brick walls.

Lewis House is the gathering space for ASPEC members, a community of lifelong learners. Creative Clay has partnered with ASPEC and Eckerd since 2010, but The Big Art Show is the first exhibit at Lewis House since the Covid-19 pandemic. Jody Bikoff, Creative Clay’s Director of Exhibitions, cited the long partnership between Eckerd and Creative Clay.

“In August 2010, I curated an exhibit of 40 paintings by Creative Clay Member Artists for Lewis House,” says Bikoff. “I enjoyed working with Ann Rascoe, artist and former ASPEC Visual Arts Program Chair who was also a former Creative Clay Board member and Teaching Artist.”

Front wall center, Lewis House (L to R) – The Pretty Girl by Shasta G. (24”x 36), Old Friend by Lindsay J. (30”x 24”), The Space of Mountains by Marquise R. (24”x 30”) and Monsters of the Hidden Temple by Marquise R. (24”x 30”)

ASPEC was founded on the principle that it is important for adults to remain involved and active. Eckerd states, “Its 300+ members, whether in transition from one career to another or ‘retired,’ are most engaged when they participate in lifelong learning and share a community of interests with others who believe that every stage of life can be a time of rejuvenation, enrichment, accomplishment and meaningful productivity.”

For ASPEC volunteer Carolyn Meagher what resonates most is community involvement.

“One of the four pillars of ASPEC is community involvement,” Meagher says. “I have been an ASPEC member for about 5 years and have really enjoyed being a part of the process of hanging the art and meeting the artists. The bright colors and enthusiasm of the artists is inspiring to me as I try to bring that to my own efforts in creating my artwork.”

ASPEC Art Exhibition Committee, from left to right, Carolyn Meagher, Bette Dolinsky, Laila Petrou, Pat Grice and on far right, Jody Bikoff, Director of Exhibitions at Creative Clay

Creative Clay Member Artists
featured in The Big Art Show include

Aaron F.

Ali V.

Ashton T.

Grace P.

Lindsay J.

Marquise R.

Shasta G.

. . .
Artwork by former Creative Clay Member Artists Christopher J., Brittany M. and Eric Bristow, is also featured. All art is available for purchase, with Creative Clay Member Artists earning 50% on all works sold.

You can find out more about Creative Clay’s Member Artists at creativeclay.org/artists.

 

The Big Art Show
Through September 30
Free
Lewis House, on the campus of Eckerd College
4200 54th Ave S
St Petersburg FL 33711
727-864-8834

Hours
Monday-Friday from 9 am to 4 pm

creativeclay.org

Front Wall Right, Lewis House (L to R) – Skull Man by Marquise R. (30”x 24”), Purple Moonlight by Marquise R. (36”x 24”) and Day 12…The Humans Still Think I’m a Baked Potato by Grace P. (32” X 24”)

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