This week we unveil the new collection of sculptures in Morsani Hall.
For quite some time, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with the National Sculpture Society (NSS) in New York City thanks to a very special couple who has been with The Straz from the beginning. Well, even before the beginning since Jim Jennewein—The Straz connection to the NSS—was one of the original architects of our campus.
He and his wife Joan stayed involved with us all the years after, she on our Opera Tampa League Board and both as patrons, donors and overall genuinely lovely people who appreciate art in all its forms. The newest collection of sculptures, unveiled in Morsani Hall this week, stand in honor of the Jenneweins’ dedication to sculpture and art and their decades-long connection with the Straz Center.
The juried exhibit, Performance in Sculpture, invokes both literal and abstract notions of performance, resulting in some provocative works that are definitely worth a gander before your next show. We decided to use the blog this week to talk about what we love about a few of the new pieces, then you can go see them for yourself with the rest of the collection.
PUMA By Kristine Taylor
WHAT WE LOVE: We’re cat people. We’re performing arts people. Which means we tend to think of cats as the embodiment of dance, music and theater rolled into one majestic creature. Kristine Taylor’s exquisite bronze likeness of the only big cat native to North America captures the artistic essence of puma concolor, a.k.a. the mountain lion or cougar (in Florida we call it a panther). The delicate point of the paw conjures a dancer’s leg, the arced body from tail to nose reminds us of a ligature in music and the potential energy—the cat is about to strike—creates quite the dramatic moment.
MARIAN ANDERSON By Meredith Bergmann
WHAT WE LOVE: Well, what’s not to love about Marian Anderson? One of the greatest singers of all time, Anderson’s contralto stirred the soul whether she was performing arias or spirituals. “Movement” is the word we think of when we think of Marian Anderson- her voice moved people, political will and social justice. Meredith Bergmann’s sculpture, while seemingly a static statue at first glance, reveals the swirling, sweeping grace not only of the woman herself but of the kinetic force she brought to the times in which she lived.
GOSSIP By David Richardson
WHAT WE LOVE: We are almost as big a fan of humor in fine art as we are of cats, and that’s saying something. David Richardson’s delicate and deliciously witty quintet of chickadees appears as unassuming art for the bird lover until you take a look at the title. Gossip suddenly transforms the seed-eating five into a cabal of possible frenemies. Now, the artwork begs the questions what are they talking about? What did that one chickadee do? Does this work answer the riddle of when do birds become catty? And that’s the kind of thinking we admire in fun visual art.
DRUM HORSE By Kathleen Friedenberg
WHAT WE LOVE: Of the 13 new works, Kathleen Friedenberg’s opus to the grand military purpose of the drum horse represents the classic Western European sculptural style. (There is another beauty recalling the traditional Greco-Roman style, but you will have to go see that one for yourself.) We note, off the bat, the sense of purpose charged in the horse’s gait, the diagonal lines of his legs contrasted by the ramrod straight posture of the soldier he carries. In bronze, this sculpture acts especially reflective both physically in the material’s sheen and metaphorically: Friedenberg notes that this sculpture emerges from her memory of growing up in England; it is, literally, the artist’s reflection of a time gone by. We also adore the meticulous detail work of the subjects, from the saddlecloth to the parallel “manes” on the soldier’s helmet and on the drum horse.
We hope you find even more to love about the new works in our Performance in Sculpture exhibit. There are nine more pieces besides these to enjoy, each with its own sense of awe and multiple points of contemplation. If you really love them, you’ll be happy to know each is available for purchase, with a portion of the acquisition price going to the Straz Center to support our mission.
The collection may be viewed by patrons attending performances in Morsani Hall. The collection may also be viewed by special arrangement during non-performance times. Contact the Straz Center’s director of guest services at 813.222.1062 for more information.