Olivia Mansion

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Jabari Reed aka iBOMS. His diorama Bleak, is aptly titled, as that’s exactly what it depicts!

A native of St. Pete, iBOMS’ practice is a mix of street art and storytelling and seeks to give meaning to the mundane and inspire viewers to look closer at situations to observe their truths and not take them at face value. Each of his artworks has a unique story and personal references. iBOMS’ work draws viewers into his world, the world of a young African American man. He does this by depicting lively characters that appear happy, but with closer examination darker themes reveal themselves in the details of the canvas.

Read on to learn more about what the experience of being part of our inaugural exhibit is like for him!

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
JABARI REED: What I want the public to take away from my FLORIDARAMA is that the world that I have been developing has space. And not just any space, the kind that has living creatures that aren’t a part of the main iBOMS character line-up.  There are ponds, plants and fences where there shouldn’t be fences. I also want the viewer to know that my world has a continuous playlist going that can change depending on your mood.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
JR: The most exciting part is everyone who recognizes my work amongst many other talented artists. Also, being able to casually speak about the art without viewers initially knowing who I am.

Tell us about the FLORIDARAMA that you created for Fairgrounds St. Pete.
JR: My FLORIDARAMA diorama, Bleak, is a custom-painted G scale model train car, half-submerged in water with rubber ducks swimming around it. When I completed it, it was my most complex 3D artwork to date.

What is the most significant influence in your art practice?
JR: The biggest influence in my art is cartoons; the wacky worlds that have been gifted to us, many of them are cartoons. They are able to bend in any way you need to, making communication that much more diverse.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
JR: Currently, I’m working on custom train cars for d-gallerie’s d-railed showcase that will be one of SHINE Mural Festival’s closing events.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
JR: The advice I’d give is to never choose to change how things went in the past, if you were able to. Live as you, purely, as we always have.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
JR: My favorite Florida destination is the docks behind the USF St. Pete Downtown Campus.

To see Jabari’s work at Fairgrounds St. Pete, get your ticket today, and join our Insiders Club for the latest Fairgrounds St. Pete news.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Justin Tyler Tate. His diorama Saltwater & Sycophants, features two of Florida’s biggest draws: theme parks and native wildlife!

Born in Canada, Justin Tyler Tate grew up in the US and now works internationally. He earned his BFA from NSCAD University and an MFA from Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts. His work combines elements of sculpture, installation, media and performance, as well as social art. Over the last decade, Justin has exhibited more than 100 projects, in +20 countries and on four continents. His practice draws knowledge from various fields and marries them in order to find solutions to contemporary problems. Architecture, carpentry, botany, cooking, electronics, chemistry, new-media and more are all merged under a singular umbrella of artistic production. Jordan is occasionally a curator, social designer and a frequent workshop facilitator, focusing on utilization of available materials, tools and site specificity.

Read on to learn more about what the experience of being part of our inaugural exhibit is like for him!

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
JUSTIN TYLER TATE: I don’t think there’s any singular take-away from any work of art, so I guess I would just like for people to think for themselves and come to their own conclusion.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
JTT: I’ve worked in so many places, but never presented my work “at home”, so getting to do that while also doing something that’s very different from my usual work has been really satisfying.

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
JTT: My diorama simultaneously represents some of what I love about Florida, my childhood there and my expectations for the state’s future.

What is the most significant influence in your art practice?
JTT: My childhood was my biggest influence: all I ever wanted to do was to build things, take things apart, play and experiment…so I turned that into my profession.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
JTT: I’m always working on a lot of things simultaneously, but right now I’m just about to start a PhD program, hoping to finish a graphic cookbook (comic book/cookbook) this autumn, I’m waiting to install a installation and a bunch of other things.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
JTT: I feel like I have alway been pretty decent, but I do regret the moments when I didn’t treat people as well as I should have. So, I suppose that my advice would be to always treat people well, regardless of the circumstances.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
JTT: I can’t say that there is a specific destination or landmark in Florida that’s my favorite. What I really love are the simple things, like reading library books by the pool every day, going boating on the Gulf or eating fresh seafood with a beer at some run-down waterside restaurant.

To see JTT’s work at Fairgrounds St. Pete, get your ticket today, and join our Insiders Club for the latest Fairgrounds St. Pete news.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Eileen Goldenberg. Her diorama Poseidon Estates: A Retirement Community For Merpeople, shows that neither your age nor your fins can keep you down!

Eileen Goldenberg is a painter, sculptor and writer who enjoys mixed media, assemblage and mosaics. She has exhibited at the Tampa International Airport, St. Pancras Station in London, Gallery 221, Scarfone Gallery, Mize Gallery and Florida Craft Art and participated in group shows in NYC, New Jersey, LA and other locations. Eileen also writes and illustrates children’s books. She belongs to a woman’s art collective, Creatives Exchange, and serves on various art boards and committees, including the Outdoor Arts Foundation and Artspace. A recent project is the interactive Get out the Vote mural in Seminole Heights, honoring her shero, the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Of Fairgrounds, Eileen says, “I am excited to be a participant for this very innovative addition to Tampa Bay’s cultural landscape!”

Read on to learn more about what the experience of being part of our inaugural exhibit is like for her!

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
Eileen Goldenberg: I’m hoping mostly that it brings smiles, and that they may enjoy a few minutes inside the story in my head. Maybe wonder, who are these Merpeople? Why are they living on land, in a gated community? (Could it have anything to do with the destruction of the Coral Reefs?)  Who are those humans waiting on them?

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
EG: Two summers ago, I visited Meow Wolf in Santa Fe and immediately became obsessed with the hope that we’d get our own immersive art experience here. Not long after, I heard about Fairgrounds St. Pete, so thank you, Universe and Fairgrounds Team! When I was selected as an inaugural artist for FLORIDARAMA, I was beyond excited for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing, playful, joyful place.

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
EG: Who wouldn’t be inspired by the weird and wacky state of Florida?! Some of the jumping off points included McMansions, mermaids and the environment, so I decided to combine these three. I had just read “Dictionary of Imaginary Places” and had fun imagining what might go on in a secret gated community with expat Merpeople. I depicted a very busy birthday party for Nonmo- the oldest resident.

What is the most significant influence in your art practice?
EG: As a child, I was an obsessive reader and would only put my books down long enough to try to illustrate scenes from my books; mostly fairy tales and later science fiction. I still love viewing a painting that absorbs me with a narrative. But this is the hardest question of all, as there is so much that inspires me; from the paintings of the Renaissance, to the expressionists and surrealists, to artists I discover daily, to the talent and creative imaginations of the artists who live and work right here in my community!

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
EG: Yes! I’m just finishing up a project for the City of Tampa: a mobile public art project called the Poetry Post. It’s interactive, and incorporates text by Tampa wordsmith Gianna Russo and local contest winners, and encourages viewers to submit their own written pieces as part of this large, colorful “movable sculpture” that will be displayed in multiple locations around the city.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
EG: I’d tell my younger self to embrace her quirkiness and not be so heartbreakingly self-conscious. (And that everything’s going to turn out – not just fine- but pretty great!)

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
EG: Ahh, another hard one: I happen to love my own neighborhood of Davis Islands, with its own weird Florida history and where I spent my formative years and still live. I love kayaking around the canals and treasure the occasional dolphin and manatee encounters. Also, St. Pete with its vibrant arts community, Duncan McClellan’s glass wonderland, the street art and galleries and now of course, the Factory and Fairgrounds St. Pete! I also love Wynwood in Miami and never miss Art Basel.

To see Eileen’s work at Fairgrounds St. Pete, get your ticket today, and join our Insiders Club for the latest Fairgrounds St. Pete news.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Mark Mitchell. His diorama, Fountain of Youth, is a satirical piece, poking fun at the tendency of so many aging Floridians who attempt to recapture their former youth

Mark Mitchell is an international artist and painter of Conceptual Pop Art. As a Pratt grad, SVA alum and former advertising creative director, he has spent his entire career honing his visual communication skills. Mitchell’s work has been exhibited during Miami Art Week’s Scope and Select Art Fairs, shared on SEE | ME digital displays at The Louvre and NYC’s Armory Arts Week, selected by pop-surrealism master Ron English for Baton Rouge Gallery and gained west coast exposure at bG Gallery, Santa Monica. Locally, Mark’s paintings have been awarded at Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Art Festival Beth-El in St Pete and featured on FOX13’s Good Day Tampa Bay. He is also a proud recipient of the Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist Grant 2019-20 and current WADA member.

Read on to learn more about what the experience of being part of our inaugural exhibit is like for him!

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
MARK MITCHELL: My piece, “Fountain of Youth,” is a kind of dimensional version of my painting style, Conceptual Pop Art. It’s fun, quirky and colorful, with some additional subtext. I always hope viewers take a few extra moments to “look deeper”, appreciate the symbolism and take in the meaning of the piece.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
MP: The opportunity for my work to be surrounded by so many other talented artists’ work is what I find most exciting.

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
MM: Our youth-obsessed culture is well known in America, but it seems especially pronounced in Florida. A lot of folks migrate here as a kind of second chapter or reboot to their lives up north (myself included), but there’s also the aspect of trying to recapture our youth. You find it in the beach culture, the dating scene of the divorcees, the old guys with classic hotrods, women with plastic surgery, etc. “Fountain of Youth” is a satire of all that.

What is the most significant influence in your art practice?
MM: Artists I admire, as well as current events. My painting style springboards off the work of classic Pop Artists like James Rosenquist and Tom Wesselman, but with a 21st-century edge by incorporating elements of urban art and social commentary. My subject matter is often ripped from the headlines, addressing social issues and frequently referencing the relationship between technology and human behavior.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
MM: I’ve been participating in local group shows this summer at Atelier de Sosi and Five Deuces Galleria, and am really looking forward to exhibiting at the Creative Pinellas Arts Annual this fall.

What advice would you give your younger self?
MM: Make the effort to find more time to create! I got caught up in my NYC advertising career for years, and have been making up for lost time on my personal work ever since I relocated to St Pete.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
MM: Well, I love where I live, and the beach is my happy place! I’m also partial to Sanibel Island—I’ve really loved vacationing there over the years.

To be one of the first to see Mark’s work, buy your tickets today and join our Insiders Club for the latest Fairgrounds St. Pete news.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Brandy Stark. Her diorama The Mystery Solved, is a mix of sea, space and LOTS of wire.

Brandy Stark moved to St. Pete, FL in 1992. As an undergraduate, she took a course in sculpture at the University of Tampa where she discovered her wire wrapping abilities. Utilizing welding rods, she made three wrapped wire figures: a triton, a dragon and a centaur. These constituted the first generation of her “Metal Myths” series, established in 1995. A lifelong lover of world mythology, her works often manifest as ancient characters, legends and deities. Tying past to present, Stark sees herself as a Neo-expressionist with the weaving and wrapping process she uses transferring her own energy into the piece. Inspired by the sculptures of Joan Miro, she also utilizes found objects in her pieces. These promote an awareness not only of upcycling, but symbolize that everything and everyone has a place in this world.  

Read on to learn more about what the experience of being part of our inaugural exhibit is like for her!

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
BRANDY STARK: I think what I like about my piece is that it shows a mixture of emotions. I like that there is a mixture of emotions depicted. There is curiosity and excitement and playfulness and mystery that emanate from my figures. And yet, it’s an inferred response as my wire works are primarily abstract. However, my art has always been trying to find the positive energies out there and depicting them through wire, and I think the piece does that. Honestly, I hope that if and when alien life reveals itself to this planet that it is such a friendly encounter and that we are excited to explore the universe with them.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
BS: There are actually a lot of things that are very exciting to me. One is the great excitement that is coming from the project and has been directed through the media. There’s excitement from the public coming back to the project. The more I see of the unveiling of the overall exhibition, the more excited I become. I’ve already had a friend of mine ask if she could be invited for the opening because she’s excited to see it.

This is also one of the first steps for me to try and create a sketch and then make the piece reflected in that sketch into a reality. I’m much more used to simply creating pieces from my mind as they show up. This was a more disciplined effort for me and a learning experience.

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
BS: I suspect I’m the only Paranormal investigator artist among the group of FLORIDARAMA artists. As such, I already dabble in things that are a little bit unusual. Granted, my field of expertise is ghosts and the supernatural world, but years ago I did do a talk for the local MUFON [Mutual UFO Network] chapter about how there are parallels between ghosts and aliens. As a religious studies professor, I also teach about New Age movements and the spiritualist and alien movements fit within that category. So I think all of that background is really what inspired me to have the aliens.

I was also thrilled that there was a call for the mermaid element because I am called the mermaid queen. I make hand wrapped wire metal mermaids quite a bit and have sold probably several thousand since 1997. They are the number one fantasy creature that I make and I love them. Mermaids are so fluid yet they do so well in the metal. I tried to make the metal wire reflect that energy and fluidity.

What is the most significant influence in your art practice?
BS: I’ve been an artist in this area showing my work since 1997, but despite having multiple postgraduate degrees, I was never formally trained for the Arts. Metal wire is not always seen as an art, but for years I’ve argued that it absolutely is. Not only is it an art, but it can be a fine art. So, I point to Alexander Calder who made delightful wire sculpture figures as part of his artistic career. I’m also a fan of strong women artists from Artemisia to Frida Kahlo.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
BS: I did the mermaid challenge for 2021 and created 31 theme-based mermaids in 30 days. It’s harder than you think with wire sculpture. I am currently planning for some Halloween shows.

My paranormal investigation group, the SPIRITS of St. Petersburg, is going to do the World’s Largest Ghost Hunt featuring The Suntan Arts Center on St. Pete Beach. We are one of a select group of teams worldwide that will be participating in this event featuring historic locations. Thomas Rowe lived in the Don Vista building, which now houses the Suntan, and while his spirit is said to still haunt the hotel, we wonder if he doesn’t pop over to his old haunts at the Arts Center as well.

This event will take place September 25th and will include a paranormal investigation 101 segment along with paranormal investigation demonstrations and a walk-through of the historic building.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
BS: That is a hard one. I try to live a life without regret and that has been an overlying philosophy for many years of my life. I think one thing I would advise myself to have done is to have focused more on the Arts, building my skills earlier and connecting with the local Arts community much earlier than I did. Even though I have been creating here since 1997, I still feel a little bit unknown. I also had to learn a lot of lessons by myself and kind of feel my way along in the Arts. Perhaps having a mentor would have helped me tremendously. I could be much further in my art career than I currently am.

I’ve also been told by others to let the naysayers go. To do what I’m doing because I love it and because they love it; that each character is unique and comes with its own story. That I’m able to capture the dichotomy of opposites into a singular piece…to take a focus on that.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
BS: Oh that’s another hard one. As a paranormal investigator, my favorite places are pretty much all the ones that are haunted. I love old time Florida, like the May-Stringer house in Brooksville, the ArtLofts (which houses my studio here in St. Petersburg) and what used to be Rutland’s department store. I’ve always found Cassadaga to be a remarkably quaint old Florida town. I like the quaint and quirky parts of Florida.

To be one of the first to see Brandy’s work, buy your tickets today, and join our Insiders Club for the latest Fairgrounds St. Pete news.