Olivia Mansion

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Chad Jacobs. His diorama Mermaid Star Motel Lobby, is his imagining of what the lobby of a fantastical roadside motel would look like, set in weird, wacky, wonderful Florida.

Hailing from the sunny little peninsula otherwise known as St. Pete, FL, Chad Jacobs knew from a very young age that drawing pretty pictures was something he would like to do for a living. Chad got his humble beginnings drawing Power Rangers on his homework assignments. After earning his BFA in Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design, he now knows to draw his Power Rangers on nice expensive paper. His preferred mediums are Prismacolor Markers, watercolors, and pen & ink. While once vehemently against anything to do with technology, you may even catch him working digitally every now and then. Upon graduating from SCAD, Chad returned to St. Pete and has since worked at a number of local arts organizations including The Florida International Museum, The Dali, American Stage and the St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival. He is currently working as a freelance artist and graphic designer at Fairgrounds. 

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?
CHAD JACOBS: I am an extremely detail-oriented person, so one of my primary goals during the creation of my FLORIDARAMA was to make something that people could come view multiple times and notice something different each time. Since immersion is such an integral part of the Fairgrounds St. Pete experience, I wanted to create something as captivating as any of the full-sized rooms and installations, but on a miniature scale.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
CJ: Fairgrounds St. Pete is unlike anything the St. Petersburg area has seen before, and there is a certain level of excitement that comes from contributing to something that helps broaden people’s minds regarding what art can be. Being a FLORIDARAMA artist is particularly thrilling for me as the experience has pushed me into uncharted territory artistically. By working outside the boundaries of my standard art practices, I was able to create something different that feels like an evolution of my artistic sensibilities. 

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
CJ: At its core, the biggest inspiration behind my FLORIDARAMA, Mermaid Star Motel Lobby, was the Fairgrounds St. Pete narrative. I wanted to create something that both complemented the greater Fairgrounds St. Pete experience while also standing on its own as my unique take on the subject matter. I love horror movies, cryptozoology, and weird legends and lore, so I really wanted to lean into the spookier side of things while also maintaining the colorful facade of what one would typically associate with a beachfront motel.

Stylistically, my FLORIDARAMA was influenced by pop-up books and the painted wooden cutouts one would find at a boardwalk, state fair, or old-school haunted attraction. With the two-tone red and blue lighting, I wanted to evoke the vibrant lighting of something like Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977) to create a heightened mood that makes everything look dream-like and slightly unnatural.

What is the most significant influence in your art practice?
CJ: The world of movies and cartoons is a major well I draw inspiration from. I’m particularly inspired by movie poster artists and designers like Drew Struzan, John Alvin, and Saul Bass to name a few. In terms of my art practice, I am constantly trying to grow and develop as an artist, so I try to learn as much as I can about as many things as I can so my drive for creating art doesn’t stagnate.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
CJ: I am a freelance artist and designer in my day-to-day life and have a few things in the works that I can’t talk about quite yet, but you can keep up with all of my current projects and updates at @chaddjacobs on Instagram! I recently had a piece on display in the show Rainbow at Mize Gallery, and you’ll be able to check out all of the wonderful things I collaborated on during my time as Fairgrounds St. Pete’s graphic designer once it opens to the public on September 2nd.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
CJ: When I was younger, I had a difficult time with painting. This was a hurdle I made a conscious effort to overcome, but eventually gave up on after one of my high school art teachers told me a painting I made was terrible in front of the entire class during a critique. I took that as confirmation that my skills as a painter weren’t worth trying to improve upon, and actively avoided doing anything that involved paint in any form.

In recent years, despite continuing to refer to myself as a terrible painter, I have forced myself to take on projects that involve painting to help develop my confidence in the medium — the biggest of which being my Floridarama. The prospect of painting all of the little pieces and characters was extremely daunting, yet I can honestly say I am happy with how it turned out. Seeing the finished product made me re-evaluate the importance of that one blunt comment from 15 years ago and realize it might finally be time to drop the “terrible painter” title I’d given myself because of it.

So, if I were to give a piece of advice to my younger self, it would be to take criticism in stride, and don’t let them deter you from trying to hone your skills. No one person has a definitive answer for what is or is not “good,” and you shouldn’t devalue what you are trying to accomplish artistically because of one negative opinion.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
CJ: It’s so appropriate that I found myself involved with Fairgrounds, because my favorite places in Florida are theme parks and attractions that create an immersive, multi-sensory environment. This is such a touristy thing to say, but I really love Orlando (to visit) because it has no shortage of worlds to discover or experiences to be had!

To be one of the first to see Chad’s work and get access to Fairgrounds St. Pete, buy 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 Thaddeus Erdahl aka TJ. His diorama really needs no description, as the name of his FLORIDARAMA, Welcome to Florida, has that covered!

Thaddeus Erdahl was born and raised in La Porte City, IA. He has exhibited his sculpture and presented workshops throughout the US. After a three-year enlistment in the Army, Thaddeus began his career in art and education at the University of Northern Iowa where he received his BA in Art Education and a BFA in Ceramics. Thaddeus received his MFA in Ceramics from the University of Florida, where he was a UF Alumni Fellowship recipient during his three years of graduate study. In the summer of 2008, he attended Think Tank III, a national art in higher education symposium, as a Graduate Fellowship Recipient. In 2009 he was selected as an artist-in-residence at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN. Most recently, Thaddeus was a short-listed artist for the inaugural American Craft Council Emerging Voice in Craft Award. Thaddeus moved to the Southeast in 2017 and is currently living in St. Pete pursuing his studio art career while working as a visual arts instructor at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa.

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?
Thaddeus Erdahl: I would like everyone to look at my FLORIDARAMA and think to themselves, wow, what a crazy day at the beach!

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
TJ: For me the aspect of making something new and the challenge of working with a new concept and material that I don’t typically work with was initially the exciting part of being part of the inaugural FLORIDARAMA exhibition.  I was also really drawn to the idea of what FLORIDARAMA was about, creating tiny worlds that would draw a viewer into an experience. 

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
TJ: For me it was the idea of being a tourist and going to the beach and all the craziness that can happen at the beach.  You just never know what you are going to see!

What is the most significant influence in your art practice?
TJ: I am not the best at telling jokes but I find jokes and especially humor to be a very     important part of a healthy lifestyle.  I think humor is one of the biggest influences on my work.  I know that my work is sometimes more of a tragic comedy and that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I really love the challenge of finding a way to orchestrate a misfortune into something that is humorous. 

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
TJ: Nothing major……just tinkering in the studio. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?
TJ: Shrug off your worries and stress, quit taking yourself so serious, relax and grab a cold beer.  

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
TJ: One of my favorite views in FL is the top of the Pinellas Bayway Bridge just before sunset.  I love seeing the Don Cesar Hotel silhouetted by the sunset and the Gulf. A landmark that I haven’t seen yet but is on my to do list is the Mermaid Show at Weeki Wachee.

To be one of the first to see TJ’s work and get access to Fairgrounds St. Pete, 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 Babs Reingold. Her FLORIDARAMA, The Last Sea: Diorama is a miniature-sized version of an art installation she created depicting the devastating effects of climate change.

Venezuelan-born American artist Babs Reingold creates sculptures, drawings and installations focusing on beauty, the environment and poverty. For Babs, climate change and environmental issues are the existential crisis of our time. Florida is a particularly vulnerable state and without taking some action to combat climate change, it will suffer immeasurably. As an artist, she believes it is her role to create awareness of this crisis. And her ultimate hope in exploring and exhibiting this work about the environment is to inspire others to confront climate change and take action. 

Babs has an extensive showing history with solo exhibitions in galleries in NYC, LA, Atlanta, Savannah, St. Pete and Buffalo. Museum shows include Jersey City Museum, Albright-Knox, Tampa Museum of Art and Museum of Fine Arts, St. Pete. Her awards include three recent grants from Florida State and Pinellas County, as well as awards received from the Whitney Museum’s Barbara Haskell, Michael Auping of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and a residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Babs has an MFA from SUNY-Buffalo and a BFA from Cleveland Institute of Art. Her major studio is in St Pete and she has a viewing space in New York City. 

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?
BABS REINGOLD: Climate change is the existential crisis of our time. The focus of the diorama is to alert people that the crisis is urgent as well as ponder what may happen to the incredible landscape of Florida in the future. Our planet may be at the final tipping point and the future appears bleak if we do not act immediately.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
BR: Fairgrounds St. Pete’s approach is unique. The merging of art and technology is growing fast and Fairgrounds is cutting edge within a new art movement. I am proud to be a part of this groundbreaking project in St. Petersburg, Florida.

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
BR: I have been working on installations and sculptures on the environment since 2006. The urgency of climate change struck home when I attended a lecture by the anthropologist Jared Diamond where he spoke on his book, “Collapse: Why Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed”. In particular, he emphasized the demise of Easter Island and posed the question “What do you think the Islander was thinking when he chopped down the last tree?” A once thriving island community is now poverty stricken because of complete deforestation. At that moment I knew I needed to focus my work on the environment and climate change.

Who or what is the most significant influence in your art practice?
BR: I don’t think there is one single influence in my art practice. I’ve begun reading “Thinking Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman. He distinguishes “reflex/instinctive actions” and “rational decisions”. My art, I believe, is this combination, which fluctuates with each piece.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
BR: The pieces in a series of sculptures titled “Hair Nest” are well underway. And I am discussing venues to exhibit this work as well as another series.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
BR: Follow your dreams immediately. Don’t delay.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?

BR: I have two favorite destinations.

1.) St. Petersburg: for its charm, accessibility, and its continual ability to grow and expand. We have lived here 16 years, first on a seasonal basis and now full time. In this short period of time we have seen tremendous changes.

2.) Miami: for the art scene

To be one of the first to see Babs’ work and get access to Fairgrounds St. Pete, 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 Ashley Cantero. She created two self-referential dioramas, Swamp Motel and Drive-In, that are fun and playful with a retro twist.

Ashley Cantero is a Tampa native and local artist who actively engages our local art scene. She has participated in many art shows and has a few murals in the Tampa area. Since her childhood, art has been a huge part of Ashley’s life and it continues to be. Her work is very much inspired by female forms, retro charm and the supernatural. She describes her work as dark, intricate, sensual and, at times, humorous. Ashley’s favorite way to create is at home with a cup of coffee, headphones, some lit candles and her dog Carmella. 

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 dioramas you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
ASHLEY CANTERO: Feelings of curiosity and wonderment. I’d love the viewer to create their own narrative for the scenes I’ve created in my dioramas.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
AC: Mostly, I’m excited to be a part of such an ambitiously creative project involving soooo many incredible artists and creators. It’s really inspiring and just super cool!

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
AC: My dioramas were heavily inspired by vintage/retro/natural Florida. This can be seen in the mid-century modern inspired color palette I used as well as the themes happening in both scenes.

What is the most significant influence in your art practice?
AC: I am inspired by many things in my art practice so this is a difficult one for me to answer, but a big one is just being around other people who are creating things and to feed off and be inspired by that energy.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
AC: At the moment I’m working mostly in my studio just trying to experiment for the fun of it, so no big things planned at the moment. However, I am super stoked to be a part of the SHINE year 7 art exhibit coming this October!

What advice would you give to your younger self?
AC: I spent quite a few years in my early 20’s away from making art, mostly because I was under the false impression that there was no future in it. Wow, was I wrong. I wish so badly I would have never stopped, so I would tell my younger self to keep pushing, do what you love.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
AC: The Tampa theatre, hands down. A true Florida treasure right in our backyard. I also LOVE any mid-century modern gems. Old beach motels, pastel colored buildings & homes, neon signs, retro drive-in movie theaters. Give me ALL of that!

To be one of the first to see Ashley’s work and get access to Fairgrounds St. Pete 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 Finn Schult. Their diorama Untitled Ochoppee Project, is a mixed-media design combining one of Florida’s quaint roadside attractions with our most legendary cryptid.

Finn Schult is a visual artist from the American South currently living and working in Detroit. Finn has exhibited internationally and is an alumni of the Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture, the Savannah College of Art and Design and Cranbrook Academy of Art. They have been involved in group and solo exhibitions across the US and internationally at institutions such as the Cranbrook Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, MI; Württembergische Kunstverein in Stuttgart, Germany and The Baker Museum in Naples, FL. Schult’s work spans multiple mediums but is currently rooted in video, performance, painting and site-specific installation. 

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

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
FINN SCHULT: The most I could ask for is that the viewer leaves with a sense of curiosity and wonder towards our state. Maybe a greater understanding of how Florida has such an oddly unique history that is absolutely worth learning about.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
FS: I’m honestly just honored to have the chance to show work alongside such amazing artists from my home state. I think the art world at large becomes so focused on people from places like New York and LA that it’s easy to forget how incredible art within our own communities can be, and I appreciate the way that Fairgrounds St. Pete has brought so many of us together in one place.

What or what inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
FS: Growing up on the outskirts of the Everglades has always made me curious and appreciative of the area‘s history and lore. I wanted to make a piece that kind of celebrated a small part of the Everglades’ weirdness. I just figured that it would be fitting to make a replica of Ochoppee’s Post office (which is the smallest post office in the country) for such a small piece!

Who or what is the most significant influence in your art practice?
FS: That’s such a hard question to answer because so many different things feel so important. My family has influenced the shape of my practice pretty heavily, but so have the places I’ve lived and visited. My background in art history definitely impacts the way I make and what feels important thematically.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
FS: I’m hoping to move back to Florida in the near future to open a gallery & art consultancy through the curatorial project I’m a co-founder of. We’re looking at St. Pete for a landing spot actually, so I’m definitely excited about that!

What advice would you give to your younger self?
FS: The only real thing I would have to say is to take the advice of the people you respect more seriously. Remember that they’re just looking out for you and more often than not, know what they are talking about.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
FS: My favorite Florida afternoon consists of going to Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs and then hitting Buffalo Chips right down the street when you’re done. Both really weird and really great spots.

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