by: Lori Johns
Gallerist
C. Emerson Fine Arts

Current competitive atmosphere in a down cycle economy creates a strange divide amongst people.  It can be a cutthroat atmosphere. It’s refreshing to find creative minds that are still excited by the process of art not merely creating product. Essentially, these artist need to survive. Many however are refusing to sell out their ideals for the sake of getting ahead. There is an amazing movement against pay per view art parties and a welcoming of exhibitions that have validity in meaning.  Conceptual art takes time to understand and appreciate. Its intention is not to match your décor. It is a reaction against formalism. Conceptual art is meant to evoke emotion and discussion. I can think of no better time in this social climate to think, feel and discuss more than put up walls of defense and oppositions.  Creativity is about collaboration and building off others previous undertakings. There still is desire to move someone enough to collect.  The most rewarding endeavor would be one created for the sake of art itself.  It takes true security to be open to share thoughts amongst others. There is always risk of being copied or stepped on. The beauty lies within those seeking deeper connections with pure selfless intention.

We must work to resolve conflicts in a spirit of reconciliation and always keep others’ interests in mind.” Dalai Lama

C. Emerson Fine Arts was founded in 2006 with the intention of going beyond familiar ground together with artists whose work is highly diverse and who mix different modes of expression to transcend established categories. All the artists exhibited are in their own way capable of expressing their emotions by presenting their world-view through questions regarding representation and their knowledge of the media they use.

by Lucy Griggs
Festival Director
Tampa Bay Independents’ Film Festival

While filling out Creative Loafing’s annual “Best of the Bay” survey, the category for “Best Kept Secret” stopped me in my tracks. They’re probably looking for a great place for a Cuban sandwich or a funky hole-in-the-wall bar. But, truth be told, our best-kept secret is that we really do have an active film community here in Tampa Bay.

People are making films here every day – students in every grade level, college students in film programs (or not), and lots of talented, professional, independent producers making webseries, documentaries, music videos, short films and features.

It’s only a secret because you so rarely get to see one of them.

That’s where Tampa Bay’s Independents’ Film Festival (IFF) can help. This September 15 – 17, fifty-six independent films will screen at the Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network, and more than half are Florida films.  They’re funny, scary, romantic, intriguing, and…. different. They may not have big Hollywood budgets, but they’re big on heart, and each one has an important story to tell.

There’s world-class cinematographer Tom Fitz (Discovery, National Geographic, BBC) who’s passionate about protecting Florida’s environment. His film warns about the dangers of invasive species, like the lion fish; their exploding population is seriously threatening the food chain in the Gulf of Mexico.

There’s FSU grad Joey Daoud, who made a documentary about high school robotic teams, and it’s just about the most entertaining thing you’ll ever see. Full of action and metal shredding robot wars, it’s also about growing up, falling in love, and discovering who you are.

And there are films that are just pure fun – animations from Ringling School of Art & Design that are just as good as anything Pixar puts out; a love story for congeleptics (you have to come see to find out what that is!); a playground war between fifth graders and third graders; and the heartwarming story of Clay Beabout, a very sick little boy who uses film to announce to the world that he will win this fight.

Judith James, Richard Dreyfuss’ producing partner, will talk about the producer’s role. We’ll showcase some new cameras and discuss which ones work for what kind of projects. There’s a workshop with casting director Rose Rosen giving actors tips on how to handle an audition.

And, of course, there will be parties and plenty of time to talk. Probably the most interesting part of the festival is the point when the filmmakers stand up and say why – why they had to make this film. It’s truly eye opening.

Many IFF filmmakers will be at the festival. They’re just the nicest people you’d ever want to meet and they do it all for you – the audience. And sometimes all a filmmaker needs to keep working, keep pouring heart, soul and money into the next film is for someone to see their film.

So, come, see, talk, learn. Tell a friend. Let the secret out! www.tbae.net/iff-home.

by: Midge Mamatas
PR Associate, Stageworks Theatre

As you sit in one of the 99 purple seats in the new STAGEWORKS Theatre, in the Grand Central at Kennedy in the Channel District, you can hear the inspirational songs of David Friedman, in “Listen to My Heart”, but your imagination can also conjure the past and future of STAGEWORKS’ multi-faceted programs.  As you enter the Theatre, posters of productions from the past 28 years decorate the walls, and images of these unforgettable shows fill your memory.  Looking at the 2011-2012 season, a promise of wonder, laughter, pathos and piqued curiosity jump out at you.

The premier production of “Listen to My Heart” has already proved so popular that an additional 3 performances have been added on September 1, 2 and 3. The rest of the exciting Season at this warm, intimate STAGEWORKS Theatre will surely evoke great interest for the Bay area audiences.

As you continue on into the lobby, another wall shows pictures of STAGEWORKS’ Rainbow Tribe, which takes its name from Josephine Baker, the American singer who protested in her own way against racism by adopting 12 multi-ethnic orphans. These photos depict the many activities of one of the most important areas in which STAGEWORKS contributes: its dynamic SW RAINBOW TRIBE Outreach Program.  The at-risk youth of Hillsborough County benefit from school and after-school programs that focus on anti-gang, positive reactions to bullying and anger management. Through skits that they themselves create with their instructors, Dawn Truax, Josh Goff and others, they acquire lifelong skills that improve their lives and benefit the community.

In a particularly interesting program, Alvon Griffin one of the instructors, a professional musician, has created a math based drumming program, using plastic buckets, which the students decorate themselves.  He teaches in the Juvenile Justice System, the after-school programs, and recently to a group of Hispanic-American families in a church in Dover, comprised of children, parents and grandparents. These positive programs enhance lives and offer alternate methods of dealing with anger and frustration.

Another program includes a show called “The Pow! r Play”, in partnership with Tampa Electric Company, which teaches middle school students how to save energy.

Now, picture yourself in one of those purple seats being entertained, stirred, amused and inspired. You  too will become a part of all of STAGEWORKS’  life-changing programs and feel the value that this unique Theatre Company has given to our community. A great addition to the Tampa creative scene, STAGEWORKS, after 28 years of wandering, has found a home.

For more information about the 2011-2012 season, our Outreach Programs, to buy tickets for the additional performances of “Listen to My Heart” and the rest of the season go to: www.STAGEWORKStheatre.org or call 813-251-8984.

Visit our Facebook Page!!

By Ester Venouziou
LocalShops1.com

Competing with the Big Box stores and their Big Box budgets can be a daunting task, but many local businesses are finding that by thinking, well, outside the box, they can not only survive but thrive. LocalShops1.com checked in recently with some creative entrepreneurs to see how they’re marketing themselves without spending a ton of money.

Two Coconuts Swimwear is a custom swimwear/resortwear design in-home studio located on a busy road in St. Pete Beach, near Pass-a-Grille. About 6,000 cars drive by every day, and the owners, Renee and Kevin Scarborough, came up with a fun way to draw attention to their business. “We thought about everyone on the beach that had some unique mailboxes (manatees, golf bags, football helmets etc.),” they explain. “So we made a mailbox out of a mannequin! It is a subliminal way of advertising that we love. She is 5′10″ and models bikinis for us. She is dressed to coincide with holidays (tastefully).” The results? The mailbox mannequin, aka “Coco,”  has created a huge buzz and is constantly photographed by people from all over the world, the Scarbororughs say. Coco was even featured on Travelocity in Puerto Rico as well as The Island Reporter magazine. And she has become a local landmark. She’s such a big part of the community that she was named Employee of the Month two months in a row.

Social media and electronic gadgets can be great marketing tools. Lukas Pleva, whose parents own St. Pete Bagel, is a big fan of using videos to advertise. “Flip out a smart phone (most of which have an installed camera) and start recording,” Pleva says. “It doesn’t take a lot of time, doesn’t cost anything, and will make a fantastic edition to your online advertising arsenal. … Record short (i.e. 90 second max) video interviews of your most loyal customers. Ask them how they found out about your business, what’s their favorite item, and, if you have a local competitor, why they choose to come to YOUR store.” Then upload the videos onto YouTube/Vimeo and provide a link on your website, Facebook page, Google Places page, etc. Send links to the people featured in your videos and ask them to send to their friends, too.

When St. Petersburg resident Patti Oriot lived in Hawaii she started Maui Markets, a marketing business to help start-up companies on a tight budget. “Finding creative unique marketing ideas was always a challenge,” Oriot says. But that’s what she did. One idea that yielded great results in all markets, she says, is a Teddy Bear Bash. The way this works: A business hosts an event and asks guests to bring a new stuffed animal to be donated to a local hospital. Add food and drinks donated by a local restaurant, and you’re all set. Don’t forget to send press releases to all the local reporters and bloggers. “We started this at a restaurant and five years later they were collecting hundreds of teddy bears and the turnout was bigger and bigger every year,” says Oriot, who now runs Mermaid Minerals, an all-natural skin care and makeup line. “At Easter, we did a Bunny Bash. Just as much fun. You drive attention to your location and help out a well-needed cause.”

Sometimes the best marketing is when you least expect it. A few months ago, Three Birds Tavern in St. Petersburg hosted a fundraiser for the families of two St. Petersburg killed in the line of duty. The one-day event – which included entertainment and raffles – raised thousands of dollars for the families. And it also exposed the restaurant to a whole new group of people. “Not only were we able to support a deserving cause that was meaningful to us personally, but we were able to get our staff involved in something that made that feel good to be a part of,” says Robin King, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Jack. “We raised nearly $3,000 for the families, and made dozens of new, loyal customers.”

Ester Venouziou is founder of LocalShops1.com, which connects local, independent businesses with community-minded shoppers. LocalShops1.com launched as a grassroots effort in 2008 and last year was named Tampa Bay’s most active voice for small businesses by Creative Loafing editors and readers. For more information, contact Ester; 727.637.5586.

By Wayne David Atherholt
Director of Marketing/Communications
Morean Arts Center

Governing boards for non-profit organizations all have their vital roles of governance.  But every now and then a non-profit really needs to do some creative thinking that is representative of the entire community’s creative soul.

The Morean Arts Center assembled a group of creative people for a one-night brainstorming session that is helping to shape the future of the Morean as it moves towards becoming the creative hub of St. Petersburg.  Included in the mix were artists, public figures, media representatives, community activists, business people and academics, which the Morean identified as its “Creative Force.”

After being given an overview of the Morean, general direction and a summary of all the changes and exciting events planned for the summer by Katee Tully, its executive director, the group then broke into smaller focus groups. These groups were given the task to come up with two great ideas that the Morean could implement into their new scope of programming.

The concept in bringing this group together was to combine a cross section of creative people from the area into one and see what happens. We identified people with a “type” and they consisted partially of “The Literati, The Fuse, The Wild Card, The Artist, The Advocate, The Music Man” and more.

What happened was an incredible concentration in creativity aimed at helping the Morean move forward in a very different way.  The mix of people, perspectives and backgrounds was evident in the large scope of creative ideas, fundraisers, event and exhibitions that emanated out of these focus groups. Ideas generated have been moved to the staff level for evaluations and implementation, and the second meeting of this group has already taken place which focused on upcoming exhibitions.

Regular meetings held monthly are planned which will help guide the Morean into its role as the creative hub of St. Petersburg.

For more information or to participate, contact Wayne Atherholt at: 727.822.2120 x2120.

by: The Übernothing Team
Christopher Costabile, Jason Kushner, Jordan Eudy, Melika Hadziomerovic and Phillip Sroka

Übernothing is a Tampa Bay online art review and literary magazine founded by residents of Clearwater. Our mission at Übernothing is to foster awareness of local cultural movements represented by a diverse range of creative mediums. We also love community interaction, and the occasional piece of chocolate.

By striving to promote the work of local talent, we hope to inspire readers and enliven the Tampa Bay area. We believe that auspicious works – works that invoke soundness of aesthetic value and innovation – can be found in our own backyard. This is good news for Tampa Bay residents: chances are that if you live in Florida, you’ll prefer getting your culture without buying a pair of snowshoes or by patronizing East Coast tourism companies.

Keeping the credo that Tampa Bay has a truly rich and active community of artists, we’ve dedicated a team of editors, who are passionate about creative forms of print and visual media, to head the journal. We’ve also made sure that Übernothing keeps a light-hearted personality, without the use of alarm clocks or caffeine (that last one might be a bit of a stretch). Übernothing also recognizes that online networks have garnered communities of creative enthusiasts. We occasionally feature artists outside of Tampa Bay to establish communication between readers across the country and our community.

The magazine’s name, Übernothing, was formed out of the editors’ adulation for Dadaist and Surrealist movements. As your neighbors, they enjoy visiting the St. Petersburg Dali museum. However, Übernothing and its team are open to many diverse movements from traditional to experimental forms of writing and artwork. While we are selective of the artists and authors featured, we are also committed to being as responsive and inclusive as possible. In other words, if you send Übernothing your little brother’s finger paintings, we can’t say that we’ll publish them, but we also can’t guarantee we won’t stick them on our personal refrigerators.

On our site, www.ubernothing.com, you can find examples of the printed word media we are showcasing such as: poetry, fiction, essays, lyrics, nonfiction articles, and short stories. Examples of visual media featured include: photography, paintings, sketches, mixed media, collage, film, and installations. One of our main goals is to promote the superlative artwork that may not be represented in a more traditional gallery setting.

Our site also features local events such as gallery showings, music shows, festivals, poetry readings, and more. To encourage communication in our area, we hope you’ll find an event that looks particularly tempting, and enjoy meeting people in the community with similar interests.

Übernothing Art Review and Literary Magazine invites all residents of Tampa Bay to experience what their community has to offer. Please take a moment to visit us at www.ubernothing.com. Submission guidelines can be found under the submissions tab.

By: Tim Lofgren
Free Pinellas

For the 10-100-1000 contest, I decided to submit my idea for a renewable community model. The following is my idea submission with some elaboration.

I believe that a multi-pronged commercial approach to the improvement of the Tampa Bay Area would offer many outlets for improving the community both economically and socially while creating jobs for people to support themselves and their families.

These businesses will be individually unique, but connected to the community through their customers, employees, and raw materials sources. A general breakdown would have commercial, political, and social extensions. However, since $1000 would be a relatively small capital investment, I will only go into detail about the first part of the project.

Agriculture operations that encourage locally grown food can cut down on freight miles of trucks and trains and also help industrial production of renewable energy and other needed materials like fabrics, soaps, oils, and construction materials. The production of this agricultural business will be sold through farmers markets, local restaurants, the construction industry, the transportation industry including auto repair garages, and will include any other businesses that may benefit. The agricultural production process will be handled, at first, through a single business distribution hub. Eventually, other growers may become a part of the process by selling their products through the main hub or as an extension of the original hub which may include secondary buyers who use the products to produce end line consumer products.

This business will have need of people skilled in an area that is relatively easy to learn and will also spur employment of local landscapers who may be having trouble with work. This arrangement with landscapers would require a slight shift in current business models since many landscapers dump their yard waste and usually specialize in ornamental plants.

This community-supported enterprise model has the potential to lower local demand on petroleum products by exploring alternative energy production options like ethanol, biological-based fuel, solar power, wind, and wave – all of which can be produced locally. Local horticulture practitioners, professional and amateur, can become self-employed business entrepreneurs by composting, growing needed products, breeding beneficial animals, or providing pest management that does not require chemical pesticides. People and businesses that are not directly involved with the agricultural process may become skilled in other needed areas like pottery, soap and candle making, or food preservation. Corporations may participate in this community growth by buying locally by branch location. Grocery stores may buy from the community hub because of the volume required. Car dealers and gas stations may offer alternative fuel options that work because of alternative fuel availability. Auto repair shops can offer engine conversions to the new fuel options.

The rest of the project would eventually include extended services such as: Local journalism, Community Outreach, Local Currency Exchange and Management, Marketing and Distribution, Political Action and Legislation Reform, Quality Control, Business Networking and Management.

For more information, visit:
http://freepinellas.wordpress.com
http://www.myspace.com/freepinellas

Any questions or comments would be great to hear. I can be reached at freepinellas@yahoo.com.

by: Scott Kurland
Wishing Fund

Having moved to Florida 13 years ago from New Jersey, I’m happy to have traded the dark and cynical attitude of the northeast for the sunshiny one here…  Personally, I believe our sunny disposition is an undervalued export of our beautiful Sunshine State.

So, maybe it’s that belief, or some other combination of factors, that led me to spend the last year on a particularly odd (for me) mission to examine the idea of “helping people”, and try to test my findings and my theories through my own creative medium.

Let me start by saying that I’m a web startup veteran, previous bar owner and real estate agent… pretty much everything except for a charity worker or general do-gooder, but I was intrigued by the challenge to understand why most people, despite being very generous with charities and volunteerism, don’t take more direct action in helping others outside of charity.

It was that question that led me to an experiment of my own, when I stood outside of my local Wesley Chapel Publix and attempted to just smile and hand out 20 reusable bags for free to people walking in without them.  I say “attempted” because it actually took about 75 attempts to hand out 20 bags.  Even the manager came out to ask me what the scam was.  My answer, “just being a do-gooder”, didn’t seem to relieve his suspicion one bit either…

It was then that I realized that the answer to my question was “fear”.  People are afraid of being conned and taken advantage of to the point that they ignore most opportunities for giving or receiving good directly and prefer to “safely” donate to charity, even when they have no idea where their charity money goes or what good it does.

When I created my new startup website, WishingFund, one of my main goals was to make it easier for people to start accepting the idea of person to person good.

The site is not a charity.  Instead, it connects people who want to step up and do good for others with those who want to support them in a small way.  Visitors get to vote on which ideas are the best, and optionally contribute a maximum of $2.00 a month to the site to support those do-gooders.  I’m happy to say that so far, it seems to be working…

In the last month since the launch, WishingFund has been able to fund over 10 wishes for the Tampa Bay area and around the country, and maybe more importantly, has gotten people to take another look at bringing back the kind of person-to-person helping that we all wish our communities could have again.

If you’re involved with communities in and around Tampa Bay doing good, or just have a great idea for helping people, I’d love to have a conversation to discuss how we can work together and make our sunny Tampa communities even brighter!  Drop me a line at scott@wishingfund.com

by: Biray Alsac
Ignite Tampa Bay Coordinator

“If you had five minutes in front of an attentive crowd, what would you say?”

Ignite Tampa Bay is a unique event for fostering and inspiring Tampa’s creative community. In one evening, you will hear 10 passionate speakers from the arts, technical, health, fitness, academic, and business communities share insights into current projects, discuss favorite ideas or simply dive into a topic they are personally invested in.

The catch? Each presenter has five minutes to get in, ‘ignite’ the audience, and get out! The presenters will be limited to 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. Presentations will both educate and motivate (and even make you laugh in the process).

Topic submissions are still rolling in – from leveraging ‘celebutards’ for business success to revealing the philosophy of superheroes. Interested in submitting your topic idea? Go to http://www.ignitetampa.org/participate.html. Presenter line-up will be announced mid-July.

Creative Networking
Ignite Tampa Bay is an opportunity to meet people from outside of your normal sphere of influence, with the topic line-up meant to encourage new conversations with those around you. The event begins at 6:30pm on Thursday, July 28^th, starting with a short mixer followed by presentations. Attendance is limited to 100 people and the event will be held at Wyndham Hotel Tampa (700 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa, FL 33609). To purchase your $10 ticket, visit http://www.ignitetampa.org/attend.html.

About Ignite
Tampa Bay is not the only community to host an Ignite event. Seattle hosted the first Ignite in 2006. Since then, Ignite has grown into an international phenomenon. Ignite is not theme-specific, rather it is driven by the range of topics submitted by individuals in the community. However, each event could potentially spark change, collaboration and creative ideas within Tampa Bay.

Ignite Tampa Bay is part of the Ignite program sponsored by O’Reilly Media (http://ignite.oreilly.com) which supports local communities hosting Ignite events in cities around the world.

For more information about Ignite Tampa, go to: http://ignitetampa.org. Connect with us on Twitter (@Ignite_TampaBay) and on Facebook (/IgniteTampa). For any additional questions or comments, contact organizer@ignitetampa.org