All posts by Casey Crane

Tarpon Springs Student Art Show Charrette winners announced

Visual Arts

The Tarpon Springs Campus at St. Petersburg College hosted its Fall 2014 Student Art Show Charrette Dec. 3-6. The winning artwork will be on display at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art Dec. 14-Jan. 18 in the museum’s Interactive Gallery.

Now in its 13th year, the show exhibited artwork created by students at the campus during the Fall 2014 term. The show was exhibited in the Fine Arts studios and Charrette Gallery adjacent to the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art (LRMA), 600 Klosterman Rd, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689.

 

The Fall 2014 Charrette Winners include:

Best in Show

Kristina Percinski: Through my eyes I see you

Painting

  1. Tom Wilke – Dogs
  2. Jane Pendley – City View
  3. Leah Selevan – Electric Jimmie

Drawing (Instructor: Linda Berghoff)

  1. William Perillo – Louise Nevelson
  2. Clair Fils-Aime – Gathering
  3. Kristina Percinski – Skies the Limit

Drawing (Instructor: Ya La’Ford)

  1. Nicole Klimczak – Stitched
  2. Matt Rush – Wrinkle
  3. Linda Sanchez – Shades of a Blanket

Design (Instructor: Elizabeth Indianos)

  1. Stephanie Fix – Who you Gonna Call
  2. Brook Giannetti – Indian Rocks
  3. Linda Sanchez – Construction Portal

Mixed Media (Instructor: Linda Berghoff)

  1. Alexis Chavez – Untitled
  2. Kristen Brown – Playing God
  3. Rachel Reiff – Hereafter

 

Students in the Fine Arts studio classes at the Tarpon Springs Campus submitted, prepared, and exhibited their own entries. Cash prizes and ribbons were awarded to the winners.

The event was funded and hosted by the campus’ Student Government Association and the Humanities and Fine Arts Department in partnership with LRMA. The art was judged by Lynn Whitelaw, LRMA Curator, Maria Edmonds, Chair of the Hispanic Leadership Council, and Kevin Stanley, Humanities & Fine Arts Academic Chair at the Tarpon Campus.

 

Judges’ statements:

Lynn Whitelaw: I was impressed and pleased that students were inspired by current works in the museum!

Maria Edmonds: Every year, I think the shows couldn’t get any better, but they do!

Kevin Stanley: As first year Academic Chair on the Tarpon Springs Campus, I’m overwhelmed and deeply impressed by the talent of our students and the dedication of our faculty.

Music Industry/Recording Arts students, alumni work show of international band One Direction

Music, Music Industry Recording Arts
The Music Industry/Recording Arts team from St. Petersburg College works One Direction concert at Raymond James Stadium.
SPC Career Outreach Specialist Rosaria Pipitone and Music Industry/Recording Arts student Nathan Doyle at the One Direction concert at Raymond James Stadium.

While hordes of screaming fans waited for the One Direction concert to start on Friday, Oct. 3, students and alumni from the Music Industry/Recording Arts program at St. Petersburg College were front-and-center, working the show at Raymond James Stadium.

Three Music Industry/Recording Arts students were brought in to work alongside the international pop band’s touring staff to prepare for the anticipated 65,000 fans. When the doors opened, MIRA alumni greeted and directed thousands of guests, controlled VIP party entrance and assisted with photography.

The opportunity was the result of the workforce program’s growing national reputation.

“MIRA is producing alumni who are sustaining careers in music locally and regionally, which helps the visibility of the program and our work with employers,” said Rosaria Pipitone, career outreach specialist at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. “Providing students with the opportunity to work with a national tour has opened their eyes to a new spectrum of employment opportunities. It’s important to bring these kinds of recruitment opportunities to students. I want them to know they have on-campus support when it comes to employment opportunities.”

VIP Nation and CID Entertainment contacted Pipitone to ask about having Music Industry/Recording Arts students work two of their Tampa shows for Luke Bryan and One Direction. The One Direction performance marked the first international touring act to contact SPC for students and alumni to work the show. Two national touring acts, Luke Bryan and Tim McGraw, previosuly requested students and alumni from MIRA.

“It was super impressive to think of the huge scale of the operation and how many people were attending,” said MIRA student Nathan Doyle, who was excited about the experience of working at a live show. Doyle said he was surprised to learn that it took about three days for the touring crew to set up all the stage and lighting for the show.

After completing their shift, the MIRA team and Pipitone were granted free entrance to the sold-out show to experience the massive production close-up.

SPC Music Industry/Recording Arts program, bands, venue named ‘Best of the Bay’

SPC's Music Industry/Recording Arts program, students and faculty named Best of the Bay by Creative Loafing
Music, Music Industry Recording Arts, Performing Arts, ,
Rashad Harrell, a member of The Real Clash, holds his group's Best of the Bay award from Creative Loafing
Rashad Harrell, emcee for The Real Clash, accepted the award on behalf of his band mates and fellow SPC alumni.

SPC’s Music Industry/Recording Arts program and bands that involve its students, alumni and faculty, were recognized in Creative Loafing magazine’s Best of the Bay 2014 edition on Thursday, Sept. 18.

MIRA, SPC’s two-year music industry program, was named Best Musician Incubator. The program, which launched in 2008, is dedicated to giving its students real-world training within a collaborative environment. The music industry program has become a popular workforce program at the college with more than 285 students enrolled in Fall 2014.

“We are very happy and appreciative for several reasons that we received this award from Creative Loafing” said Patrick Hernly, academic chair, MIRA. “It shows that MIRA is thriving and relevant in the Tampa Bay arts scene, that we have become a known brand, and, most importantly, that our students and graduates are out in the arts scene and working.”

St. Petersburg College faculty member Mark Feinman accepts the Best of the Bay award from Creative Loafing on behalf of his La Lucha bandmates.
St. Petersburg College faculty member Mark Feinman accepts the Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll award for La Lucha.

Unlike many other institutions’ theoretical programs, MIRA promotes active learning in a collaborative environment. Students enrolled in the performance, composition and production tracks work together on a daily basis to learn from one another.

“Credit for this award goes not only to our great faculty for the high quality, hands-on experiential projects that students work on in our program, but to our excellent outreach and career services team for constantly getting our students and graduates out there working in the field,” Hernly said. “Our successful graduates are the best testament to what we’re all about.”

In addition to the program’s award, numerous bands and an arts venue that involve MIRA students, alumni and faculty also were recognized, including:

  • The Real Clash, formerly known as The Real Clash of the Titans, was recognized as Best hip-hop ensemble.
  • Wolf-Face, which includes SPC alumnus Dan Byers, was recognized for Best punks.
  • Zulu Wave, which includes SPC alumnus and drummer Danny Piechocki, was recognized for Best live show.
  • Funny Bunny, which includes SPC faculty member and drummer Damon Dougherty, was named Best husband-and-wife combo.
  • The Venture Compound, which includes SPC alumnus Jesse Vance, was recognized for Best good news/bad news for St. Pete’s Warehouse Arts District when the arts venue was given its new nonprofit status.

In the Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll, the following acts also were recognized:

  • La Lucha, which includes SPC faculty members Alejandro Arenas and Mark Feinman, was recognized as Best jazz ensemble.
  • UNRB, which includes SPC alumni Eric Allaire and Nic Giordano, and former student Noel Rochford, received awards for Best local reggae/ska band and Best local ska act.  

MIRA, the bands and The Venture Compound were recognized in a ceremony at the Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Read the MIRA program and band highlights featured in the Best of the Bay 2014 edition of Creative Loafing.