An opening reception for Ya La'Ford's Kaleidoscope: The Spirit within the Geometry of Wind, Water and Dreams will be held in the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. Photo courtesy of Ya La'Ford
The work of two exceptional artists is now on display at the University of Tampa.
An exhibition by photographer Amy Martz, Railroad to River: The University of Tampa in Hidden View, opened in the Saunders Foundation Gallery in the Ferman Center for the Arts on Sept. 25.
And on Oct. 9, another exhibition opened down the street in the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery in the R.K. Bailey Art Studios. Kaleidoscope: The Spirit within the Geometry of Wind, Water and Dreams features the work of internationally renowned artist Ya La’Ford through Dec. 11.
Martz's titular railroad and river refer to the physical borders of the UTampa campus, and the featured photographs showcase a particular beauty of campus architecture that is only truly seen and appreciated by a mindful eye for detail. Martz uncovers parts of campus hidden in plain sight, capturing new angles of the historic minarets of Plant Hall as well as more modern fixtures on campus like the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values.
Martz is celebrated for showcasing her unique take on visual environments with images that provide a refreshingly unexpected perspective. A master of composition and lighting, she compels the viewer to experience what is seen as mundane on a visceral level.
The photographs are on display through July 23 with free admission; hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Railroad to River is sponsored by Jim and Celia Ferman.
In Kaleidoscope, La’Ford transforms the gallery using her distinctive geometric language to explore the fleeting patterns of wind, water and dreams. The exhibition takes its cue from a kaleidoscope whose fragments form new arrangements as the device turns. The exhibition invites visitors to shift their perspective and discover new relationships within La’Ford’s work.
Ya La’Ford is a Bronx-born artist of Jamaican heritage, residing in Tampa, whose practice spans painting, sculpture, installation and video. She has exhibited across the U.S. as well as the Venice and Senegal Biennales. La'Ford has public artwork in Tampa and St. Petersburg, and her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Vinik Family Foundation and Nike.
An opening reception for Kaleidoscope, free and open to the public, will be held in the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. Admission to the gallery is free; hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Kaleidoscope is sponsored by Benson '78 and Lee Riseman, The Boksen Foundation, Greenberg Traurig and the Tampa Bay Rays.
