TARPON SPRINGS - Over 800 original contemporary works of painting and sculpture from around the world will be featured in the 32nd Annual International Miniature Art Show at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, which is located on the St. Petersburg College campus in Tarpon Springs at 600 Klosterman Rd. The show, which will be presented by the Miniature Art Society of Florida, will run from January 14 through February 4. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors. Admission is free on Sunday. Admission is free all days for children and students with identification.
The Miniature Art Society of Florida was established in 1974 to broaden the public's appreciation of fine art in miniature. Its founder was Bede Zel Angle. Other charter members were Jane Blake, Rudy Blucke, Patricia Davis, Mary Engstrom, Helen Pierson, Alex Rice, Louise Ryan, Laura Shofer and Helen Tooker. The non-profit organization, which sponsored its first show in 1975, now boasts some 500 artists, collectors and supporters as members.
The upcoming show is a juried and judged event. Over 60 individual awards will be presented in various categories, including acrylic, drawing and pastel, mixed media, oil, opaque watercolor, transparent watercolor, fired procelain and enamel, printmaking, sculpture and scrimshaw, abstract and surrealism, birds and animals, floral and botanical, landscape, marine, portrait and still life. Over the years, the society has purchased outstanding artworks from the shows for its permanent collection, which is displayed at local libraries and other locations such as museums and galleries from time to time. One entry in last year's show was selected for inclusion in the collection. It was "Retro Mime" by artist Volodya Kenarev of Bulgaria. Paintings by Edmund Whitaker of Germany and Sherri Trial of Pennsylvania were purchased in 2005. All of the some 100 works in the permanent collection will be on display at this year's event.
Clearwater is the headquarters for the Miniature Art Society of Florida. Each year the organization works with Pinellas County Schools to sponsor an annual competition for outstanding young artists who also excel in the classroom and are active in the community. College scholarships are awarded to the winners. Since the scholarship program was established in 1985, the society has distributed over $85,000 to more than 70 college-bound students.
Over the years, others have also benefited from the Dorothy Curtis Fund, which was established to fund art instruction classes for elementary, middle and high school students.
For more information on the show or MASF, you may call (727) 525-8251.