SPOTLIGHT TAMPA! at The Creative Native Gallery

Friday night, I checked out the Creative Native Gallery (5307 N. Falkenburg Road, Tampa FL 33610) on the east side of Tampa. The gallery, a converted and restored home on the outskirts of town, is home to the “Spotlight Tampa!” collection. This collection features artists from all over Tampa Bay and their artwork, a mixed medium collection in many disciplines.

The Creative Native Gallery exclusively features the works of local and native Florida artists — but it’s safe to say that even though you may find seashells, palm trees, or a sunset here and there, these subjects are presented in an original and eclectic format that may take you by surprise. While many of the featured artists are well-known, just as many of them, owner Pam Moody included, are still on the fringes of being known.

The art is fresh, fun and one of a kind, ranging from sculptural works of wood, metal, glass and ceramic, to 2-dimensional paintings and collage. If you do decide to venture out this way, we promise you will be entertained by the colorful, lively works on display.

What impressed me about this gallery is not just the varied displays by many talented artists, but also how the gallery was put together. From the outside, it looks like an eccentric house. Decorations fill the walkway and the porch, but it still seems very much a house. As I came to the door, I couldn’t decide if I should knock or not. Maybe I had the wrong place? Upon knocking, I was welcomed by a room of art lovers and artists, all welcoming me into their world.

Once inside, I was overwhelmed by the quality of many pieces of the art. From the surreal to the photographic, many of the painted pieces had amazing detail that I hadn’t seen before, especially with mediums like water color. Some of the “found objects” artwork, put together from items not normally used in art such as bolt-washers, were truly imaginative.

Their Spotlight Tampa exhibit is going on through April.

Art Exhibits SPOTLIGHT TAMPA