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Folk, American Indian art featured

By ESTHER HAMMER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 28, 2009

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You are bound to find an assortment of colorful critters at Clayton Galleries for the next month.

Fashioned from wood, twigs, feathers, marbles and other materials, or painted on paper, canvas and board, they are a favorite subject of folk artists, and folk artists are the featured guests in the next exhibit. Called "Contemporary Folk Expressions XIII," it opens Friday and runs through Nov. 28.

Much more than animals will be represented in this biennial celebration of the earthy arts. Folk artists generally are self-taught and rely on their environment and their inner thoughts and reflections for inspiration; as a result, religion, family and nature figure prominently as themes.

As in previous folk art shows at the gallery, the works recently were collected from folk artists across the Southeast by gallery owner Cathy Clayton and Jeanne Kronsnoble, owner of Main Street Gallery in northern Georgia.

Meet many of the artists and see their imaginative works at a free opening reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the gallery, 4105 S. MacDill Ave. Call the gallery at (813) 831-3753 for information.

Artists explore Indian culture

An exhibition of contemporary art by American Indians opens Tuesday and runs through Nov. 27 at the Ybor Campus Art Gallery of Hillsborough Community College.

Called "Snake Dance Moon," it features the talents of three New Mexico artists: Brian Coffin from Taos; Brian's father, Doug Coffin, from Abiqui; and Linda Haukaas of Santa Fe.

Doug Coffin, a member of the Potawatomi/Creek Tribes, is known worldwide for his painted steel and mixed-media sculptures, often created in the familiar totemic form associated with many American Indian cultures. He also paints, demonstrating on canvas a love of color in strong bright hues that imply power and spiritual richness.

Brian Coffin followed in his father's footsteps, but not exactly. Originally a sculptor, he now revels in creating paintings with characteristic textural and color components that cause the design to change with the viewer's perspective.

Haukaas, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, depicts her people in a graphic-narrative art form known as pictography. Before English became commonly used among the tribes, pictography was an efficient and sophisticated way to convey information.

Drawing for more than 20 years, Haukaas was one of the first women to work in this field.

Meet the artists and see their work at a free reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the arts gallery, in the School of Visual and Performing Arts at 15th Street and Palm Avenue in Ybor City.

Call the gallery at (813) 253-7674 for information.

Ornamental art shines in gallery

For one day only, Baisden Gallery will present the inspired one-of-a-kind pieces of ornamental art by Tampa jewelry designer Meredith Haws. From 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, visitors to the gallery will find bracelets, necklaces, earrings and more created from silver, gold, and precious and semiprecious stones.

A regular gallery exhibitor, Haws' show was inspired by a trip to Turkey this year.

The gallery is at 442 W. Grand Central Ave. near downtown Tampa. Call the gallery at (813) 250-1511 for details.

Correspondent Esther Hammer can be reached at ehammer@tampatrib.com.