Artists, Residents Invited to Arts Task Force Meeting at The Regent

The Brandon Community Advantage Center, which operates The Regent community center, is seeking the input of all residents on ways  to support the arts.

The newly formed Arts Task Force will meet from 4:30-6 p.m. Sept. 22 at The Regent in Riverview, at the southwest corner of the Winthrop community, at 6437 Watson Road. 

"The meeting is open to everyone, and we encourage artists of all disciplines to attend," said Antonio Amadeo, a member of the Brandon Community Advantage Center's board of directors and co-chair of the task force.

"The purpose of the meeting is to seek input on ways the center can contribute to and support the arts in the community," he said. "We will discuss the submission process for artists’ exhibits at the center, set dates and draft an action plan for 2012."

Amadeo said the BCAC is hoping to turn The Regent into a major arts venue.  

Amadeo noted a meeting July 21 attracted a cross-section of 14 visual and performing artists from throughout the community.

An architect and former chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Art Committee, Amadeo said he would like to see a variety of arts at the center, from performing arts to rotating exhibitions.

“But we decided we would focus on one thing first," Amadeo said, "something that we could make happen quickly, so we are putting out a call for artists to display their art in the building. It’s something we want to do fairly soon.”

While the group would like to host larger events, such as multi-artist exhibitions, juried art shows and festivals, it wants to get off the ground quickly with something on a smaller scale, Amadeo said.

“We talked about the possibility of arts festivals but those will require more coordination and are more time consuming," he said. "Displaying art in the public spaces at the center is a very doable thing. We can get that space filled with art that we can even rotate.”

Among those who attended the July 21 meeting was Brandon sculptor Candace Knapp. She said the group came up with a number of ideas she felt would be in keeping with the goals of the task force.

"We thought the idea of having line dancing would work really well and make a lot of people in the community have favorable thoughts about the building being used for the community," said Knapp. "A yoga class or other dance class would also be a nice thing. It could be in the mornings when the big room is often empty."

Accommodating the visual arts at The Regent might prove more of a challenge, said Knapp.

"We took a tour and looked all over the building to find some place that might be welcoming to visual art. We couldn't see anyplace," she said. "We understand that the big room (the ballroom) is not a possibility since the only time people would be in it is during a wedding or dinner, and at that time it is decorated and artwork is not welcome."

Knapp said she believes the task force needs to designate a space in the building where art can be hung and seen regularly by the general public.

"Though we went to planning meetings and asked for arts spaces, I feel that the arts were largely left out," she said.

For information, contact Amadeo at 813-294-7373 or aamadeo@verizon.net.