Bay Area art exhibition is all about 'Summer Heat'

Bay Area art exhibition is all about 'Summer Heat'

A new Gulf Coast Artists' Alliance exhibition is using the Tampa Bay area's record-setting high temperatures as motivation for the latest artist open call. It's appropriately titled "Summer Heat."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A new Gulf Coast Artists' Alliance exhibition is using the Tampa Bay area's record-setting high temperatures as motivation for the latest artist open call. It's appropriately titled "Summer Heat."

What they're saying:

"I think having a theme that everybody relates to, regardless, is important," graphic designer and printmaker Mike Toth said. "Seeing the different ways that it's been interpreted has been really great."

Toth's interpretation is two layered design prints with easy-to-read texts of "Keep All Season Cool" and "Will The Suffering Ever End." The latter is above a graphic of a man sweating profusely. Many times, Toth is inspired by found, discarded objects. The suffering piece idea came from a pamphlet he found on the street.

"Handled it in such a way, took it out of context, put it into a new context," Toth said.

Found objects, specifically trash, also inspire Kyli Koehler. When she heard "Summer Heat," she immediately thought of her miniature, three-dimensional splash pad.

"I figured, well, that's my favorite way to get out of the summer heat," Koehler said. "We welcomed a baby into our family about eight months ago and so to get out of the house, we've been taking walks, picking up trash, coming home and cleaning it and then turning it into really fun and funky pieces of art."

The splash pad features cardboard, candy wrappers, tooth flossers and a "blink and you'll miss it" albuterol inhaler tank masking as a daiquiri machine.

"I hope they go home and they take a second look at any of the trash that they throw away," Koehler said. "That's my favorite part."

When painter Christina Harcar heart the artist prompt, she immediately thought of bright colors and florals. She submitted two larger pieces. One features two monkeys reaching for fruits and, while the other features a woman surrounded by nature.

"I wanted to create something that has some structure, but has a playful quality as well," Harcar said.

Harcar's day job as an interior designer features a ton of structure, whereas paint can feature a completely opposite approach.

"My day job is a lot of planning. Everything is done in a certain way, where art, I can really just be free," Harcar said. "I love the process of it. I love going in with a little bit of a plan, but then seeing kind of what happens organically and just sort of mixing that structure with just seeing what happens."

What's next:

These three artists' six pieces are part of 36 pieces overall. The exhibition will remain on display at Gulf Coast Artists' Alliance's main building in St. Petersburg. The gallery is open Thursdays through Saturdays.

For more information, click here.