Sarasota Museum of Art featuring 14 artists for Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration exhibit

Every three years, five Tampa Bay museums join together for Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration.

For 2024, the work of 63 local artists is being showcased at the Tampa Museum of Art, USF Contemporary Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg, Sarasota Art Museum and The Ringling Museum of Art. Fourteen artists are featured at the Sarasota Museum of Art.

"One of the things that I'm interested in is showcasing a variety of media, concepts and processes with which living artists in the 21st century are engaged with," Sarasota Art Museum Senior Curator Rangsook Yoon said.

Siesta Key’s Jill Taffet specializes in time-based art. Her pieces look like still drawings, until visitors look at them through their camera phone.

"I'm sort of fascinated by animation. You draw these drawings, a little bit more and a little bit more, and then you hit play, and they come to life," Taffet said.

Her art comes to life with movement or additional colorful objects popping up. She hopes her work creates a sense of wonder.

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"I sometimes feel people just go walk through museums, and they just pass things, pass things,  but with them interacting with a little bit, it makes it a little more personal for them," Taffet said.

The work of visual artist Rob Tarbell also needs time to be processed. He used smoke, mirrors, color-changing vinyls and reflective materials to create his eye-catching work that changes as you walk around them.

"You have your position where you stand, and you can sort of see the world from that position, and as you move how you relate to that image changes," Tarbell said. "Engage with the work in person. Art is an experience, especially with these."

Purposeful patience is what Yoon is hopeful. The art is given space to breathe, both physically and mentally.

"I'm hoping the viewers come here, look slowly, and engage with the stories in the space they create, and find these common stories that you can find, despite all the different themes and the media these artists work with," Yoon said. 

Skyway 2024: A Contemporary Collaboration will be on view at the Sarasota Art Museum until Oct. 27. For more information, click here.

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