Sunday, July 30, 2006

Covivant Goes to New Yotk

Moving to New York Closing Reception
Saturday, August 12, 2006
7-11pm | Admission: FREE
Music: TBA

Gallery Sale: Sunday, August 13th
8am-2pm | Admission: FREE
Items include: Audio/Visual equipment, electric tools, gallery
materials, misc. hardware, bikes, landscaping equipment,etc.



Dear Vivants,
Come out and celebrate history... that you've helped make over the
years. If not for the continued support by the artists and collectors
of Tampa Bay, Covivant would have seen a much different life. In
September, I will be moving to Chelsea to take a very courageous leap
into the city of the BIG red delicious APPLE. I won't be able to take
the entire collection with me, so I urge collectors and the like to
come out for the closing reception party and sale. Several works from
my personal collection will be added to the main gallery, as well as,
additional works by artists who exhibited in the 100 Smacks or More
show in May. Most works will be sold at very desirable prices, so mark
your calendars.

Over the next year, I will be working closely with the Intown Group to
complete a major public art commission on Skypoint's exterior west
wall. Skypoint is currently under construction in downtown Tampa, and
is expected to see its completion in early 2007. Skypoint is Tampa's
newest residential/commercial high-rise situated between our two
biggest cultural institutions, the Tampa Museum and the Tampa Theatre.

As for Covivant, I am still working on the purchase of the property,
and I hope to continue with an arts venue under a new director. There
have been several serious conversations with creative businesses to
preserve what was started seven years ago, though the deadline to
purchase the property is moving closer, and is only possible with the
sale of my home. Covivant has until the end of October to close on the
property, or it will return into the hands of owner Larry Olsen for
personal use. Larry has been a huge contributing factor to Covivant's
success by offering stabilized rent year after year. Thank you
Larry!!!!

If you know someone who is looking for a very charming bungalow in
Historic Seminole Heights, please send them to www.covivant.com

participating artists include:
Richard Beckman, Tracy Midulla, Megan Bisbee-Durlam, Sabrina Small, Jim
Houser, Kurt Halsey, Aric Miller, Lisa Kereszi, Trong G. Nguyen, Dan
Levinson, Tes One, Ryan Berg, Davin Brainard (Time Stereo, Detroit),
Kathie Olivas, Chris Deacon, Neil Bender, Joe Griffith, Brandt Peters,
BOOKS IIII, Danny King, BASK, Brandon Dunlap, Tim Warner, and more.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pleeeeease if this was a profitable business people would be lined up to buy it. Or banks would be lined up to lend money on the property. Whats the deal? Are you getting hosed on the purchase price?

Whats stabilized rent? Do only art gallery get this? I hope this doesn't turn into another auto business.

Anonymous said...

Pleeeeeeease - in this town the banks will not run to fund the purchase of an art gallery unless the owner has major bucks to carry the mortgage of the building if the gallery goes bust. I know - I was in commercial banking for way too many years - Tampa is the town that waits for the big sale at the fair grounds expo hall to buy the "starving artist" paintings once a year to match their living room couch.

Its a hard knock business that artist gallery stuff and I commend her for selling her house to fund the purchase of the building - I'm just sorry that it takes that drastic of a step to keep a gallery going here in the hood.

Anonymous said...

Profit is not only monetary. Individuals, the community, and society at large can benifit from the more important 'intangible' profit of good art. I am not talking about pretty pictures. I am talking about art that connects the viewer to a conclusion, or more specially, a better question. This takes place in places such as an entity like Covivant. I am proud to have them in my neighborhood, I hope that the torch can be re-illuminated.

Picasso said himself,
"If everyone would paint, political re-education would be unnecessary."

Anonymous said...

A friend that owns a gallery in N. Y. Soho asked me if Tampa was a good place to open an art gallery. After laughing histarically I said sure, just make sure the paintings are less than $25, and they match couch colors!

Anonymous said...

This town thinks velvet elvis is art.

Anonymous said...

HEY - you talkin' 'bout me?!?!?!?

Anonymous said...

maybe the artists need to step it up and get the art out there to get some new opinions.