TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The family of Tampa artist Carolyn F. Heller, a popular figure in the Florida visual arts community, today announced it will donate select pieces of her art to the Kate Jackson Community Center, 821 S. Rome Ave. On Oct. 25, members of the Heller family will join the Center's After School Activity Program for a painting class with children 6-12 years old.
Three pieces from Carolyn Heller's personal portfolio will be on loan that day and the children will learn about her works during an instructional painting class from Parks and Recreation Team Supervisor Katharine Walker-Herbert, who directs the Hyde Park and North Hubert Art Studios for the city.
"Carolyn loved teaching her five grandchildren to paint," said Fran Heller, one of Carolyn's daughters and the executor of her estate. "The idea that her style of painting will be taught to the children and to have her art exhibited in the community she called home is a great way to remember her contributions and inspire the children who play and learn there every day."
The event will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Children will start painting at approximately 3:30 p.m. and their finished works will be featured alongside Heller's originals at approximately 5 p.m. Friends, family and Tampa art enthusiasts are invited to view the works until 6 p.m. The Heller family will work with the City of Tampa's division of public art to select and exhibit child-friendly pieces of her art on a permanent basis.
In November, a memorial "virtual art gallery" is scheduled to go live. The online gallery will feature paintings and other art from Carolyn Heller's 60-year career. Visit www.carolynhellerart.com starting in November for opportunities to view and purchase items from Heller's collection.
In conjunction with the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, the Tampa Museum of Art will host an exhibition of selected works by Carolyn Heller from March 1-March 10, 2013. Times for the exhibition are Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Friday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; and Sat and Sun from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Those interested in the invitation-only preview reception on Thursday, Feb. 28 should consult the website to request an invitation.
About Carolyn Frohsin Heller:
Carolyn F. Heller was a Florida artist who created works of bold shape and vivid color. She was influenced by abstract expression early in her 60-year career, yet her style evolved to embrace an unambiguous and playful vitality that mirrored her personality. She started drawing and painting in the 1950s. Beginning with print-making, wood-cuts and acrylics on canvas, she expanded into mixed-media on fabric, furniture and other everyday items. In every context, her work was sensual and full of energy. Passionate about public art, she was a long-serving member of the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. She also helped establish the county's Public Art Committee, which selects and purchases artwork for public display. In 1997, the Tampa AIDS Network commissioned her to create its annual signature piece of art for its Art for Life benefit, due in large measure to her longtime advocacy for human rights issues. Carolyn's family seeks to honor her memory in an online gallery, permanently exhibiting works from her collection. Visit www.carolynhellerart.com starting in November for opportunities to view and purchase pieces from Heller's private collection. See more of her work at www.facebook.com/carolynhellerart and http://pinterest.com/CFHellerArt/.
About Kate Jackson Community Center:
Located in Anderson Park (821 S. Rome Ave. Tampa, FL 33606), the site of many city special events, Kate Jackson Community Center offers many amenities and is one of 35 sites for the After School Activity Program (ASAP) for children 5-17 years old. For more information about the program, call the Kate Jackson Community Center at 813-259-1704.