Molly Dots by artist Molly Rohrer of Palm Harbor specializes in creating copper enamel jewelry. “I hand saw each piece then I fuse glass to the metal for the color,” she said. “Each piece has anywhere from six to probably 50 different firings” depending on the complexity of the design. Pictured in her left hand is a lionfish necklace.On Saturday and Sunday, February 1 and 2, 35 artists representing works in paint, wood, ceramics, photography, metal, glass, jewelry and mixed media participated in the Professional Association of Visual Artists (PAVA) free 9th-annual juried 2Cool Art Show at the Gulfport Casino.
According to their website, PAVA is a non-profit “organization founded by artists for artists in the Tampa Bay and outlying region of Florida.” Its mission strives to: “create opportunities for the professional and emerging artist, develop and encourage professional standards in the visual arts, serve as a collective voice for its members while encouraging recognition of and support for the arts in the community.”
Other sponsors were the City of Gulfport and the Gulfport Merchants Chamber.
“Tropical funk” is the way artist John Shevlin of Gulfport describes his artwork. “It’s Floridian, tropical, but it has a modern twist to it. I keep it real simple because I just love the colors to speak for themselves.”
Artist Bob Richardson of Safety Harbor specializes in repurposing old musical instruments and their cases into functional Bluetooth audio speakers. “I turn them into sculptures, add a speaker and I call them ‘Bluetooth sound machines.’”
