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Ringling Museum of Art features 13 artists in 'Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration'

By FOX 13 News Staff
Updated  October 25, 2024 5:09pm EDT
Sarasota
FOX 13 News

Ringling Museum of Art features 13 artists in 'Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration'

FOX 13 photojournalist Barry Wong takes us to the Ringling Museum of Art.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Every three years, five Tampa Bay area 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. Thirteen artists are featured at The Ringling Museum of Art. 

The Ringling Museum of Art Curator of Photography and Media Art Chris Jones hoped for diversity on many levels for this year’s collection. 

PREVIOUS: Skyway exhibit on display at Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg: 'Really incredible installations'

"We really wanted to make sure we cover the gamut and as many types of practices we could," Jones said. "We wanted to make sure that we were able to represent artists who were working in diverse media, but also in different stages of their career. So, we have artists who are just recent graduates who are quite young and emerging, all the way up to artists who have been teaching in the community for decades, really influencing students and the shape of our arts community here."

Jake Fernandez has two large paintings near the exhibit entrance. The conceptual artist has spent decades on one of them, "Myakka Fork 1," which features several smaller paintings on wood panels that have been connected. 

"What you see is not a singular scene, but rather a composite of time passing," Fernandez said.

"Myakka Fork 2" is bigger, around 13x7 feet, and made of 64 wood panels. 

MORE: Tampa Museum of Art featuring new generation of artists during Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration exhibit

"I wanted them to be like life size, like almost looking like through a plate-glass window, so it'd be the same as if you were there," Fernandez said. 

From large pieces to some of the smallest, Caitlin Albritton specializes in mosaic jewelry. 

"I really enjoy the meditative aspect of it, and I think kind of weaving in that meditative aspect of how I make them, I hope it kind of gets woven into how it's presented as well," Albritton said.

Mixed media artist Robyn Crosa also hopes her work, groups of gourd art sculptures, shares a message with visitors. 

"They represent the beauty of Mother Nature, and they also represent the beauty of women's bodies," Crosa said. 

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

While the mediums vastly differ, Jones hopes that Skyway creates community conservations. 

"I hope that visitors come and get a sense of how vibrant and how strong our arts community is in the region, and they are all also influenced by the same community that we all live in here," Jones said. 

Skyway 2024: A Contemporary Collaboration will be on display at The Ringling Museum of Art until Jan. 26. For more information on the collaboration, click here. For more information on The Ringling Museum of Art and their collection, click here. 

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