Bright, bold colors and large-format canvases created by member artists at Creative Clay are standouts at the Big Art Show at Eckerd College’s Lewis House. The longtime partnership between the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC) and Creative Clay is on exhibition for the first time since the COVID-19 shutdown that began in 2020.
The diverse collection ranges from “Purple Moonlight” by Marquise R. to additional folk pieces by longtime and former member artists. Visitors to the gallery will see art popping out against a backdrop of red-brick walls. Lewis House is the gathering space for ASPEC.
“In August 2010, I curated an exhibit of 40 paintings by Creative Clay member artists for Lewis House,” said Jody Bikoff, Creative Clay’s director of exhibitions. “I enjoyed working with Ann Rascoe, artist and former ASPEC visual arts program chair, who was also a former Creative Clay board member and teaching artist.”
ASPEC’s community presence
ASPEC was founded on the principle that it is important for adults to remain involved and active. Its more than 300 members, as described in Eckerd materials, “whether in transition from one career to another or ‘retired,’ are most engaged when they participate in lifelong learning and share a community of interests with others who believe that every stage of life can be a time of rejuvenation, enrichment, accomplishment and meaningful productivity.”
“One of the four pillars of ASPEC is community involvement,” ASPEC volunteer Carolyn Meagher said. “I have been an ASPEC member for about five years and have really enjoyed being a part of the process of hanging the art and meeting the artists. The bright colors and enthusiasm of the artists is inspiring to me as I try to bring that to my own efforts in creating my artwork.”
Featured artists
Creative Clay artists represented in the Big Art Show include Shasta G., Lindsay J., Grace P., Ashton T., Ali V., and Aaron F. Work by former Creative Clay member artists Christopher J., Brittany M., and Eric Bristow is also featured.
If you go
The Big Art Show is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday through Sept. 30 at Lewis House, Eckerd College. All works are available for purchase; artists earn 50% of the sales price. For information about Creative Clay’s member artists, visit creativeclay.org
