George Nigro, Dunedin City Commissioner
John Tornga and Bill Coleman, who were
three of those responsible for bringing an
Alligator back to Dunedin, took part in the
dedication ceremony when it was unveiled.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 35
GRAM
9
The Salvador Dalí Museum in
St. Petersburg is electrifying visitors
with its new exhibit that highlights
the work of the renowned Dutch artist
M. C. Escher. These works include
visual illusion puzzles, “impossible
constructions,” and the use of
tessellation to captivate the viewers’
imaginations and admiration. The 135
pieces cover Escher’s entire artistic
career and include rarely exhibited
early drawings, including panoramas
of exotic landscapes and historic
architecture of Italy and Spain, as
well as his most famous works, such
as “Waterfall.”
M. C. Escher’s “Waterfall” © 2015
GRAM
Madison Orr Hauenstein, the executive director of The Arc
Tampa Bay Foundation, thanked Syd Entel and her daughter
Susan Benjamin for hosting this fundraiser at their
Safety Harbor Galleries.
The talented artists at the Arc Tampa Bay’s Harborside
Studio in Safety Harbor exhibited and sold their art at their
seventh annual exhibition at the Syd Entel Galleries. Guests
sipped wine and nibbled on hors d’oeuvres, as they gazed
upon these affordable masterpieces of “Special Art by Special
Hands.” Thirty-nine Harborside artists created work for this
event. Each artist will receive 50-percent of the proceeds for
their work and the remaining 50-percent will be used by The
Arc to keep this rewarding program operating. Refreshments
for the evening were donated by Arc Foundation board
member Dan Shouvlin of Clearwater’s Clear Sky Beachside
Cafe and Dunedin’s Clear Sky Draught Haus.
History of Jazz
The Clearwater Jazz Holiday
Foundation showcased its popular
Education Outreach Program
during a program at the Capitol
Theatre in downtown Clearwater.
The evening featured noted music
educator Frank T. Williams, III, who
narrated a musical journey of jazz that
took the audience from New Orleans
to Harlem. He appeared onstage
with members of the Outreach Band,
who were later joined by area high
school musicians. More than 100,000
students have been mesmerized by
the Education Outreach Program’s
tribute to the roots of America’s
contributions to music.
An “Alligator”
Unveiled
When the U.S. Marine Corps decided
that the “Alligator” designed by
Clearwater’s Donald Robeling
would be valuable in warfare, as well
as in hurricanes, they built the first 200
of these machines in Dunedin and set
up a Marine unit there to learn how to
operate them. The Dunedin Historical
Society raised the funds to find one of
these landing vehicles and to return it to
Dunedin for display. It took awhile, but
one of the early Alligators that was so
important in the Pacific during World
War II is now on permanent display in
the city at VFW Post 2550 on Douglas
Avenue in Dunedin.
Steve Weinberger, CEO, and Jeni Mitchell,
president of Clearwater Jazz Holiday, thanked
board member Dick Crowl for helping to bring
the Education Outreach Program to young
people and to the Capitol Theatre.
M. C. Escher at the Dalí
Harborside Studio Artists Exhibit
BRUCE JOHNSON
UPFRONT