The District Magazine Volume 1 Issue 1, 2016

Tampa Bay History Center 801 Old Water Street Tampa, FL 33602 tampabayhistorycenter.org Occupying 60,000 SF in Tampa’s Channelside District, exhibits draw a path through time, linking modern culture with cigar factories, sports legends, railroad tycoons, cattle drives, pioneers Spanish conquistadors and Florida’s first native inhabitants – 12,000 years in all. If you do not walk out of this museum with a new sense of love and pride for this great city, you might be dead inside. The museum’s staff is beyond helpful with questions, and inquiries for personal or business research. Want to know what your building address looked like 100 years ago? If the image exists, they will find it! Rialto Theatre 1617 N Franklin St Tampa, FL 33602 rialtotheatre.com One of the first things you read on their website is “Because every detail matters and ordinary is not acceptable”; those words ring like music to my ears. A company after my own heart, for sure. Teetering on the northern border of downtown Tampa, this historic building boasts original plaster designs, original brick and tile façade, and well designed updates. A 10,000+ square foot open floor plan helps transform this venue into a backdrop for public and private events, dance classes, indie markets, studio space, photography shoots and art shows. Rialto Theatre won Creative Loafing Best of the Bay 2015 Award: Best New Old Theatre and although the award sounds tailored especially for them, there is no denying that they deserve the award and all the praise and support from the Tampa community. The ongoing renovations to the space are no joke, and this city needs more passionate, creative entrepreneurs and forward-thinking investors, like Hope Donnelly and George Carter II. The power couple runs 8-Count Studios out of the Rialto Theatre and focuses on the effort to unify the arts community of Tampa with a sense of connection, purpose and family. Current exhibit is Bringing Home the Sunshine: Collecting Florida Souvenirs until April 17, 2016. Fun little nostalgic trip back in time to get you excited about the weather warming up. Wandering Eye Art Gallery 1600 E. 8th Ave Suite E109 Tampa, FL 33605 wanderingeyeartgallery.com Rialto Theater, A balloon sculpture by Jason Hackenworth for the Lululemon campaign. If you have not taken the trolley into Tampa’s historic Ybor City, what are you waiting for? Remember the culturally diverse art world thriving in our city, I spoke about before? Ybor’s grassroots community continues to create a large part of that culture we are all so boastful about. Locals supporting locals, thriving from the tourism industry all while supporting entertainers of all genres, award winning tattoo artists, nationally acclaimed comedians, great multitude of concert venues, and some wonderful art galleries. Wandering Eye Art Gallery is nestled right smack in the middle of it all, located in Centro Ybor City. That is Stop#2 if you are arriving by Teco’s Streetcar Trolley Line. The front façade is floor to ceiling glass windows that encourage the passerby to slow down and take in the colorful array of sculptures, paintings and other visual delights. You can not help but gravitate inside for a closer look at these local artists’ works. This gallery works as a nonprofit cooperative and consists of 14 members. Most of the artists featured rent studio space from the Ybor Arts Colony, a converted historic building on 7th Ave. Follow this gallery on Facebook and learn more about their art classes and monthly art launches of local artist works. Wandering Eye Art Gallery also has a unique art rental program for your residence or business space. THE DISTRICT - TAMPA’S URBAN DWELLING MAGAZINE 33

The District Magazine Volume 1 Issue 1, 2016 | Page 33