Exhibition Dates: July 19-August 30, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, July 25, 2025, 5:30-8:30pm
Gallery Conversation: Thursday, August 14, 5:30-7:30pm (Details below / Event on Facebook)

Florida CraftArt presents Duck to Water, an exhibition of top regional and national craft artists who reinvigorate traditional processes to produce cutting-edge contemporary art. Their works in clay, collage, fiber, jewelry, and wood demonstrate skilled application of materials with an intuitive hand. Like ducks to water, they achieve an effortlessness in their work that can only result from mastery of their respective media. The result is an exhibition that buzzes with alluring tactility and a playful spirit.

Throughout history, craft art—often more closely associated with domestic spaces than art galleries—has been unjustly regarded as uninspired, stuffy, outdated, or reproducible. These 12 artists blow that notion right out of the water. Kyra Connolly, Nikki Couppee, Mikhail Gubin, Babette Herschberger, Jib Projects (David and Kathleen Bly), Cynthia Mason, Douglas Molinas Lawrence, Heidi Parkes, Janelle Young, and Rebecca Zweibel, create clever and memorable work that shifts the paradigm.

Curated by Jessica Todd, Gallery Manager, Florida CraftArt

Exhibiting Artists: Kat Cole (Columbus, GA), Kyra Connolly (St. Petersburg, FL), Nikki Couppee (Oakland, CA), Mikhail Gubin (St. Petersburg, FL), Babette Herschberger (St. Petersburg, FL), Jib Projects (Tampa, FL), Cynthia Mason (St. Petersburg, FL), Douglas Molinas Lawrence (Knoxville, TN), Heidi Parkes (Milwaukee, WI), Janelle Young (Tampa, FL), and Rebecca Zweibel (St. Petersburg, FL).

This exhibition is generously sponsored by Jeannine Hascall.

Gallery Conversation on Thursday, August 14, 5:30-7:30pm

This is not a “sit and listen” lecture! We invite all attendees to join the discussion, share their perspectives, and ask questions. (In art school, they call it a “crit”!)

Join us for an in-person interactive conversation about Florida CraftArt’s current exhibition, Duck to Water. Curator Jessica Todd and art critic/Publisher of Art Critter Magazine, Tom Winchester, will lead an exhibition walkthrough and discussion of work in the show. Some of the artists will join in as well! We’ll also have an Art Critter Magazine Pop-Up to browse and purchase issues. Tom will be available to answer questions about creating and publishing his own print publication.

Don’t miss this one-night-only event! Thursday, August 14, 5:30-7:30pm. Refreshments will be served. Location: Florida CraftArt, 501 Central Ave, St. Pete. Join the Facebook Event

Spotlight on Duck to Water during Statewide Craft Conversation on Wednesday, August 27, 2pm ET

Florida CraftArt is bringing makers, arts organizations, educators, and supporters together for a statewide conversation. This virtual gathering is designed to spark connections, share ideas, and strengthen the network of people and organizations championing craft across Florida. Register via Zoom HERE.

Agenda:

Welcome & Overview – A brief introduction to Florida CraftArt and the purpose of this new statewide initiative.
Spotlight on Duck to Water – Curator Jessica Todd will share highlights from the exhibition, followed by Q&A.
FAMA Rising: Building Community, Battling Cuts – The story of how Miami’s fiber artists came together, grew a thriving year-round program, and are now defending the arts in a time of crisis. Presentation includes Q&A.
Open Discussion – An open floor for attendees to promote events, share opportunities, and bring forward ideas or issues for discussion.

In conjunction with Duck to Water, there will be a special exhibition in the Florida CraftArt retail gallery pop-up space!

Heat & Hammer

Heat & Hammer brings together six regional artists to provide a pop-up exhibit focusing on metal as a crafting material. The selected invited artists all intentionally transform the material in a way that presents a beautiful, finely crafted product. This pop-up shop explores the myriad of ways metal can be pushed as a material while showcasing each artist’s unique voice. Heat and Hammer will be on view from July 19th to August 30th in the Florida CraftArt pop-up space.

Curated by Zoe Wood, Gallery Assistant Manager, Florida CraftArt

Exhibiting Artists: Samantha Freeman (Ocala, FL), Dominice Gilbert (St. Petersburg, FL), Oliver Hampel (Naples, FL), Emilie Pritchard (Panama City, FL), Eric Folsom (Gulfport, FL), and Gabriel Ramos (Tampa, FL).