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Arson Suspected In Fire At Art Gallery

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By NICOLA M. WHITE and JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 10, 2007

DUNEDIN - Sultana Volaitis pulled up to the charred building, rolled down the driver-side window and rubbed her eyes.

Inside the gutted art gallery was 30 years of her work: tall oil paintings, marble sculptures, portraits of her grandchildren - all torched.

"To have years of work just go up in flames on somebody's spite," she said, her voice trailing off. "We're not talking about doodads you could just buy."

Authorities suspect arson in the early Sunday morning fire that decimated the Imago Art Gallery on Douglas Avenue, destroying the work of the dozen artists who maintained studios there. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office pegged the building's damage at $500,000.

For the artists who painted, sculpted and displayed their artwork at the small cooperative, though, the loss was immeasurable.

"A lot of these folks had their whole lives in there," said Bill McElligott, fire marshal for the Dunedin Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to the blaze just before 3 a.m. No one was injured, but an artist was in his studio with a friend at the time. The fire started in the rear of the building, and the two escaped through the front. Neither is suspected of starting the fire, McElligott said.

Authorities are reviewing footage from two nearby surveillance cameras, McElligott said.

"I'm clueless as to what kind of person would do this," said Herb Starr, who displayed his metalwork at the studio. He creates art from the recycled hoods of old cars.

Starr spent several hours Sunday outside the art gallery, staring beyond the yellow police tape and hoping to get a glimpse of any salvageable work. Because he works with metals, Starr hoped at least one or two pieces would be OK.

Several of the artists showed up Sunday to survey the wreckage and rescue what they could, but authorities wouldn't let anyone inside.

Davie Duke, who paints with oils and acrylics, seemed less hopeful. Inside, he had three of seven paintings, a series he had spent years working on.

"It's priceless stuff. It's important stuff," he said, visibly shaken. "That is mind-blowing. It's still sinking in. It's so violent."

The two-alarm fire drew units from Dunedin, Clearwater, Palm Harbor and Largo. It took until 4:30 a.m. to bring the fire under control.

Firefighters initially searched the inside of the building, but they backed out because of the fierceness of the flames and the threat of a roof cave-in, McElligott said.

"It was a very spectacular blaze," he said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jack White at (727) 582-6200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).

Reporter Nicola M. White can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or nwhite1@tampatrib.com. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove

@tampatrib.com.

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