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Local Arts Scene Starts At Square One

Virgin 2.0 event features art, fashion, music, dance, food and more.

Photo from Square One/Ashley Bates

Among the works that will be shown at Virgin 2.0 is the debut collection from first-time fashion designer Melissa Oraath.

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By SARAH HOYE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 3, 2008

TAMPA - Square One is putting on the Ritz Saturday with a third installment of its local art series.

Virgin 2.0 will fill the newly restored Ritz Ybor with original works by more than 85 Tampa area artists, musical and dance performances, and fashion shows, all intended to help reinvigorate the local arts scene.

"There is rebirth in Ybor City and the Ritz Ybor has been very supportive. [Virgin 2.0] is a tribute to them," said co-organizer Okesene Tilo, executive director for the Florida branch of Square One Creative, an art and design collective based in Tampa and New York City.

"It's more than just an art and fashion show," she said.

The foyer of the Ritz will serve as an art gallery for works revolving around the themes of rebirth and awakening, while the remaining rooms will host performances and fashion shows. The event is free, but a portion of the proceeds from art sales will benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Many of the works included in the show prominently feature the color pink to reflect breast cancer awareness.

"The event is an art piece in itself," Tilo said, adding that the festivities are intended to be family friendly. "Come and open your mind to what Tampa has to offer through its arts community."

Musical performances include appearances by classical and jazz musicians Jamal Corrie, Marcy Hopp & Friends and All That Jazz, along with a special set by pop artist Jeremy Gloff, who will be accompanied by a string ensemble.

The University of Tampa Dancers will perform throughout the venue accompanied by the operatic sounds of vocalist Suzanne Alvarez, who will make her grand entrance down historic Seventh Avenue.

"It's hard to break out of that stigma of Ybor, but the Ritz isn't a nightclub — it's a venue, and this is art," said co-organizer Jason Pierce Moriarty, vice president of Florida Square One Creative. Moriarty will have artwork on display and perform a fusion of yoga, dance and art with Namaste Yoga Studio during the event. "Art is for the community, and people should come and support [the scene]," he said.

Virgin 2.0 will be catered by local restaurants, including popular Ybor City spots such as Spaghetti Warehouse and Mema's Alaskan Tacos.

While the event's name can be taken as a reference to some of its participants — for example, a runway show will feature the debut of "virgin" fashion designers J. Alfonso and Melissa Oraath, along with pieces by Tragik Designs — organizers hope it's primarily a reflection of the area's cultural renaissance.

"Art enriches our lives," said Moriarty. "My personal purpose is to just bring back the arts."

EVENT PREVIEW

Virgin 2.0

WHAT: A multimedia mash-up of art, fashion, music, dance and food

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: The Ritz Ybor, 1503 N. Seventh Ave., Tampa

HOW MUCH: free

INFO: www.squareoneflorida.com

Reporter Sarah Hoye can be reached at (813) 259-7832.

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