Munnies get all dolled up for exhibit

If you have never heard of a munny or never seen one, you won't want to miss the one-night exhibit Saturday called "Munny: Change is Everything" at Skate Park of Tampa.

That's where you will see roughly 150 of the little vinyl dolls "arted up" by more than 60 local and national artists who have responded to the Skate Park call.

Arted up?

"The munny is like a blank canvas, and to 'art it up' is to make it your own; to put your style on it and create what you will," said Chad Cardoza of Kick Start My Art, which organized the event. "I don't know where the term came from, but when we throw it out there, everybody in the art world knows what it means."

Manufactured by Kidrobot, munnies come in various sizes, but the ones in the show are the 4- or 7-inch-high variety. And they are not just painted; they also are stitched, knitted, sculpted, embellished, bedecked and dressed up. Sometimes they are made to look like celebrities or boyfriends. One by local artist P$ynner bears a resemblance to Vincent Van Gogh.

Meet the artists and see their creations from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the park. The evening's festive atmosphere will be punctuated by music spun by a disc jockey and free refreshments. Meanwhile, in another section of the park, the usual Saturday night skating will go on. The art part of the event is free. Skating goes for its regular prices.

"There will be so much going on with the art and the music and the skating," Cardoza said. "It's all for the party and the good time, and it will be amazing to watch because a lot of talented skaters usually show up for these events."

The skate park is east of Ybor City at 4215 E. Columbus Drive. For information, e-mail Cardoza at kickstartmyart@gmail.com. To see munnies and more, visit www.kdrobot.com.

Exhibit reflects basic learning

Four artists display their talents as well as their communication skills in an exhibit called "I Before E," opening Friday at the West Tampa Center for the Arts.

The show's title refers to the basics of learning to communicate in written language. A parallel is drawn between that type of communication and what artists hope to communicate through their creative energies.

Jason Fondren, Rich Frederick, Trinity Rivard and Jon Rodriguez each put forth interpretations of the show's theme.

Meet the artists and see their works from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at a free opening reception on the second floor of the historic Santaella Cigar Factory at 1906 S. Armenia Ave. Donations are welcome but not required. The show runs through March 19. For details, write to wtca.art@gmail.com.

Popular Artist Returns

The colorful still-life paintings of Gabriella Ibarra are showcased in an exhibit opening Friday at Baisden Gallery. The popular multidisciplined artist employs skills including collage, acrylics, oils, pastels, drawing and printmaking to create her richly hued, impressionistic-style paintings.

A Tampa native who lives in Atlanta, the artist has garnered a following of local fans during her visits to Baisden Gallery through the years. She will attend a free opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the gallery, 442 Grand Central Ave., near downtown Tampa. The show is up through April 10.

For details, call the gallery at (813) 250-1511.