12/10/02
Gulfport Sculptors Featured at Florida International Museum
Internationally Known Artists Collaborate on Mixed Media Pieces

St. Petersburg, Florida (December 10, 2002) The Florida International Museum (FIM) is pleased to announce that the works of two local artists will be displayed at the museum in conjunction with a spectacular collection from neo-surrealist Mexican painter Enrique Chavarria. The works of internationally known artists Felipe Packard and Ricardo de la Vega, both of Gulfport, FL, are featured in the exhibit entitled “Dream Revelations” which is on display from December 9, 2002 until February 9, 2003.

Packard and de la Vega have produced surreal and mystical cast paper/mixed media life-sized sculptures, using the bold, vivid palette favored by artists from Mexico. “The work is an outstanding compliment to the work of Enrique Chavarria,” says Mary Anna Murphy, FIM Exhibitions Director.

Packard and de la Vega are accomplished artists. One of their latest pieces is now in the permanent collection of the Museum of American Crafts in New York City. Aside from the collaboration in three-dimensional mixed media artworks, both artists produce paintings, each having their own distinctive style.

Florida International Museum is the permanent home of the John F. Kennedy Collection and through Fall 2003, The Cuban Missile Crisis: When The Cold War Got Hot. On display through February 23, 2003 is Memories of Maas Brothers, sponsored by RJ Bunbury Company, Inc.

Regular admission is $12 for adults, $11 for college students and seniors 65+, $6 for students. Children under 6 are free. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Last entry to the museum is at 4 p.m. daily.

For more information please contact the Florida International Museum at 727-822-3693 or visit www.floridamuseum.org.

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The Florida International Museum is a non-profit educational institution supported, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Florida Arts Council, State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the City of St. Petersburg. Other major sponsors include Progress Energy, Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, and St. Petersburg Times.