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The Gala Corina was initiated in 1999 by a group of architects and artists that were having considerable difficulty getting their work accepted into group shows at local galleries, to the point where we finally just decided to host our own event and show our own work. So we are understandably very interested in supporting artists that perhaps do not fit within a typical gallery structure.

With knowledge based experience, the organizers of the Gala Corina desire to produce the best representation of art possible for the future. We try to choose artists and not their specific artworks. The fact that Gala-accepted artists get to fill their allotted space with the pieces of their choosing provides a certain freedom of choice that most traditional galleries cannot afford to risk. This also creates an atmosphere of unpredictability and excitement to the show where the final outcome can never be predetermined.

The list below presents the names of those artists accepted for inclusion in the 2006 show, “Esperanza”. Understanding the impact of our decisions, we invested our energies rigorously and according to our mandate, in order to cull these artists from a list of more than 100 submissions. If your name is not on the list and you are curious as to why you were not selected, you may contact us via e-mail for an explanation. We hope that those not accepted are not too disappointed, and that they will consider us for future exhibitions.

The many talented and established artists who participate in the Gala Corina act independently and according to their unique motivations. We are thankful for their continued support. For such participation does indeed enhance the show’s breadth and quality by the addition of their talents and experience. The willingness to exhibit among a broader and un-self-determined variety of art than that typically found in gallery shows is a mark of the artist exhibiting at the Gala and we offer our sincerest commendations for their participation.

The knowledge that the very nature of the event, the donation of a generous space, the gracious sponsorship to cover the costs of basic necessities, and ultimately public interest as indicated by attendance, depends so completely on the ongoing participation of so many is humbling. And it is appropriate that special mention be made of the fact that, beyond all else, the Gala Corina would not exist without the enthusiastic participation of the Tampa Bay Arts Community.