This Saturday night The Bricks of Ybor will be hosting two very special shows with the creative collaboration duo Kick Start My Art. In the main restaurant, twenty one artists will help celebrate twenty one years of the Skatepark of Tampa (or SPoT, as the locals know it) with twenty one pieces of art work created on skate decks. While many of Kick Start’s shows have a theme, artists were granted full creative license this go around and were told only that their work must be on a deck. The second show, Her Name is Lola, will be showing in the study hall and proceeds will benefit Lola Cardinal.

I decided early that I wanted my piece for Legally on Board to celebrate Tampa and that I wanted it to be fun. As a lover of craft beer and of local lore, I knew Skunk Ape and Cigar City would be a perfect fit. I have to be honest though, it wasn’t until R.J. suggested the bottle opener that I felt like my “Florida Original” really came together.

R.J. is participating in the deck show as well and I’m sure you’ll recognize the scene depicted on his board, entitled “All Work and No Play”. I know the guy has talent, but seriously, his work never ceases to amaze me. Upon receiving a cracked deck, I think he immediately knew what he wanted to create. Combining both of his strengths, R.J.’s board includes both painting, and a wax sculpt.

Her Name is Lola, will be showing in the study hall to benefit the daughter of local artist, Nicole Morris. All pieces will be donated by local artists and proceeds will benefit Lola directly. I will be donating an aluminum print of my image Sunday Afternoon, and R.J. is donating his painted relief Icarus Rises. 

You can read Lola’s story here and you can help by coming out to the show and picking up some art from local artists including:

– Daniel Morgan
– Michelle Sawyer
– Nicole Morris
– Melissa Wilson
– Chad Cardoza
– Wade Slater
– P$YNNER
– Theresa Crout
– Ashley Roper
– Svetlana Kepezhinskas
– Jon Rodriguez

….and many more.

If you can’t make it out to the show, please consider visiting Lola’s gofundme.com page and making a donation.

These two shows mark more than twenty five curated by Chad and Suzie Cardoza of Kick Start My Art over the last three years, and will be their last before they take a break for a while. If you’ve ever been to a Kick Start show then you know how much hard work they put into making each and every show amazing, and if you haven’t been to a Kick Start show then you need to get out this Saturday to see what you’ve been missing!