The Carrollwood Cultural Center Presents VISIONARY WOMEN, 12/10

The Carrollwood Cultural Center presents VISIONARY WOMEN, a lecture on Dalia Condis and the famous women that she painted, on Thursday, December 10 at 6 pm at the Carrollwood Cultural Center.  Admission is free.

Mary Ellen Bitner will present the work of Dalia Condis, the women she painted (Evita Peron, Frida Khalo, Florence Nightingale, etc), why she painted them and what she saw in each of these women’s accomplishments.  The presentation will also include a discussion of the symbolism present in each of Condis’ paintings and how they tell the story of the woman depicted in each painting. 

This presentation will be followed by an art reception for the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) art show at 7 pm. The winter art show is a juried and judged show with ribbon award.

Dalia Condis is a Cuba born artist who is now retired in Tampa.  She has a series of 25 paintings of famous women.  After immigrating to the USA in the 70’s, she opened her own academy of drawing and painting in New Jersey.

Marie Ellen Bitner is the Art Curator at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. She graduated from the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, NY with a BA degree in English Literature with minors in philosophy, theology, education and history. After 30 years of teaching she went back to college and received additional credits in the Visual Arts from HCC and USF. Mary Ellen painted as a self-taught artist for many years before she followed her dream to study art on the college level and hone hers skills as a visual artist. She is the President of the North Tampa Art League. ?

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and Wallace F. Holladay traveled abroad in the 1960’s admired artworks of Clara Peters, a 17th century Flemish painter.  When they returned to the United States, they looked for more women artists and found that there were no women artists in the reference books at all.  After learning this, they decided to seek out and collect material and artwork about women artists.  Their extensive collection formed the original core of the National Museum of Women in the Arts which Mrs. Holladay founded in 1981 in Washington DC.  

The Florida Committee of the NMWA was founded in 2000 by a group of women in Tallahassee who were interested in promoting Florida women artists.  In Florida, there are 2000 members of the NMWA.  A number of these members joined the Florida Committee.  Since the Florida Committee is state-wide, we have identified seven geographic regions, each with a dedicated director.  Regional directors organize events to promote the artists in their area and encourage membership in the Florida Committee.  They also participate in state-wide events sponsored by the Florida Committee Board.

The mission of the Florida Committee reflects that of the NMWA:  To identify and promote women artists in the areas of visual, literary and the performing arts and to educate the public on the history of women artists as well as on contemporary women artists.  The Florida committee selected to focus first on the visual arts.   

The Central West Region of the Florida Committee of the NMWA is a group of women artists who are very versatile in their subject matter, medium, style, and creativity which makes for an interesting and fun exhibit.  For more information, contact Sheila Blow, Regional Director: 727-819-2242 www.floridawomenartists.org.

The Carrollwood Cultural Center is located at 4537 Lowell Road, Tampa, FL 33618.  For more information, call (813) 269-1310.

For more information visit the Center website at www.carrollwoodcenter.org.

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