CLEARWATER, Fla. — If you are looking for ways to beat the heat, there is a traveling art exhibit now on display in Clearwater that’s free, air conditioned, and inspiring people across the state.
Tampa Bay 28 introduced viewers to the exhibit, Sacred Pilgrimage: Gaudi and Galbon, last summer when it was first getting started in Tampa. It ended up traveling all over the state, and now it’s gone full circle, back to Tampa Bay, at Peace Memorial Church in Clearwater.
Watch report from Robert Boyd
Curators Antonio Permuy and Tarin Mohajeri said when they began this journey, they had no idea the following it would attract.
“My goodness, this has just exceeded our expectations on every possible level. We’ve been so fortunate and lucky,” said Permuy. “This has truly been a unique exhibition, the most unique I’ve ever been a part of, and I know our team says the same.”
Every painting is inspired by the work of Antoni Gaudí, considered one of Spain’s greatest artists, and most notably recognized for the La Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona.
“This year is especially important because we are marking the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death, and this is something that has been an international event that people have been honoring and marking all over the world,” said Permuy.
St. Pete artist and doctor, AGalban said in an interview last August during the start of the exhibition that he was visiting the basilica when he began having chest pains, which ended up leading to a heart attack. He said that through that near-death experience, he foreshadowed this entire series of paintings.
“I don’t know how I didn’t die, that’s the question that everybody asks,” said Galban.
“After that, he decided this is something very special, of all my body of work, we have to show this in a unique way, so we came up with this concept,” said Permuy.
Much like the name, the exhibit has become a pilgrimage itself.
“We’ve noticed mixed in with all the fresh faces we’ve seen people following with us from place to place, so we absolutely seen some really dedicated people,” said Permuy.
Not only is every setting different, but the art just keeps evolving.
“He just kept painting, so then when we would go to another location, we would have new art for people to see,” said Tarin Mohajeri.
Peace Memorial Church said it’s an honor to share this experience with its community.
“The fact that you have that combination of history and art informing people of faith and making it a place where art is available to people,” said church member Beth Daniels.
The exhibit will be on display at Peace Memorial Church through July 12th and is free to the public. There will also be a special church concert in conjunction with the exhibit’s last day on display.
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