ST. PETE, Fla. — The Mahaffey Theater is known for its live theatrical and musical performances, but on Thursday, it debuts an actual art exhibit that will grace the walls of its lobby for the next few months.
Louis Markoya is one of the only artists still around who can say they painted right alongside Salvador Dali, and you can see Dali’s influence in every one of his works in the new exhibit, “Fluid Dreams.”
Markoya remembers the first time he met his hero in New York City when he was just 21 years old.
“I brought him photographs of the pictures that I made and he went through all of them and he critiqued each one and said, ‘Dali did better than this, Dali did better than this, Dali did better than this,’ and at the end he folded them up and said we will do some collaborations which was the start of my journey,” said Markoya.
From 1971 to 1976, Louis served as Dali’s protégé. For a young aspiring artist, it was like earning a degree in surrealism.
“The best part was just being close to that genius, to be able to understand minute to minute what he was like, what he would come up with all the time,” said Markoya.
However, Dali had one pursuit that technology was never able to catch up with until recently, a three-dimensional picture on a two-dimensional surface, which is what makes “Fluid Dreams” so special.
“He would be amazed and shocked,” said Markoya. “I think the whole realm of technology, now especially with AI, Dali would be incredibly excited about the whole thing,” said Markoya.
A total of 40 pieces are spread across two floors of the theater lobby. It’s the kind of exhibit where nothing is quite what it seems.
“It makes it look like the eyes or the face are following you,” said Markoya, explaining several of the pieces.
The Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts is responsible for making it all happen. They say, unlike anyone else, Louis has a connection to Dali and his talent needs a place to shine.
“He was the only under study of Dali that we know of so that was an amazing thing for me to say, ‘ok well this is real, this is the real deal,’” said Edwards.
Every work of art isn’t only for sale but proceeds from each sale will go back to the foundation.
“Bringing children, for free, to the theater to see live performances many of them for the very first time,” said Beth Gelman, president of the foundation.
Louis is proud to give back to his new hometown and says it’s an honor to have his work on display, just steps away from the museum where his mentor is immortalized forever.
“When I came here, I visited the Dali Museum probably five times a week,” said Markoya. “It’s incredible and I’m really thankful for the opportunity.”
The opening reception is free to the public and runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
More information and to RSVP here.
Share Your Story with Robert
We all take pride in where we live, and Robert Boyd takes pride in highlighting why we feel that way. Whether it’s people doing good or underrepresented communities that deserve a spotlight, Robert wants to know about them. Just use the form below to reach out to Robert.
.
Homeowners schedule a 'March on the Capitol' to protest Florida's HOAs
A Tampa Bay couple is organizing a march on the state capitol to protest Florida’s homeowners’ associations.
