A new art exhibition at The University of Tampa, The Heart of Nature, will feature 78 artworks from the Ferman Wood Art Collection. The exhibit includes bowls and novelty woodworks, handmade from both domestic and exotic types of wood, and explores the technique of woodturning and wood media’s intersectional role between form and function. The Heart of Nature will be open Saturday, Aug. 27, through Saturday, Dec. 10, in the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery on the UT campus.
The bowls were crafted by various local and national turners and sculptors. Through wood’s transformation from tree to work of art, layers of meaning are revealed, enhanced or added. One of the bowls in the exhibit was crafted by local wood turner Mort Richter from a tree on the UT campus that had died.
UT President Ron Vaughn said the exhibit is an outstanding testament to the Ferman family’s love of beauty and lifelong learning. “Exhibitions like this one adds to UT’s reputation in the fine and performing arts, and solidifies UT’s place as a major cultural contributor,” Vaughn said.
The Ferman Wood Art Collection is privately held by Jim and Celia Ferman, who have always had a special appreciation for arts and culture. The Ferman family, often casually referred to as “UT’s First Family,” has supported UT for more than 70 years, most recently as lead donors of the Ferman Center for the Arts on campus.
The gallery is located on campus in the Bailey Arts Studios at 310 N. Blvd. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday and 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays. There is no charge for admission.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of The University of Tampa Friends of the Gallery. For more information, contact Jocelyn Boigenzahn, director of the College of Arts and Letters galleries, at jboigenzahn@ut.edu or (813) 253-6217.
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