TAMPA, Fla., May 1, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The family of late local artist Carolyn F. Heller today announced the Kotler Art Gallery will host an exhibition of selected works from May 1-June 28, 2013 as the latest initiative in honoring her memory. As part of the Art After Hours Series, there also will be a public reception May 11 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibition and reception will take place at the gallery located inside the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa.
"This is yet another great way we can continue to share her artwork with a city and community that she loved for 50 years," says Fran Heller, one of Carolyn's daughters and the youngest of her four children. "Her work is a great reflection of who she was and it continues to be popular to view and collect among her many friends and followers."
The pieces include a mix of classic impressionism beginning with Heller's early career in the 1950s at Newcomb College as well as the color and bold shapes and expressionism style she became known for in her mid to late career.
The Kotler Art Gallery exhibition builds on the announcement of the 2013 Carolyn F. Heller Grant presented by the Arts Council of Hillsborough County and a successful exhibition at the Tampa Museum of Art, both in March. Her work remains on exhibit in the virtual online gallery at carolynhellerart.com where original art and gift items can be viewed and purchased.
About Carolyn Frohsin Heller
Carolyn F. Heller was a Florida artist who created works of bold shape and vivid color. She was influenced by abstract expressionism early in her 60-year career, yet her style evolved to embrace an unambiguous and playful vitality that mirrored her personality. She started drawing and painting in the 1950s. Beginning with printmaking, wood-cuts and acrylics on canvas, she expanded into mixed-media on fabric, furniture and other everyday items. In every context, her work was sensual and full of energy. Passionate about public art, she was a long-serving member of the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. She also helped establish the county's Public Art Committee, which selects and purchases artwork for public display. In 1997, the Tampa AIDS Network commissioned her to create its annual signature work of art for its Art for Life benefit, due in large measure to her longtime advocacy for human rights issues. Carolyn's family seeks to honor her memory in an online gallery, permanently exhibiting works from her collection. Visit www.carolynhellerart.com for opportunities to view and purchase works from Heller's private collection. See more of her work at www.facebook.com/carolynhellerart and http://pinterest.com/CFHellerArt/.
About the Kotler Art Gallery
The Kotler Art Gallery at the John F. Germany Public Library is named in honor of Arnold C. Kotler, a long-term library board member, and his wife Louise L. Kotler. Both were dedicated to many causes in Tampa, two of which were art and libraries.
The gallery is located in the John F. Germany Public Library at 900 N. Ashley Dr. Tampa, FL 33602-3788. Library hours are Monday-Wednesday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.