Looking for a peaceful place to give your mind a break from the woes that surround us? Check out the Carrollwood Cultural Center in northwest Hillsborough County, about a 25-minute drive from downtown Tampa.
Inside you’ll find walls covered in art by local artists in displays that rotate throughout the year. Current exhibits include “Spring Expressions’’ by Tessa, “The Two of Us’’ by Gwendolynn Aqui-Brooks & Benard Brooks, “Everyday People’’ by Odell “Pat’’ Mitchell, and the work of other artists tucked around corners in the hallways and boldly displayed in the atrium.
A recent weekday visit found a small ceramics class in full swing. Classes are also taught on theatre, dance, music, creative writing, and wellness. Events include artist talks, live music, community theatre, and more. Special camps for kids from ages 4 through 13 are also available.
While COVID protocols are in place, there are plenty of activities going on to keep you and your family busy in a place designed for mindfulness and creativity.
For more information, visit the
Carrollwood Cultural Center website.
Miriam Zohar, pottery studio manager at Carrollwood Cultural Center, teaches classes in ceramics. Photos by Diane Egner
A participant in a ceramics class paints glaze on her most recent creation. Photos by Diane Egner
Brushes for glazing clay. Photos by Diane Egner
Unfired pots awaiting time in the kiln. Photos by Diane Egner
Finished pottery pieces for sale in the Carrollwood Cultural Center gift shop. Photos by Diane Egner
"Tattoo'' by Odell "Pat'' Mitchell on display as part of "Everyday People'' at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Photos by Diane Egner
"Florida Cowboy'' by Odell "Pat'' Mitchell on display as part of "Everyday People'' at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Photos by Diane Egner
Puffins by Sara May. Photos by Diane Egner
The Gallery at Carrollwood Cultural Center displays visual art by local as well as global artists. Photos by Diane Egner
Artwork is on display throughout the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Photos by Diane Egner
"Soulman,'' part of "The Two of Us'' display by artist Benard W. Brooks, at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Photos by Diane Egner
Part of the permanent art collection at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Photos by Diane Egner
Most pieces of art are for sale at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Photos by Diane Egner
The Carrollwood Cultural Center is among the many cultural and recreational amenities in Carrollwood Village, the Tampa neighborhood celebrating its 50th anniversary at its October 22nd fall fest. Photos by Diane Egner
The Carrollwood Cultural Center is open most days except Sundays. Check the website for specific hours and event times. Photos by Diane Egner
An abstract creation by Chicago artist Michael Young depicts the sun and moon dancing in front of the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Photos by Diane Egner
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Diane Egner is a community leader and award-winning journalist with more than four decades of experience reporting and writing about the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. She serves on the boards of the University of South Florida Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications Advisory Council, The Institute for Research in Art (Graphicstudio, the Contemporary Art Museum, and USF’s Public Art Program) Community Advisory Council, Sing Out and Read, and StageWorks Theatre Advisory Council. She also is a member of Leadership Florida and the Athena Society. A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a BA in journalism, she won the top statewide award for editorial writing from the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors while at The Tampa Tribune and received special recognition by the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists for creative work as Content Director at WUSF Public Media. Past accomplishments and community service include leadership positions with Tampa Tiger Bay Club, USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP), Alpha House of Tampa Bay, Awesome Tampa Bay, Florida Kinship Center, AIA Tampa Bay, Powerstories, Arts Council of Hillsborough County, and the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. Diane and her husband, Sandy Rief, live in Tampa.