Featured Cultural Organization 

MacDonald Training Center is celebrating the selection of artwork created by Omoro S. Ralls to be part of the prestigious Expose banner program sponsored by the West Shore Alliance. Mr. Ralls’ painting, “Tampa’s Palms” can be seen flying proudly on banners on Boy Scout Blvd, in the West Shore Mall and in Tampa International Airport.
 
This is the second time work from Mr. Ralls has been chosen by the Expose banner committee, out of submissions from over 200 professional art applicants.

No one on the selection committee was aware of Mr. Ralls as a person with a disability, or his connection to MacDonald Training Center. The work was selected on its own merit, which is exactly the way the Center wants it.
 
“We don’t play the pity card at MacDonald Training Center,” explains Jim Freyvogel, CEO and president. “The art produced in our Fine Arts Studios can stand alone and should be judged on its merits.”
 
MacDonald Training Center opened its Fine Arts Studios in 2005 through a generous grant from the Joy McCann Foundation. These studios have led to the discovery of artistic talent in many of the people served, and  profound changes in some lives, particularly in the case of  Mr. Ralls. Prior to his immersion in the art studios, no one, even his family had any idea of his artistic talent. His mother, with whom he lives in Tampa, literally and figuratively staggered when she visited the Center’s small art gallery for the first time. Her son with a disability has evolved into her son the artist. While communication remains a constant challenge for Mr. Ralls, he now speaks eloquently to us all through his art.
 
In addition to his selection by the Expose committee, Mr. Ralls has had work shown in many galleries around the area, including the Tampa Museum of Art, the Scarfone Hartley gallery at Univeresity of Tampa, USF and many other places. His work has been sold to many members of the community, including Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio who has a painting by Mr. Rall’s hanging in her family room. Fox 13 recently profiled Mr. Ralls. To read more about Mr. Ralls, please visit My Fox Tampa Bay

A Note from the Executive Director

-Melinda Chavez-

In the summertime, we do our planning for the fall and we are happy to announce that we will be continuing the programming that we have introduced over the last few years.  These include our High School Art Stars scholarships, our Cultural Encounters and Chalk Walk.

We were thrilled with the applications that we received for the scholarships this year and very much enjoyed the performances of the winners at our Chalk Walk in March when we presented them with their checks.  We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to following them through their college careers.  To date we have given out $32,500 in scholarships to students in Pinellas and Hillsborough County.

The other program that we will be kicking off this summer is Cultural Encounters, in which we invite people to have experiences in venues large and small and to explore a range of disciplines, including visual arts, history, theatre and music.  Our hope is that once they discover the rich treasures we have in these institutions, they will continue to enjoy these offerings.  The program will include the Tampa Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Tampa, the Tampa Bay History Center, Jobsite Theatre at the Tampa Bay Performing Art Center and Florida Pro Musica.  The cost for attending all five programs is $99 and includes refreshments at each session.

The Chalk Walk will occur March 19th through 21st, 2010, again in Hyde Park Village.  More information to follow as we develop the program.

For more information about either of these programs please call Christina Cook at 813-221-2787 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .