On March 6thth, 2018, Tampa Connection class members got a taste of Tampa Bay’s Arts culture for the Arts Day Program. The mission of the day was to expose class members to the Arts community and its influences on the Tampa Bay area.
We kicked off this half–day program at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts with an improvisation workshop that left our class members laughing (and, in one exercise, showing off our dance moves!). Suzanne Livesay, Vice President of Education, explained how improv works in business in addition to theater and piqued our interest in the shows coming to the Straz. Later, class members took behind-the-scenes tours that included exclusive peeks at the backstage areas and dressing rooms used by performers.
We enjoyed the beautiful weather with a walk along the Riverwalk that led us to the Tampa Museum of Art. The Museum’s Development team spoke with class members about ways to become engaged and involved with the Museum. Instead of a traditional tour, class members participated in a scavenger hunt that took them through the all of the galleries. We were fortunate enough to be some of the first people to view one of the Museum’s latest exhibits: Having a Ball: Striking Portraits from American’s Pastime by George Sosnak, a folk art exhibit focusing on baseball. The scavenger hunt brought out our competitive sides, and Red Team class members Melissa Knight, Lauren Strope, Gigi Santiago-Cooper, Cory Kleinman, James Zebrowski, and Tim Sousa took first place, winning memberships to the Museum!
We closed down the evening with a social hour at Franklin Manor. Members had the chance to unwind and share in conversation. That’s a wrap for Arts Day!