The Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency has announced the opening of two new art exhibits at the Clearwater Main Library showcasing the beauty and culture of Cuba, featuring the artwork of legendary photographer Clyde Butcher and local Tampa Bay artists.

The free exhibits featuring Butcher’s “CUBA: The Natural Beauty – The Photographic Expeditions of Clyde Butcher” and “El Arte: Echoes of Cuba,” featuring 19 local artists, opened May 12, 2023, at the library, 100 N. Osceola Ave., and is running through October 31.

“El Arte: Echoes of Cuba” will showcase the art of local Cuban emigres, Cuban American artists and others, covering all mediums, including paintings in oil, pastel, ink and acrylic, as well as photography and sculptures.

A grand opening celebration at the exhibit offered the chance to meet many of the artists featured in the “El Arte: Echoes of Cuba” exhibit, listen to salsa music performed by Orquesta INFINIDAD and sample food from downtown’s Hispania Restaurant during a festive, family-friendly event.

Some of the featured artists in “El Arte: Echoes of Cuba” include:

• José Rodeiro – a Visual Artist Fellow of the National Endowment of the Arts, who is also a descendant of one of the first families to settle in Ybor City
• Chase Parker – a sculptor and 3D mixed media artist who has a studio in Ybor City, where his great-great-grandfather immigrated from Cuba. His great-grandfather went on to open the Colombia restaurant in 1905
• Lynn Rattray – creator of an art series about Ybor City’s chickens and roosters, with hundreds of depictions featuring the neighborhood’s unique residents.

“CUBA: The Natural Beauty – The Photographic Expeditions of Clyde Butcher” exhibit features Butcher’s photography commissioned by the United Nations to create a portfolio of the mountainous lands of Cuba. It is the result of three weeklong expeditions. While in Cuba, Butcher explored the varied geographic regions across the island to capture a collection featuring lush vegetation, waterfalls, valleys and mountains.

On August 16, Butcher will return to Clearwater for a special event where he will sign books at the Clearwater Main Library, followed by an evening lecture at The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre on Cleveland Street in Downtown Clearwater. To learn more, click here.

The City of Gainesville, population 143,835, is located in Alachua County.