By Megan Hussey, [email protected]
Once again, the walls of The City of Brooksville’s Uptown Art Gallery spring forth with the beauty and ebullience of original artworks. Created and presented by some of the most talented artists in the area and under the guidance of a newly instated Art Gallery Coordinator.
Pedram Moghaddam invites everyone to visit the “Summer to Autumn” exhibit, open now through Oct. 15 at The City of Brooksville Art Gallery, located in the City building at 201 Howell Avenue. The Uptown Art Gallery is open to the public from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, except for holidays.
“On display are three to five pieces of artwork from each artist reflecting the passing of the current season into the new one. This exhibit provides artists a chance to hone their creativity, set the record straight, be bold, or even reserved and shine through their expressions.” Moghaddam emphasizes, however, that artists were not tied to this theme, and were indeed encouraged to exercise a free hand in an exhibit that was theirs to create. Pieces are available for sale, and artists were honored at a special reception at the gallery.
“I wanted to see what these creative people had to offer, they didn’t have to stick with the seasonal theme,” said Moghaddam, appointed in July to oversee the gallery. This flexible concept resulted in the curation of a broad and beautiful exhibit featuring about 50 pieces of just about every medium imaginable: Acrylics, oils, watercolors, sculptures, carved woods, wood reliefs, and glassware. It is this rich variety that Moghaddam promises will define the mood and atmosphere at the Uptown Art Gallery, established in 1998 in cooperation with the Hernando Fine Arts Council and the City of Brooksville.
“We will host four to six shows a year, with regular calls to artists. Artists will know when shows approach, so they can prepare their pieces. Each will be a new challenge,” he said. Moghaddam, for his part, also welcomes the challenge of a position that allows him both to offer opportunities to artists who want to show their work and members of the public who want to see it. As a part of his new job, he is responsible for all City Art Gallery functions, including working with local artists, displays, exhibits, receptions, inventory as well as advertising and announcements of Gallery activities.
“The gallery experience is all about bringing people together. I want to make the demographic more inclusive, among artists and fans of art,” he said. Moghaddam, according to information provided by the City of Brooksville, comes to the City with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Full Sail University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of South Florida. He has an extensive background in digital/graphic design, fine arts, and visual art and technology. “Mr. Moghaddam also has strong connections with art curators and networks across the country. Mr. Moghaddam has been self-employed since 2018 as a freelance web designer,” the information read.
“As a child, I just loved to watch people paint. I love to see ideas become art, all types of art,” Moghaddam said. This theory flows freely to his work at the gallery, where he hopes to incorporate elements of all types of art, including but not limited to video and multimedia presentations, poetry, fiction, architecture, etc. “I want to see the ideas and all the media that gets these ideas out to the public,” he said.
Moghaddam also wishes to collaborate with other art entities and community organizations across Hernando, all with the aim of bringing more art to more people. And, with the aid of his trusty staff and his own talent for graphic design, he hopes to widely promote the art gallery in this area.
“Some people don’t know about the art gallery at City Hall–that there are brick and mortar places to see art in Hernando County. They need to know about them,” he said. “I want artists to feel that they’re part of a community. And I want the community to feel that they’re part of the art scene, that they can come in here at any time, to discover art.”For further information about The City of Brooksville’s Uptown Art Gallery, visit http://www.cityofbrooksville.us or call the City of Brooksville at 352-540-3811 or 352-540-3810.
