FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tampa Artist Brings Home the Sunshine
Tim Boatright featured at Tampa History Center
Tampa artist, Tim Boatright, is being featured in an exhibit at the Tampa History Center.
Bringing Home the Sunshine: Collecting Florida Souvenirs is curated by History Center staff
and showcases the collections of the museum plus several local collectors and other area
institutions. The exhibit highlights the wide variety of Florida collectibles that were, and are,
available to tourists and residents alike. Hundreds of classic Florida souvenirs will be on display
from January 16 thru April 17, 2017.
Artist Tim Boatright is a third-generation Tampa resident. He’s long been intrigued by the
historic icons of the city – the beautiful minarets of the University of Tampa, the gracefulness of
Bayshore Boulevard, the classic Floridan Hotel, the eclectic Ybor City, the mysterious Sulphur
Springs Water Tower, the natural beauty of the bay and the many other landmarks and places
which help to make the Tampa Bay area truly special.
Through creation of the artworks in this colorful collection, he explored Tampa’s unique “visual
language”– combining cigar label styles, period typography, the graphic look of vintage fruit and
vegetable crates and classic travel posters. The collection, created via hand drawn and digital
techniques, is a celebration of Tampa’s unique history.
Beginning in the late 19th century, Tampa became a popular tourist destination as railroad
magnate Henry Plant built the luxurious Tampa Bay Hotel, which later became the campus for
the University of Tampa. Thousand of tourists were coming to Florida. They came to stay in the
new hotels, rest in the warm weather, and to enjoy the natural beauty. Many famous and wealthy
people such as Thomas Edison, John Ringling, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Henry Ford built
winter homes in Florida and visited for months at a time. And regular folk, including the “tin can
tourist” arrived in their cars and campers to vacation in our area. They purchased souvenirs and
mailed postcards back home to share with their envious family and friends.
Boatright is Vice President/Creative for Marketing Associates USA, a Tampa-based marketing,
promotion, and advertising company.
For more information visit TampaBayHistoryCenter.org or the website dedicated the collection at
TampaRelics.BigCartel.com.
Link to high resolutions images: https://goo.gl/IY9QQe
Contact information:
Tim Boatright • 813-598-4813 • tboat@verizon.net
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