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Husband, Wife Team Embrace, Promote The Arts Locally

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 13, 2008

East Hillsborough Art Guild President Lou Watson and his wife, the guild's first vice president, LouAnn Watson, take the top 2008 honors as Brush Strokes Valentine Couple. They are a dynamic husband-and-wife team who have been sharing their love of the arts and each other for 33 years.

They have known each other since high school and are deeply involved in encouraging and promoting local artists. Believing that "everyone has to start somewhere," they hope to own an art gallery.

Lou Watson proudly talks of his wife's accomplishments. "LouAnn has always been an artist, starting drawing at an early age and going on to commission work she received through advertising in their local newspaper," he said.

Their daughter April and grandson Marshal also have artistic talent. April won a first-place ribbon in the 1989 Florida Strawberry Festival youth division. Recently, she bartered with a physician to pay her bills in exchange for a painting.

April attended the same school in Lithia that her parents did, Pinecrest Elementary. LouAnn Watson was commissioned by the school to create a rendering of the original school; it hangs in the school office.

Lou and LouAnn Watson talk of the rehabilitative value of painting. LouAnn Watson developed carpal tunnel syndrome and was no longer able to draw. In 2001, she had surgery on her hand and one year later decided to try painting. She thought painting might be easier after the surgery than creating highly detailed drawings.

She entered the Florida Strawberry Festival Art Show in 2002 and won third place. She met several members of the art guild at the festival, artists who have been coordinating the festival art show for more than 15 years, and they asked her to join.

She joined on the spot, then encouraged her husband, who didn't paint at the time, to join.

"I didn't want to do anything without him," she said.
LouAnn Watson began teaching her husband to paint.

Lou Watson entered a painting in the 2005 strawberry festival, and since then both have become primary coordinators of the festival's student art competition and adult amateur and professional competitions.

They are active in the art guild and help members show art around town.

"What can I say? We love each other, do everything together, are best friends and help each other with all of our jobs," LouAnn Watson said.

The Watsons' Web site is www.plantcityartgallery.com. Artists interested in entering the Florida Strawberry Festival Art Show can get admission forms by calling (813) 719-6533 or writing to plawatson@ verizon.net.

New Venue For Artists

The Greater Brandon Arts Council and Port City Java, at Lithia-Pinecrest Road and Bloomingdale Avenue, joined forces recently to sponsor a Gathering-Prelude to Art Lovers Month.

Port City Java manager Michelle Thompson said she is hopeful "that this gathering will be the first of many such events."

"On our walls, you can see the fifth in the series of the public schools' Reflections art competition," Thompson said. "This month, we are featuring works by Alafia Elementary School students. The exhibit is all about primary colors for first- through fifth-graders. It is so great to have parents come in with their children telling them all about their artwork."

The talented guitar and flute duo Roseville Fair, Jenny James and Ron Gilbert, said their signature song is about their relationship. They met at a fair, went for long walks, sat on a swing and courted.

As they played for Port City Java regulars and a crowd of devoted arts lovers, they told the audience all their songs will be about love - but in a romantic and positive way, not any "he done me wrong" songs.

The arts council presents gatherings of music, poetry, dance and art throughout the year.

The audience at Port City Java sang along with James' and Gilbert's rendition of "Love is a Rose," after James confessed, "This song was my Valentine's Day present to Ron.

"We were married while we were still in college and very, very poor. All I could afford was a single red rose," she said. "I wore red high heels while singing this song to him."

James and Gilbert bill themselves as "two hearts, two voices, two guitars, with a romantic blend of 'feel-good music' spiced with flute, Celtic whistle, mandolin and banjo." For information, go to rosevillefair.jjweb.us.

At the end of the concert, James said Gilbert would host the next gathering March 2.

"We had a wonderful time today," James said. "We did not know what to expect. It was fun having this audience of art lovers ... It was a lot like making conversation with friends."

Conversations with friends is what the Greater Brandon Arts Council's meetings, gatherings and other events are about, creative spirits encouraging and mentoring one another. For events and membership information, go to www.brandonarts.org or write to info@brandonarts.org.

Port City Java is at 3330 Lithia-Pinecrest Road. Call (813) 653-0531.

Cheryl Kuck is a media member of the Greater Brandon Arts Council. She can be reached at wkuck@tampabay.rr.com.

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