Apart from their various art degrees and certificates, Hillsborough Community College gives students and community members a chance to experience the arts, from musical performances to visual art shows. For students and art lovers alike, HCC houses four galleries within their campuses, each offering a space for diverse and unique public artworks in all forms of media. For Ybor City campus goers, There is Gallery114.
Located within the historic streets of Ybor, Gallery114 contributes to the city’s artistic and culturally rich community. Built-in 1977, The gallery was made to display student artwork in support of the visual arts curriculum at HCC, in addition to the classrooms and art studios. Gallery114 serves as an inspirational space for students wanting access to meaningful experiences with the arts within their community. Similar to the other HCC galleries, Gallery114 aims to function as a dynamic learning environment with public lectures, learning labs, and a growing permanent art collection.
As a way to adhere to this vision, the leadership of HCC has developed a continuously growing and improving strategic plan. Under the leadership of gallery director Amanda Poss, this strategic plan supports the values of HCC, which include student success, talent development, and continuous improvement. The strategic plan can be divided into three central pillars: exhibitions and education, college-wide programming, and audience and supporters.
Exhibitions and education identify with students and their work. Exhibits are handled to showcase a diverse and inclusive range of artistic perspectives on a consistent schedule. This includes emerging and established regional artists. This also means expanding opportunities for experimental learning through professional workshops and integrated gallery programming.
College-wide programming means that galleries such as Gallery114 intend to provide meaningful opportunities for HCC students to engage in the arts. This would also include expanding the permanent collection. This aligns with the final pillar: audience and supporters. To increase audience participation in the gallery, the plan works to improve accessibility to the gallery as well as increase individual student participation.
A recent exhibit from Gallery114 was Selected Topics: USF Faculty Exhibition. The gallery presented selected works from full-time artists teaching at the University of South Florida. Featured artists worked with a variety of different media and concepts, showing a glimpse into the artistic perspective of the USF College of Arts. This exhibit also helps introduce students to possible mentors and schools to continue their education after completing their A.A. degree at HCC. The gallery comprises artists from both Tampa and St. Petersburg campuses including artists Wendy Babcox, Neil Bender, Adam Farcus, and more.
Gallery114 also holds gallery learning labs for students wanting to gain insight into what goes on behind the scenes of galleries in preparation for new exhibits. Labs cover topics such as working with galleries, building your portfolio, getting ready to hang, and more. Teaching is done through collaborative work experiences with guest appearances from local artists and art professionals. HCC students and community members are free to take part.
Gallery114 is located on the first floor of the performing arts building on the Ybor campus. Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Fridays. The gallery is free and open to the public. For more information on Gallery114 and other galleries at HCC, contact Poss at aposs@hccfl.edu or follow HCC art galleries on social media for the latest in activities and events.