Skyway 2027: A Contemporary Collaboration

Skyway 2027: A Contemporary Collaboration is a triennial exhibition that centers artists and artistic practices shaping contemporary life in the Tampa Bay region and beyond.

The museums participating in the fourth iteration of this triennial exhibition—the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design; the Tampa Museum of Art; and the University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa—are proud to announce their joint effort in presenting this exciting showcase.

Projects included in Skyway 2027 were selected through an open call, by invitation, and through artist-centered curatorial approaches, including dialogue with artists, archival and community-based research, the commissioning of new work, site-responsive projects, and artist-led inquiry into institutional collections. Skyway 2027 seeks to support thoughtful, experimental, and rigorous artistic practices that reflect the complexity of contemporary life and honor multiple ways of knowing, making, and remembering.


Exhibition Venues, Dates & Artists

Each participating museum in Skyway 2027 will feature a unique selection of Tampa Bay–based artists and collectives, as well as other exciting projects. Together, these exhibitions offer visitors a dynamic, multi-site experience, inviting you to explore the rich and diverse landscape of contemporary art across the Tampa Bay region and beyond.

On view at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg May 8 – September 19, 2027
Exhibiting Artists: Vanessa Mayoraz, Tina Piracci, Gabriel Ramos, Jill Taffet, Corinne Zepeda

 

On view at The Ringling: April 3 – July 25, 2027
Exhibiting Artists: Janine Awai, Alicia Brown, Gleimi De Jesus, Nabil Harb, Atia Shafie, Shengwei Zhou

 

On view at the Sarasota Art Museum: April 25 – September 26, 2027
Exhibiting Artists: Michael Adno, matthew anthony batty, Camilla Byrd, Rachel de Cuba, Lauren Gourgues, Jason Lazarus, Tom Rosenow, Diana Sosnowska, Jon Seals, Art Venti

 

On view at the Tampa Museum of Art: April 1 – September 12, 2027
Exhibiting Artists: Jevon Brown, Sammi Eady, Adda Farcus, Jake Fernandez, Kenny Jensen, KX2 (Ruth Avra and Dana Kleinman), Camilo Loaiza Bonilla, Ry McCullough, Tatiana Mesa Paján, Angelina Parrino, Eszter Sziksz

 

On view at the USF Contemporary Art Museum: June 7 – July 24, 2027
Exhibiting Artists: Michael Adno, Derrick Buckner, Keith Crowley, Rachel de Cuba, John Ganis, Tiffany Holmes, Michael Lonchar, Yajaira Urzua-Reyes, Peg Trezevant, Luci Westphal

 

Collaborative Curation and Community Engagement

Working together, curators from each institution will engage with artists to provide context for a wide range of contemporary practices emerging from Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties, while also acknowledging that artistic knowledge, cultural lineage, and lived experience extend beyond present-day geographic boundaries.

Skyway 2027 Curatorial Team and Selection Committee
The curators working together for this fourth iteration of Skyway include the following:

  • Lacie Barbour, Associate Curator of Exhibitions, Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design

  • Noah Cox, Assistant Curator, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

  • Christopher Jones, the Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Curator of Photography and Media Art, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

  • Amanda Poss, Guest Curator, Tampa Museum of Art

  • Christian Viveros-Fauné, Curator-at-Large, USF Contemporary Art Museum

  • Ola Wlusek, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art


Anticipated Impact and Legacy

Skyway 2027: A Contemporary Collaboration is more than an exhibition; it is a celebration of artistic innovation and a testament to the collaborative spirit of the Tampa Bay art community. This project promises to leave a lasting impact on the region by shining a spotlight on the artistic voices of the central gulf-coast Florida region and beyond, inspiring future generations of artists and art enthusiasts alike.

A full-color catalog with curatorial essays and information about each artist and their work will accompany the exhibition.