February 15, 2008

Demolition/Environmental Engineering

Tampa Museum of Art salvage becomes art in the hands of Florida’s Rocky Bridges

Florida artist Rocky Bridges will salvage materials from the demolition site of the Tampa Museum of Art to create a work of art for the new museum.

Demolition of the former museum began Feb. 1 and will take 90 days to complete.

Groundbreaking of the new Tampa Museum of Art is expected in April. Skanska USA in Tampa is construction manager for the project, while Kimmins Contracting Corp., sub contractor for the demolition, and Horus Construction Services Inc., is a joint-venture partner with Skanska on the project. The demolition partners will assist Bridges as he navigates the interior and exterior of the site, searching for materials. The site is now partially demolished, a release said.

Bridges is a well known Florida artist who works with recycled materials to create mixed-media assemblages, often incorporating historic architectural elements in his work, a release said.

He is nationally recognized for his work and recently received a Fulbright Scholarship.

Other honours include the Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in the Visual Arts and The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts for a Residency Fellowship in Miami Beach. He teaches at the University of South Florida and St. Petersburg College.

DCN News Services

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