Hillsborough Community College (HCC) Art Galleries’ Now on View returns to Ybor City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at three different venues: HCC’s Ybor City Campus, Hotel Haya and Kress Contemporary.
This free, one-day-only festival features six Tampa Bay area artists responding to Tampa’s past, present and future through a variety of artistic mediums. Visitors are encouraged to begin their journey at the HCC Ybor City Campus Performing Arts Building at 1411 E. 11th Ave., Tampa, FL, 33605, where they can pick up a complimentary festival guidebook. Here, they will encounter a hurricane-inspired art installation and dance performance by Emma Quintana and Amanda Galbadon.
At the HCC Ybor City Building Patio on the corner of 9th Ave. and 14th St., educator and dancer Jehoshaphat Jacinto leads an interactive dance battle, inviting participants to learn the fundamentals of breakdancing, voguing, popping and locking.
Hotel Haya at 1412 E. 7th Ave. hosts botanical artist Kali Rabaut and the founders of Poetry Alley, FAX 727-289-3069. Rabaut transforms the hotel’s bar area into a floral tribute to Tampa’s history, while FAX 727 posts poetry and handmade fliers outside Café Quiquiriqui that tells the city’s story through words and visuals.
The historic Kress building, located at 1624 7th Ave., will feature two artists with immersive works. Erin Lekovic debuts “Ybor Interrupted,” a new site-specific, 15-minute play inspired by Samuel Kress performed at 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. Victoria Alvarez showcases Tampa’s LGBTQIA+ history through a photo collage covered in temperature-sensitive black ink, where visitors must place their hands on the artwork to reveal the hidden stories beneath the surface.
Now on View can be explored on a self-guided tour using the festival guidebook or by joining a free Art & History Tour led by Max Herman and Jorge Contreras of Tampa Bay Tours. Tours begin at the HCC Ybor City Campus Performing Arts Building at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon, with an additional Spanish-language tour at 1 p.m. Reservations are available on Eventbrite.
Adding to the cultural celebration, the Ybor Chamber’s Fiesta Day also takes place on Feb. 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering a unique opportunity to experience a full day of art, history and community in Ybor City. Visitors should be aware of potential street closures along 7th Ave. between 15th and 21st St.
Now on View is free and open to the public. For more details, visit hccfl.edu/NowOnView.
Hillsborough Community College serves more than 45,000 students annually at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay. For more information, visit hccfl.edu.
Hillsborough Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Hillsborough Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Hillsborough Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Visit hccfl.edu/accreditation for more information.