It’s Been a Privilege: Ceramics from the Giordano Collection

On View: July 11 – September 23

Members Preview: July 10th, 5pm to 7pm

Opening Reception: July 11th, 5pm to 8pm

Beloved local artist and Morean staff member Rob Giordano (1950-2015) and his wife Linda built a substantial ceramics collection during their marriage, adhering to the philosophy that it was a privilege to be able to own work by artists they admired and wished to support. Linda has chosen to share their collection with our community in this meaningful exhibition and sale. Visitors will have the opportunity to see and purchase works by familiar artists including Russ Gustafson-Hilton, Alan Johnson, Matthew Schiemann, and Don and Cristina Williams, among many others, with a few works created by Rob himself.

Rob was a special education and middle school teacher in his native New Jersey, the Youth Education Director at the Belger Art Center, and the founder of the Youth and Community Education Program at Red Star Studios. In the years between New Jersey and Kansas City, Rob visited the Morean Arts Center (then the Arts Center) in 1993, and became a volunteer. He was hired to join the staff and went on to become the Summer Camp Director, then the Outreach and Programming Director and eventually the Deputy Director/Executive Vice President of the Morean in the early 2000s. He was affectionately known by the staff as the “go-to-guy” to get things accomplished. Rob was highly instrumental in bringing the Chihuly Collection to St. Petersburg. As a clay sculptor, his unique figurative artwork was exhibited and sold at the Morean and other local and national galleries for decades and garnered many accolades and awards.

Linda Gialanella Giordano is a two-time Emmy award-winning local and national television broadcasting meteorologist and anchorwoman for ABC World News, Good Morning America, WABC-TV New York City, KYW-TV Philadelphia and the local Tampa ABC station. She is also an award-winning artist, cartoonist, illustrator and caricaturist, and a member of the National Cartoonist Society.

It is Linda’s hope that these works of art from their home will be enjoyed by you, our Morean visitors, and become part of your personal collection.