STUDIO F

Who are we?

2025

In the fall of 1989 Master Printer Julio Juristo approached the art faculty of the University of Tampa about the possibilities of a collaborative project that would bring world-renowned artists to the campus of the University of Tampa for brief workshops. The workshops would have each artist perform their work processes in an open studio environment. These sessions would be conducted in an effort to educate students through a participatory manner. The primary purpose, in Julio’s mind, was to create an atmosphere where students of the art program would be able to interact with the visiting artists during their stay. His intentions were for the students to get an up close look at the way different artists went about adding and subtracting as they went through the length of the work process. The artists were also expected to give a gallery talk that would be open to the public. The results were, and still remain, an extremely valuable experience for UT students as well as the local community.

Believing in the significance of the STUDIO-f program Professors Gil DeMeza and Lew Harris initiated the first session in March of 1990 and its first artist participant was Louisa Chase. Subsequent to her visit, the program has included eighteen other notable artists to create in STUDIO-f at the University of Tampa: Louisa Chase, Audrey Flack, Sam Gilliam, Stephen Greene, Willy Heeks, Roberto Juarez, Tom Lieber, James McGarrell, Vitaly Komar & Alexander Melamid, Sam Messer, Ed Paschke, Pedro Perez, Larry Poons, Katherine Porter, Miriam Schapiro, Joyce J Scott, Hollis Sigler, John Walker, Robert Rahway Zakanitch.

The secondary purpose was to bring greater attention of the University of Tampa’s art program. Through Julio’s vast experiences as a Master Printer and his expansive network of artists, the program got off the ground at a fast pace, producing an impressive body of work throughout his tenure. His contributions and generosity to the university have been invaluable and will not be forgotten. Since his passing, the program has continued under the direction of Director Dorothy Cowden and Master Printer Carl Cowden and it has gone from a litho press image transfer original in oil to a silkscreen printing process using non-toxic inks. In each case it is important to emphasize that the work produced is of a monotype or a one of a kind image.

The Board of Fellows awarded an initial fifteen hundred dollars to STUDIO-f at its inception. The program has been maintained in a self-sufficient manner through purchases from public collectors, patron donations to the University of Tampa and matching grants from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County.

STUDIO-f at the University of Tampa is an innovative visiting artist program whose purpose is to introduce national and international artists to the Tampa Bay community by giving students and art enthusiasts an opportunity to meet these artists and to see them working in the studio. Easily accessible STUDIO-f is located on the University of Tampa campus in Bailey Art Studios. World-class artists work in collaboration with a master printer for a period of two weeks to create a series of monoprints. At least one print from each series is retained for the Fine Art Permanent Collection of the University of Tampa. A number of the remaining monoprints are made available to art collectors. STUDIO-f monprints in the University of Tampa permanent collection are available for exhibition on request.

STUDIO-f at the University of Tampa has made great strides in meeting our mission of presenting significant artists to the community and engaging students and providing an opportunity for the public to meet these artists and to see them working in the studio. Our visiting artists have been enthusiastic about the opportunity to come to work in our studios and are anxious to return. We plan to continue inviting artists to STUDIO-f for many years. To all of the loyal friends who have given us support throughout the years we give thanks.