Local Artists Flock to Tricia's Tribute

When Tricia Farley opened Tricia’s Tribute LLC right before Christmas, it was a mixture of art, antiques and collectibles.

Less than seven months later, Farley has pointed her Main Street shop in a singular direction – as a haven for local artists looking for a place to show their work.

In fact, so many artists are coming through the doors Farley has decided to form a co-op to help everyone get on the same page as to where they want the gallery to go.

“We have over 24 artists showcasing their works here now," Farley tol Patch recently.

“It’s become so big that we’re forming a co-op so we can talk about what’s really going on here.” 

What appears to be going on is many of the talented local artists who reside in the area are excited to have a place where they can not only display their works, but also interact with other artists and the rest of the community. 

Over the past few months Farley has hosted shows for a number of said artists, including Carol Zeires, Mary Orme Ellis, John Brennen and, currently, Stu Dwork.

Dwork, who was prepping for his show the day Patch was there, said he believes Farley’s place is exactly what the Safety Harbor art community needed. 

“I think we have a great opportunity here,” Dwork, who has his work displayed in museum, galleries and buildings throughout the Tampa Bay area, said. 

“When Dunedin started, it was quieter than Safety Harbor,” he added. “The possibility of this becoming bigger than Dunedin is there. These artists need a place to display their work so it’s not just sitting in their garage.”

The outpouring of support forced Farley to get the co-op started. 

She said she needs help, both psychically and financially, with the day-to-day operations of the shop to keep the momentum going. 

“People always say we need a place like this in the community, but we need to figure out how to sustain it,” she said. “I want to have a group of people who are committed to keeping this place open.” 

“It was never my intent for this to be mine,” she added. “It was intended for this to be a place in the community for artists. I’m just the facilitator.” 

So what’s the first step Farley needs to take to get the place to where she wants it to be?

“The antiques have to go!” she said.

Related:

• Art Coop Intro/ Exploratory Meeting
• New Gift Shop Opens On Main Street

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