By Kathy L. Collins
The Crawford Gallery at the SouthShore Regional Library in Ruskin is hosting a fantastic photography exhibit during July and August. The three artists include Gayle Fischer of Sun City Center, Shayna Coonin and J. Skoht of Apollo Beach.
Fischer’s subjects are animals, specifically the “Big Five” which she photographed while on the vacation of a lifetime to Africa that took her to Kenya and Tanzania. “There I saw an amazing number and variety of animals, including the ‘Big Five:’ lion, leopard, elephant, Cape buffalo and rhino,” said Fischer.
Coonin is an award winning nature and outdoor photographer who owns Low Tide Photography. “My work includes nature, travel and underwater photography. I am a SCUBA instructor and avid traveler and I am always looking for my next adventure,” said Coonin.
Skoht is a writer and an artist originally from Saint Paul, Minn. Skoht captures the beauty of Apollo Beach on nightly walks with his iPhone camera. “I’ve never before lived in a place where the sky was so vibrantly alive with the bay beneath it, reflecting back its awe inspiring beauty,” said Skoht.
Laurie Burhop, Art Coordinator for the SouthShore Regional Library, said, “The Crawford Gallery tries to include various types of media and subjects. Photography is a medium that most people understand and enjoy. The three photographers, Fischer, Coonin and Skoht, were chosen because there was a nice relationship between their works.”
The exhibit is available at the SouthShore Regional Library at 15816 Beth Shields Way in Ruskin through Tuesday, August 26. For more information, visit www.hcplc.org or call 273-3652.
