The Florida Consortium of Art Schools (FLoCAS) is a collaboration between dedicated graduate students and educators at major Florida universities who work to create professional exhibitions, lectures, and symposia throughout the year – culminating in a very large group show at Art Basel Miami. The impressive schools involved are as follows: Florida State University, Florida International University, University of Miami, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, and University of Florida.

Much can be accomplished through collaboration. Each university has access to different exhibition venues in each respective city, which provides for many exchange shows between schools as well as unique feedback that one may not receive in one’s own university setting. This feedback also applies to lecture and symposia exchanges, which can be extremely beneficial in enhancing each artist’s professional practices. The all-inclusive group show at Art Basel Miami provides tremendous opportunities for press recognition that could not be accomplished with small exhibitions.

Only the best and brightest graduate students from each university are involved in FLoCAS. Since it’s inception in September 2007, there are more than 75 students and faculty who are dedicated to making FLoCAS a professional and nationally recognized organization.

(Images Below from 2007 Flocas meeting in Miami)

The FSU-USF exhibition in Tampa was a huge success. Pictures of the show are at the main FloCAS website http://flocas.org under exhibitions. Many thanks to Liz Gibson for organizing FSU, Andrew Ross for taking the pictures, and Matt Miley for updating the website.

FSU Professor George Blakely has organized critiques among the consortium schools in two weekends at UF. Please contact him at gblakely@fsu.edu for more information.

This semester, UF Professor Julia Morrisroe will give a visiting artist lecture at FSU, and FSU Professor Lilian Garcia-Roig will give a visiting artist lecture at UF.

FIU and UM have decided not to participate in the fall 2008 FloCAS juried traveling exhibition; therefore, the exhibition will only involve FSU, UF, and USF and will travel to Tallahassee, Gainesville and Tampa. The juror still needs to be selected as soon as possible since he or she should visit the schools by the end of this semester. Julia Morrisroe, Robert Lawrence and Joelle Dietrick will meet soon at the College Art Association to make the final decision about the juror. Please give them your suggestions before this time.

First FloCAS Exhibition in Tampa (All FSU Grads are invited)
Where: Tampa Cigar Factory (big industrial space that puts on art shows)
When: January 25, maybe a one-day exhibition