TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Museum of Art is hosting a Juneteenth Cultural Celebration on Saturday, June 20. They’re offering a free family day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event features a chance to enjoy the museum’s art galleries, take part in art demonstrations, visit the Teen Digital Lounge and sample various food trucks.
Omar Richardson, a Tampa artist who was born in the Bahamas, will be the guest artist. He will teach people the basics of printmaking, a process of creating art by transferring an inked item onto another surface.
Richardson told Spectrum Bay News 9 he was inspired to learn the technique while attending Junkanoo in the Bahamas as a kid. Junkanoo is a vibrant street parade with intricate, handmade, colorful costumes.
“Junkanoo has a lot of symbolism. It is the oldest celebration in the Bahamas, a celebration of life, a celebration of freedom, a celebration of expression,” Richardson said. “(It’s) similar to what Juneteenth is, a celebration of freedom and life.”
The event is funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County.