As seen on Jewish Press of Tampa “Art and technology intersect at FIBA event in Tampa”

Tampa native and world-known artist Janet Echelman uses not only imagination, but also technology and a business partnership to create her airy works of art.

She spoke about that creative process via Zoom at this year’s Innovation Fusion, which highlighted Florida-Israeli business partnerships and the intersection between art and technology. The event was put on by the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator (FIBA), a project of the Tampa JCCs and Federation.

Echelman has created public art sculptures of fiber, lit in a variety of colors and suspended in air – moving with the wind. Her latest creation is at the St. Pete Pier and titled “Bending Arc.”

She told the FIBA participants, the sculpture is “my most exciting and largest permanent work ever, which is incredibly meaningful for me, as it’s my hometown region.”

Her projects are artistic creations but could not be made without technology. The knots in her netted sculptures had to be pulled tighter than a person could do by hand, so she partnered with a factory to help produce her work. The one factory she could find that agreed to work with her is still her partner… 

Read the full article on Jewish Press Tampa here.