News Article

Wayne White's 'Here Comes Mr. Know-It-All' in Rauschenberg Gallery at FSW

Aug 17, 2015

The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) is opening an exhibition of the paintings and drawings of Wayne White, an internationally-acclaimed Los Angeles artist who won three Emmy Awards for designing sets and puppets from the late-80s children’s show Pee-wee’s Playhouse.

Wayne will be an artist-in-residence at FSW for the week leading up to his opening. During that time he will work with students on creating a gigantic puppet/sculpture of the gallery’s namesake, Bob Rauschenberg.

“I’ve always had the do-it-yourself approach,” said White. “I grew up in this blue collar family and didn’t have a lot of toys, so you had to make your own fun. Building forts out of sticks and scrap lumber – that’s where I learned the joy of making something from nothing.”

Besides his sculpture installation, White will also exhibit his iconic “Word Paintings” and a series of watercolors he produced during a 2013 residency at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Residency program on Captiva Island. When the exhibition opens on September 11 at 6 p.m., he will also deliver a live performance for guests.

White is known for creating the iconic Pee-wee’s Playhouse characters Randy, Cool Cat, Chicky Baby and Dirty Dog. In 2012 he was the subject of a feature length documentary called Beauty is Embarrassing (directed by Neil Berkeley) and a 382 page hardbound monographic book (designed and edited by Todd Oldham) called Maybe Now I’ll Get the Respect I So Richly Deserve.

For more information on the artist, visit www.WayneWhiteArt.com. Learn about the gallery or upcoming events at www.RauschenbergGallery.com or call (239) 489-9313.

Gallery hours are Monday – Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Closed on Sundays and Holidays. The gallery is located on the FSW Thomas Edison (Lee) Campus, 8099 College Parkway in Fort Myers

About The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery:

The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery was founded as The Gallery of Fine Art in 1979 on the Lee County campus of Florida SouthWestern State College/FSW (then Edison Community College).  On June 4, 2004 the Gallery of Fine Art was renamed the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery, to honor and commemorate our long time association and friendship with the artist.  Over more than three decades until his death, the Gallery worked closely with Rauschenberg to present world premiere exhibitions including multiple installations of the ¼ Mile or Two Furlong Piece.  The artist insisted on naming the space the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery (versus the “Robert Rauschenberg Gallery”) as it was consistent with the intimate, informal relationship he maintained with both our local Southwest Florida community and FSW.

About FSW:

Florida SouthWestern State College is Southwest Florida’s largest and one of the most affordable institutions of higher education. Annually serving more than 22,000 students globally, FSW offers a variety of nationally-ranked, career-focused academic programs with two- and four-year degrees, and professional certifications. Students are also active in clubs and programs catered to their interests. FSW will debut its intercollegiate athletics program in the fall 2015. Visit www.FSW.edu for more information.

Last Updated: August 17, 2015