News Article

Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at FSW Awarded $25,000 State Grant

Aug 24, 2015

The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) was awarded a $25,000 Specific Cultural Projects grant from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

Specific Cultural Projects grants benefit arts in education, discipline-based cultural or artistic projects, and underserved cultural community development. The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery, which received the maximum grant amount available, will use the funds to organize a February 2016 exhibition further highlighting the contribution of the late artist Robert Rauschenberg.

“We are honored to receive a DCA grant this year, and are excited to move forward with planning the forthcoming Rauschenberg exhibition it will support,” said Jade Dellinger, Director of the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at FSW. “As the project is rapidly developing, we are hesitant to release much information at this point.  But, the exhibition will focus on the first body of work Rauschenberg was inspired to make upon moving to Florida and will simultaneously explore the student-teacher relationship with his Black Mountain College instructor Josef Albers.”

“The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery continues delivering world class, innovative exhibitions that enrich our students’ experiences as well as the Southwest Florida community,” said Dr. Jeff Allbritten, FSW President. “We are proud that the State of Florida, specifically the Division of Cultural Affairs, has also recognized the contribution our gallery makes to the arts.”

From September 11 to November 7 the gallery is hosting Wayne White: Here Comes Mr. Know-It-All. White is an artist who won three Emmy awards for designing the sets and puppets on Pee-wee’s Playhouse and is now exhibiting new work he created while in the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Residency program on Captiva Island.

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

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 24, 2015