Artist Christopher Still is known for his love of history and for representing Florida’s natural heritage across portraits, murals, landscapes and still life.
He’s painted the portraits of important people, like the late governor of Florida, Lawton Chiles.
And if you pass through Tampa International Airport, Airside C, you may see his sculpture "q" and his painting, “Final Boarding Call” that hints at TPA’s history. Or maybe you missed that painting as you scrambled through security, trying not to lose sight of your luggage.
Many of Still’s works are in private collections. But if you’ve been to Tampa Bay History Center lately, you’ve probably seen his painting of the very early days of Florida, in the canoe exhibition. It’s called “In Ages Past.”
He was also commissioned to paint 10 murals representing Florida history. These paintings hang in the Florida House of Representatives. They represent the state’s history from the time of indigenous peoples to the Spanish conquistadores to the undersea beauty that can be found beneath the Seven-Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys.
If you look inside one of Still’s paintings, you can see objects or creatures that represent Florida’s past. Perhaps a mastodon tooth or the kind of longhorn cattle that was once the dominant cattle breed in the state. The beauty is in the detail.
Still is a member of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2010, and at 49, he was the youngest person to ever earn the distinction.
He’ll be talking about his works as part of “Tarpon Talks” at the Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum on May 20 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Nine of his original works are part of the “Great State of Florida” exhibition.
To learn more about the event, click here.
