The Whimsical Collector

The Whimsical Collector is a mid-career survey of works by multimedia artist Kendra Frorup. Frorup’s body of work spans from 1989 to the present in this exhibition of over 70 ambitious works. A quick-witted artist whose work includes large-scale, interactive installations incorporating printmaking and sculptural practices, Frorup cleverly explores material and interactive elements, creating delight in viewers. Frorup will also present a collaborative installation that invites the community to share plates from their loved ones.

Thematically, Frorup introduces found objects with a sophisticated wink and nod to play in the creative process. The artist extrapolates and creates new meanings, lends from borrowed meanings, and instigates connections to her island upbringing. The Whimsical Collector gives a full-fledged look into Frorup’s practice and process while revisiting the roads that led her to the work she produces today.

Kendra Frorup was born in 1956 in Nassau, The Bahamas. She grew up in the Yellow Elder community and, in her formative years, worked outside the city with her family on her mother’s farm on the south side of New Providence. Frorup’s fascination with materiality and meticulous construction techniques is informed by her experience working alongside her contractor father. Frorup received her BFA in Sculpture from the University of Tampa (1992) and her MFA in Sculpture from Syracuse University (1996). Frorup is the mother of Alexis Hamilton and the wife of Norman Frorup. She is currently an Associate Professor of Art at the University of Tampa.

This exhibition is curated by Averia Wright, Guest Curator.