By PAM HARBAUGH
Everyone who’s anyone will be at Rocket City Retro Saturday night for an out of this world art exhibition in a retro ambience.
It’s “Rockets & Robots” and it’s happening from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday complete with exotic libations served up at a cash bar manned by The Straw Hat Barmen.
The works on view come from artists Midge Baudouin, John Fike, Michael W. Hallberg, Chris Kridler and Stephen Lomazzo. Here’s a bit about each of those artists:
Midge Baudouin: was VP of sales and marketing for a fabric and fiber sales company. Now, though, she follows her bliss, stitching and creating Fearless Surface Design.
John Fike worked at Sunshine Welding in Port Canaveral for years and accumulated left over metal, some of it actually junk that had flown in space, and creates space related sculptures.
Mike Hallberg worked in cyber security for NASA, but now focuses on photography, acrylic and oil painting and multi-media. He uses space related junk to create craft pieces.
Chris Kridler is an author, photographer and storm chaser for SkyDiary.com and whose books, including the Storm Seekers Trilogy, blog, video and photos are featured at ChrisKridler.com. When she was journalist for Florida Today, she covered the space program and wrote about Russia’s Star City. You see her work on the Weather Channel, in The Journal of Meteorology and Popular Photography, among others. She will exhibit launch photography and “We Will Use You for Parts,” a whimsical robot themed piece.Stephen Lomazzo a founding member of the old Off Center Art Gallery in the Eau Gallie Arts District, now focuses only on creating retro-futuristic inspired fine art. Lomazzoart.com.
On ephemeral “view” will be the cash bar’s craft cocktails and Tiki drinks served up by Brevard’s own The Straw Hat Barmen — Jimi Gonzalez, George Jenkins and Christina Jordan. They are devoted to elevating the art and history of the cocktail through craft cocktails they create and serve at events, tastings and seminars. Jimi and George are members of the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild, Orlando Chapter. StrawHatBarmen.com.
The exhibit also has, on loan, the original Satellite Motel sign from Cocoa Beach. While the drinky-poos will be gone after Saturday night, the art will remain on view through the end of April.
Rocket City Retro is at 116 Forrest Ave., Cocoa. The show’s opening runs 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 19. Admission is free. Regular hours are 11 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call 321-446-0129 or visit RocketCityRetroFl.com.