Art Basel has nothing on the art exhibit opening in Palm Beach County Friday night.
'15 surfboards by 15 Shapers'opens at the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County in downtown Lake Worth.
The amazing board display is the brainchild of local photographer and surfer Tony Arruza.
Finding a way to fuse his photos from travels around the world onto a full size surfboard, Arruza took on the project 5 years ago.
He set out to find 15 different shapers to make 15 surfboards. One shaper is local legend Ron Heavyside, founder of Nomad Surf Shop in Boynton Beach. Others include Chris Birch, Juan Rodriguez, and Ricky Carroll to name a few. They are all legends in the surf world. A photo on the Heavyside board was taken in Palm Beach County and titled 'Mullet Chase'.
Arruza says he wanted something that would not only showcase the art, but the surfboard too. "The project became not only something to showcase my own work, but also to showcase the hand craftsmanship and the artisanship of these master-craftsman. And they are, many people don't know what goes into making a surfboard. they don't realize the work, the talent, it's all by hand, by feel, by eye, by touch."
From Australia to Hawaii to here in Florida, the photos and surfboards span the globe and each one has a story.
'15 surfboards by 15 shapers' is having a free reception and book signing Friday night with live music from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County off Lake Avenue in Lake Worth.
The display will be up through January 21st and is free to the public. -More info-
