Two St. Pete Artists Receive Awards from First Citrus Bank during Morean Arts Center’s Orange! The Exhibition

ST.PETERSBURG, Fla., June 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Two St. Petersburg artists, Martha Gipson and Greg Read, were recognized by exhibition sponsor, First Citrus Bank, for their artwork on display during Orange! The Exhibition at the Morean Arts Center. The pop-up gallery features over 80 entries from artists throughout Florida, many from the local area. Jack Barrett, CEO & President of First Citrus Bank, and Jessica Hornof, Chief Deposit Officer, were invited by the arts center to select their favorite piece to receive the President’s Award. The amazing diversity among the artists’ interpretations led Barrett and Hornof to recognize two artists.

Ultimately, Barrett and Hornof chose Martha Gipson’s piece entitled Full Circle: 70s Remnants to receive the President’s Award. Greg Read’s Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana! will receive the First Citrus Bank Purchase Award.

“The Orange exhibition is an amazing opportunity to explore the talent within St. Pete, as well as gain a deeper understanding of our local community,” stated Jack Barrett. “And, simply put, Jessica and I could not walk away with just one piece of artwork. Read’s energetic piece easily captures the essence of First Citrus Bank with its bright play on the orange theme. Meanwhile, Gipson’s oil and mixed media captivated us with a sense of freedom and expression that we often see among our Tampa Bay entrepreneurs and small business owners.”

“There is no better way for the Morean to engage and support this wonderful community than through these types of shows and by fostering the creative passion that clearly made this exhibition a success. We are proud to showcase and support talented artists and appreciate that First Citrus Bank understands the critical role the Arts play in the economic development of our community,” stated Morean Arts Center Executive Director Howayda Affan. “We look forward to working with the team at First Citrus Bank as creative, energetic, and strategic community partners.”

Artist Martha Gipson is a psychiatric nurse specialist, who also teaches painting to adults living with severe mental disabilities. Formerly a Dallas resident, she now calls St. Petersburg home. Her expressionistic and ethereal work is often presented as oil on canvas, although Full Circle: 70s Remnants is oil and mixed media on cradled birch wood.

Greg Read is an armature artist who was greatly inspired by the orange theme of the gallery. He describes Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana as “a full of indulgence orange” that is presented as an acrylic painting on museum canvas. Read is a graduate of USF School of Business, retired from Duke Energy after 40 years, and currently paints and resides in St. Petersburg.

Orange! The Exhibition runs from June 4^th to the 30^th, with extended hours until 7:30pm for the monthly Second Saturday Art Walk. Otherwise, the galleries of the Morean Arts Center are open from 10am to 5pm, Mondays through Saturdays, and from noon to 5pm on Sundays.

Upon the culmination of Orange! The Exhibition, these selected art pieces will be permanently on display at First Citrus Bank’s new downtown St. Petersburg branch, located at 300 1^st Avenue South. This location also features the work of Tes One, who will have a collection on display at the Morean Arts Center later this year. It is yet another tie between the Morean Arts Center, First Citrus Bank and the St. Pete art community.

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About First Citrus Bank
First Citrus Bank, a $600 million commercial bank, was established in 1999 and is headquartered in Tampa. Ranked as one of the Top 100 Community Banks in 2021 by American Banker and named Top 5 SBA Lender in Tampa Bay for 2020 by the SBA. First Citrus Bank was selected as the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce 2019 Small Business of the Year and ranked as one of the Top 25 Commercial Loan Producers in the Nation by the magazine Independent Banker. It serves businesses and individuals through a range of tailored financial solutions specializing in personal and business banking services with six locations throughout Tampa Bay.

First Citrus Bank enhances vibrancy throughout Tampa Bay by helping families become more financially secure and businesses economically successful. For additional information, please visit https://www.firstcitrus.com.

Stock trades on the OTC Markets under the ticker symbol "FCIT."

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