What is Speleoart?

There is an official fine art exhibition held annually at the National Speleological Society Convention that provides a competing, social and fund raising venue for artists who are inspired by caves and underground passages. This type of art is known as SPELEOART. This is the only annual, national art exhibition for speleologists at this time. Artists who participate, are very proud to be part of something so unique.

The beginning of presenting art within speleology started when a small group of active cave explorers, also professional artists, decided to use their exploration experiences as a subject within their art. SpeleoArt was founded by the founding member of the first group, Carolina Shrewsbury, in the early 1990s as a special interests group within the British Cave Research Association. This was in response to a growing number of artists, world- wide, who wanted recognition for caves in art. SpeleoArt came over to the USA by invitation from the National Speleological Society in 1998 to set up a fine arts exhibiting venue for their organization.

The Grand Opening of the Bottega D’Arte Galleria in St Petersburg is the first exhibition outside an official speleological event that aims to portray the art of caving and speleology.

What Are Speleoartists Doing at Bottega d’Arte Galleria?

SpeleoArt will be exhibiting at the Bottega d’Arte Galleria, located at 2036 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District in St Petersburg. The opening to the public will be on Saturday 4th February 2012 from 7 to 11PM. During the evening you will enter a world of wondrous delight. Speleoartists (painting, textiles, glass, silk, sculpture, jewelry) and photographers will guide you around the natural wonders that meander beneath our feet, mostly silent and unknown; our lights will direct you toward a new understanding of the mysterious, glorious underground. You too, will want to join our mission to save caves and preserve our aquifers. Don't miss also our professional dance show, live music, one Free art class drawing and modeling show among others.

About the Artist and Speleoart

Expressions created by speleoartists range from an awe-inspiring unfathomable imagery formed by bygone artists, to the exploratory, geologically minded artist of today. Whether the image is a caver descending through sunken clouds, or scribbled representations of a remembered caving trip, the reflected memories of a passage that drips with light, color or darkness is the same ... the cave has inspired.

There is an element in a work of applied art that is emotional, never mind whether the view is realistic or of elaborate imagination. There will be a beauty in the expression of the rock. The caver is never without some kind of sensation; there is either tranquility or animation. There is never a direct light to crash the eye. One can never view a work of speleoart from an amateur or professional artist and not enjoy it, because in every one there will be that individual element of being there.