The Dunedin Fine Art Center is turning an act of vandalism into a community conversation series after a visitor defaced a large-scale artwork inside its Entel Family Gallery.
DFAC announced Tuesday, July 22, that it has created "Seen / Heard," a free community conversation series sparked by the defacement of artist Jason Lazarus's work "Brock String / Stereo Blind / Vision Training II." Rather than quietly restoring the piece, DFAC President and CEO Andrea Nalls said the center is using the incident as an opportunity for education, dialogue and community engagement.
"There is no place for vandalism or the destruction of an artist's work, but there will always be a place for curiosity, respectful disagreement and meaningful discussion," Nalls said in a statement.
The two-event series runs alongside Lazarus's solo exhibition "underseers," which remains on view through Aug. 16 at 1143 Michigan Blvd. in Dunedin.
Lazarus, an associate professor of art and art history at the University of South Florida whose work is held in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Art Institute of Chicago, said the incident opened a door.
"The defacement is both an opportunity for listening and conversation, as well as to probe the deep desire to, in this cultural moment, be seen," Lazarus said.
Two events planned in the 'Seen / Heard' series
"Good Art vs. Bad Art vs. Not Art" is set for 1 p.m. Friday, July 31, at the Entel Family Gallery. DFAC Curator Danny Olda and artist and curator Taryn Möller Nicoll will lead an open conversation about how people define, evaluate and experience art. Free.
"The Space Between Artist and Audience" is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Entel Family Gallery. Olda will moderate a panel with Lazarus and Dr. Nashid Madyun, executive director of Florida Humanities. Madyun previously directed the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis and the Texas State History Museum. The discussion will explore artistic intent, interpretation and how disagreement can become dialogue. Free.
Visitors to "underseers" can also take part in an interactive component within the exhibition, sharing their own thoughts and perspectives.
What else is on view at DFAC
- Through Aug. 16 — "underseers: Jason Lazarus," "Materiality: Jim Gigurtsis and Mike Cannata," "Futurology" and "Out of Many, Still Many"
- Through Aug. 23 — "Pressing On: Printmaking at the Dunedin Fine Art Center"
- Sept. 12 — DFAC Con 2026
DFAC is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday through Sunday.
