Kama Gallery   

2929 N 15th St
Tampa, FL 33605
813-241-6939
www.artmeetslife.com

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Located in historic Ybor Heights, Kama occupies a restored Cuban bodega on a block where elder gents converse over cafe con leche, a Santeria priestess offers wisdom and scuttlebutt surrounds a cockfighting bust. The gallery specializes in a broad range of contemporary paintings, prints, and photographs in addition to a variety of contemporary alternative media. Its owners aim for it to become a thriving venue for art, music and performance, especially for young artists, who would otherwise be waiting to be discovered. Catherine and Bruce Cottle bought the quaint structure in 1996 and restored it with the hopes that someday it would be used as an art space. Friend Katherine Kearney, a master's student, needed a place, so she rented Kama and works as director for the gallery, which opened in 2005. The space has track lighting and a step ladder for seeing works more closely. Accommodating those who want to linger and mingle during an art show, Kama features a liquor bar, three tables and green chairs along a wall. A psychic reader even sets up shop in one corner at certain exhibitions.