Anthony Record’s Artistic Vision

Anthony Record brings an artist’s perspective to his new role as curator at Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta

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Anthony Record at Lighthouse ArtCenter. Photo by Cristina Szyszko
Anthony Record at Lighthouse ArtCenter. Photo by Cristina Szyszko

Anthony Record has a penchant for roadside attractions. “My all-time favorite roadside attraction is in Brooksville,” says Record, 41, who grew up outside Tampa in a small town called Spring Hill and now resides in Port St. Lucie. His face lights up as he continues: “Boyett’s Grove is a citrus grove where they have a zoo of rescued exotic pets, like if someone got a pet monkey and couldn’t take care of it anymore. There’s all kinds of funky art and spray paint. It’s just filled with weird imagery and sculptures.”

Now the new curator at Lighthouse ArtCenter is parlaying his love of roadside discoveries into planning his first major show at the center, which will close out the upcoming season. “It’s called Roadside Reveries,” says Record. “It’s an exhibition of contemporary art that examines uncanny recollections of Florida vacations and the allure of animals and roadside attractions. It’s not so much literal depictions; it’s more about the altered states of vacations and travel.”

As a child, Record recalls being interested in art but says he didn’t really pursue creating his own art until he enrolled in the studio art program at the University of South Florida—a choice that somehow felt like destiny. “I don’t even know how I made the decision,” he says. “But it was instant—I just knew I wanted to learn how to do art.” While in college, he ran his very first gallery—USF’s student-run Centre Gallery—for two years.

After graduating from USF in 2006, he went on to earn a master’s degree in fine arts from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2008, where he honed his skills as a painter. “I’ve been an artist since 2005, and I’ve always tried to do unusual things,” he says. “I’m really interested in chance and spontaneity and integrating those things into my work.”

Porch Light by Walter Matthews, one of the artists featured in the Roadside Reveries exhibition, coming in April. Photo courtesy Walter Matthews
Porch Light by Walter Matthews, one of the artists featured in the Roadside Reveries exhibition, coming in April. Photo courtesy Walter Matthews

After graduate school, Record moved back to the Tampa area and began a career as an art professor, teaching at various colleges over the next 10 years. But slowly, his career path started to turn toward curating. In 2014, he and some friends started QUAID, an artists’ cooperative in Tampa, where he curated exhibitions. And in 2018, he began a four-year stint as the studio programs coordinator for the Tampa Museum of Art. In 2022, he was named curator at the Museum of Florida Art & Culture, where he remained until joining Lighthouse ArtCenter this past April.

As Record settles into his new role, he plans to take an “artist-centered” approach to the exhibitions he curates. “I am focused on what the artist cares about, what they think is important, and having their ideas resonate as purely as they can,” he says. He’s also excited about the scope of offerings outside the exhibitions at the center. “It’s a unique space that has an emphasis on both studio arts, the gallery, and exhibitions,” he says. “It’s a really great environment.”

Show Time!

This season’s big exhibitions and events at Lighthouse ArtCenter

Currently on view: Lush 3: Contemporary Ceramics and Underwater Photography, to November 16

December 5: Celebrate!: Art from Outreach Programs and Lighthouse Faculty, to December 14

January 16: Tyler K. Smith: Brainz & Bolts, to February 22

March 2: Plein Air Festival, to March 8

March 18: Annual Members’ Show and Sale, to April 11

April 24: Roadside Reveries, to August 25

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