Gala Corina: 2001
Gala Corina 2001 was held on November 9, in the Bustillo y Diaz Cigar Factory, located at 2111 N Albany Avenue, in historic West Tampa.
The exhibition was aligned with the VIA Group, an architectural consortium of designers committed to revitalizing the historic neighborhood of West Tampa.
74 artists occupied all three floors of the VIA Group’s Bustillo Y Diaz Cigar Factory and close to 3,000 people attended the opening night.
An effort to reach out into the local community was made by participating in a Sunday cookout complete with free art classes and a group mural project for the neighborhood children. The American Red Cross received a sizeable donation from this event in the wake of the September 11th tragedy.
The building was built in 1903 and was an operational cigar factory from its inception to the mid 1960’s. The Bustillo y Diaz cigar factory has produced many brands and labels of cigars including Bustillo, Preferred Havana, and Cuesta Rey. The Bustillo y Diaz Cigar Factory has had many interesting events occur on its premises including hangings, kidnappings of the mayor, and labor conflicts.
The building sat vacant for a number of years then took on a number of uses, including apparel manufacturing and silk screening.
In late 2000, the building was bought by the VIA Group who’s interests are in restoring the building and the West Tampa area.