ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 7, 2005 - The shrimp are attacking! The shrimp are attacking! On Friday, November 18, from 5:30-7:30 pm, at the Eckerd College Ransom Arts Center, an eclectic 40-piece artist collective will present SHRIMP ATTACK!, a multi-faceted contemporary art project that combines original music with an interactive outdoor sculpture installation. Food will be served at this free, public event. Click on this link to see Shrimp Attack! in progress: http://www.eckerd.edu/photos/shrimpattack/

SHRIMP ATTACK! The CD:

The centerpiece of Shrimp Attack! is a new CD of original music written, performed, and recorded by a diverse cooperative of musicians, Eckerd College students, and local artists. The music was recorded with the member artists of Creative Clay, a St. Petersburg non-profit arts center that allows artists with developmental disabilities to create and exhibit their work.

The CD features experimental pop songs that are at once catchy and entertaining, yet combine to address the complex themes of power, representation, and possible revolution. For this one-time limited edition release, each CD comes in a unique, signed and numbered handmade package made from mostly recycled and salvaged materials. Each package is a fine art object itself, many with original drawings, collages, photographs, and objects tucked inside.

SHRIMP ATTACK! The Installation:

Covering the grounds of Eckerd College's Ransom Art Center is a massive installation of huge shrimp that seem to swim and crawl everywhere. Each shrimp is unique and is available for purchase. Viewers are free to explore the fields of shrimp on land, and if they are feeling brave, may venture onto the water via paddleboat to pick out the shrimp of their dreams! The artists have collaborated on every phase of the construction process, from design to fabrication to installation, and will act as "field guides" to explore the work.

SHRIMP ATTACK! The Celebration and CD Release Party:

Be the first to hear the CD, see the art and eat the shrimp! Alas, the shrimp ultimately lose the battle, and we get to eat them. Come meet the artists and join us for a massive shrimp boil feast. Chefs will prepare a delightful shrimp and vegetable boil feast. Sides, beverages, and vegetarian options will also be served.

The CD packages, shrimp sculptures, and various other items including t-shirts and posters will be available for purchase. 100% of the profits will fund the programs at Creative Clay Inc., a non-profit arts center that allows artists with developmental disabilities to create and exhibit their work.

SHRIMP ATTACK! Origin and Sponsors:

Shrimp Attack was created through a unique partnership between contemporary artist and Eckerd alumnus Stuart Hyatt '97, Eckerd College visual art students, and the member artists of Creative Clay, Inc. Participating Eckerd students are satisfying the Quest for Meaning (www.eckerd.edu/academics/qfm) senior level course created to challenge students to ask and seek answers to questions of meaning and purpose in their own lives within the context of the greater community.

The project is sponsored in part by the Eckerd College Program Series, Eckerd College Organization ECOS, the Jim Crane Alumni Fund, Eckerd College Visual Arts program, TEAM Records (www.teamrecords.org), and The Bama Shrimp Company.

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ABOUT STUART HYATT, Eckerd College alumnus:

Stuart Hyatt graduated as a visual art major in 1997, worked for a time as a designer for the Ohio Museum of Science and Industry, and received his MFA in sculpture from the University of Indiana in 2003. Stuart's first position upon graduation from Indiana was as Artist-in-Residence at the Coleman Center for Arts and Culture in York, Alabama, where he collaborated with amateurs and schoolchildren from one of the poorest counties in the state to produce a CD of original musical compositions.

The CD, entitled "The Clouds," was noticed by the American Composers Forum as worthy of distribution, and it was issued last year on their Innova label. Stuart's CD cover design, employing recycled materials, was nominated by the Innova label for a Grammy Award. Stuart now has his own production company, TEAM Records, and works with an artists group in the Midwest known as Municipal Workshop, devoted to public art projects.

In June 2005, Stuart was awarded a $20,000 Efroymson Contemporary Arts Fellowship by the Central Indiana Community Foundation, a foundation that supports rising artists who are helping to transform Indianapolis into a culturally inspiring and thriving city.

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