Tampa Handmade Handbags . Updated 5/1/2023

Handbags Made in Tampa Florida. Famous Reuse Artist Hongkongwillie.

GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE

Artist Born for this time, Lived on a landfill as a child in Tampa. Reuse Became the way of life. To read the story from the inception of the Name Hong Kong Willie. Famed, by the humble statements from the Key West Citizen, viable art from reuse has found its time. To Live a life in the art world and be so blessed to make a social impact. Artists are to give back, talent is to tell a story, to make change. Reuse is a life experience.
Hong Kong Willie Art Gallery In Tampa, a reuse Art Gallery. Artist Kim,Derek,and Joseph. reuse artist that have lived the life and are meant for the green movement in the world. A gallery that was born for this time. Artist living a freegan life,art that makes a social statement of reuse. Media that has a profound effect in making the word green truly a movement of reuse in the world today and the future.

 Reuse artist.
Hong Kong Willie. Artist of the 60’s in the now. Acclaimed Florida folk artist, Living the Life of using objects for many uses. Follow the travels of life.

Description

Hand Made Bag
Shell: Burlap Coffee Bag
Source: Third Generation Coffee Roaster
Stitching: Recovered Yarn
Handle, Label, Pocket:
Source: Artist Worn Clothing (HKW)
Inner Pocket: 1
Appliques:
Source: Artist Worn Clothing, Coffee Bag Ebmlems Hand-Stitched
Length(Strap to Bottom)-27"
Actual Length-16"
Width-17"
Lining from ex-rocker now artist, currently located in Key West.

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Handbags

made in Tampa Florida

Description

Hand Made Bag
Shell: Burlap Coffee Bag
Source: Third Generation Coffee Roaster
Stitching: Recovered Yarn
Handle: Baseball Panel
Source: Recovered Game-Used Baseball
Source: Tampa Bay
Handle, Label, Pockets:
Source: Artist Worn Clothing (HKW)
Inner Pockets: 2
Outer Pocket: Tampa Bay Buccaneer (Artist Worn)
Dimensions:
Length(Strap to Bottom)-29"
Actual Length-19"
Width-11"

Hong Kong Willie. The name of the artist. In 1958 his mother took Hong Kong Willie to an art class. The name started then. An art teacher when doing crafts out of Gerber baby bottles, made a statement, in Hong Kong reuse was common. At that time he thought this was very interesting. His father had low-land, at that time landfills were common also. The county had told Hong Kong Willie’s father, it was safe, but as we now know this was not so. Something can come from bad to be good. Hong Kong Willie the name came from that art teacher impressing on that young mind that objects made for one use could be for many other uses. Hong Kong for the neat concept. Willie for an American name. So for many years Hong Kong Willie had a life of reuse. Hong Kong Willie saw forms in a different light, His life now was meaningful, knowing this was and would be his life. Art made from found objects, making less of a footprint on this world. Art and art teachers, HOW IMPORTANT. For the ones that have, and the ones who have not. Media can be found. Now 50 years later, we know now being green is important. We need to look at this very carefully. Our children and our world need a different understanding. Objects can be used in many different ways. Hong Kong Willie the tons of objects in his life that have been used, without much change, So for that art teacher what she did for my life. Thank You. I still have the Gerber baby bottle till this day. Hong Kong Willie.

Hong Kong Willie Preservation Art Group

Roadside Attraction Jim Tunstall Tampa Tribune .Updated 5 / 4 / 2024

GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE

Category: Art and Photography

ROADSIDE ATTRACTION

Jim Tunstall TAMPA TRIBUNE




A break with the mainstream led a couple to their own little corner of happiness from another day in time.



" I believe every individual has a purpose. When you start going on your journey to discover yours, you learn some things along the way."

JOE BROWN



Joe Brown loves to express himself.

If you want to see how, take a spin by his place on the southwest corner of Interstate 75 and Fletcher Avenue. His yard is coiffed with a sassy blend of crab-trap buoys, bottle art, fishy wind socks and a dog and two cats that co-exist on a mainly peaceful basis.

Then there's the man. Brown, a page out of the 1960's better side, owns A-24 Hour Bait and Tackle.

On one hand, he's private enough not to want his photograph taken, on the other, he's gregarious enough to talk the ears off anyone interested in fishing. Fact is, this 51-year-old Tampa native is primed to gab about next best to anything on the minds of his visitors, including the way things used to be.

Like in 1983 when he and his wife, Kim, planted roots on this corner and the new Interstate was their only new neighbor.

Before that, Brown had been part of the establishment, but he chucked his mainstream career and spent 3 years on a 700-hundred acre spread across Fletcher, searching for himself.

I was seriously unhappy," he says.

"I left (the job) Nov. 13, 1981. That Date, the moment I left the office, it blazed in my brain, I was 31 and dealing with severe depression."

One day he heard a voice.

"People will tell you you've got serious problems when you hear voices," he says behind a grin. "But this wasn't that kind of experience. It just said, 'Joe, what if it gets better?'"

Well, slowly it did.

He and Kim took an option on the corner that been home to a worm farm for 25 years.

" The worm business was at it's ebb," Brown says.

" I bought it to sell. I had no idea I was going to continue it."

Over the years, neighbors started putting down roots to the west, including apartment complexes and more than a half dozen hotels, such as Extended Stay America and Residence Inn.

The bait and tackle business stayed reasonably strong until the economy went south last year, Brown says, adding that he still carries a full line of rods, reels, cane poles, lures, crickets, shiners, and shrimp.

" But we did a lot a wholesale and we lost 90 percent of that business Sep. 11," he says." " That's dead. It's not coming back."

Fortunately the Browns have branched out.

Last year, they opened a gift shop that sells gator heads, sea shells, stuffed critters, t-shirts, and other trinkets.

Brown also started dabbling in bottle art -- melting everything from vodka to Sprite bottles, reshaping them then letting them cool and harden.

Through the last 20 years, he seems to have learned to be a survivor.

He's also learned his reason for being on this corner.

"I believe every individual has a purpose," he says, turning serious for a moment.

"When you start going on your journey to discover yours, you learn some things along the way. I like working with the public and making them happy. And if you're doing what you want to do, it's a beautiful thing."