Artists’ Faire Gallery and Gift Shop, 111 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs, proudly presents a free reception for extraordinary metal artist, Nicholas Toth on Friday, Jan. 25, from 5:00 to 7:00pm

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT:  HEATHER RISLEY, 727-937-7125

EVENT: ARTIST RECEPTION – NICHOLAS TOTH

Artists’ Faire Gallery and Gift Shop, 111 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs, proudly presents a reception for extraordinary metal artist, Nicholas Toth on Friday, Jan. 25, from 5:00 to 7:00pm.

Nicholas has been creating copper and brass diving helmets in Tarpon Springs, Florida, for over 30 years.  He continues a one-hundred year family tradition begun by his grandfather, legendary craftsman and master helmet maker, Anthony Lerios, who arrived in Tarpon Springs in 1913.

Nicholas continues to evolve and expand his artistic focus, using the inspiration of his iconic diving helmets to create copper and brass art pieces.  Each original work of art continues his devotion to creating breathtaking copper and brass art, showcasing his incredible talent as a metal artist.  His copper and brass diving helmets are available for purchase, as well as his new hand-hammered copper and brass art work.

Meet Nick and view his dazzling copper and brass artworks.  Refreshments will be available, free of charge.  For more information, please call the gallery at 727-934-2952.

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Nicholas Toth………The Last Helmet Maker……….

Nicholas Toth has been creating copper and brass diving helmets in Tarpon Springs, Florida for over thirty years.  He continues a one hundred year family tradition begun by his grandfather, legendary craftsman and master helmet maker, Anthony Lerios, who arrived in Tarpon Springs in 1913.

These iconic diving helmets created by Nicholas Toth are made using the traditional techniques that have been employed by helmet makers for over one hundred fifty years.  This style of helmet making has its roots in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece; most notably Kalymnos, Halki and Simi.  Currently, Nicholas Toth is the only craftsman in the world that continues to make hand crafted diving helmets using the same techniques, tools, cast iron mandrels and lathes that his grandfather used. Each helmet typically takes well over 320 hours to complete.

In the past, his family’s diving helmets were crafted to supply the nearly 200 boats in Tarpon Springs that were sponging in the Gulf of Mexico.  Due to changes in the sponge diving industry and the reduction in the number of active boats, very few of Nick’s helmets are used in the diving industry today.

Although each helmet he creates continues to be precisely crafted, fully functioning pieces of diving equipment, Nick has refined and elevated the aesthetic elements of his work to the level of fine art.  The incredible beauty of each helmet seems to mesmerize the admirer, gazing in amazement at the exquisite detail and unparalleled craftsmanship of this unique work of art.

 “I want to do more than present an assemblage of functioning parts. I want to draw in the viewer and elicit an emotion. I want the viewer to be curious as to who wore these helmets and why.  To think about what story is being told through this piece of art.”

Nick grew up around his grandfather’s machine shop and the adjacent boat yard where the classic wood hulled sponge boats were built.  Anthony Lerios, Nick’s grandfather, would fabricate anything that was not made of wood that was required for the operation of a sponge boat.  From the rigging and pulleys, tiller hardware and anchors of the old schooner–sail type of sponge boats that existed before the dominance of diesel power; to the installation of diesel engines.  A point of interest and of historical significance, Anthony Lerios installed the very first diesel engine in a sponge boat, around 1920.

It is from this background that Nicholas Toth learned his craft.  After Nick’s graduation from the University of Florida, he began working full time with his grandfather as an apprentice, learning the old-world techniques of crafting copper and brass diving helmets.

Within a very short time Nick and his grandfather were garnering much attention from the State of Florida, due to the historical significance of their work. They were also gaining a great deal of attention from the media, with exposure from newspapers, magazines and television, including being prominently featured on National Geographic’s Explorer Series.

Over the years, Nicholas Toth has garnered many awards.  He is a two time Florida Individual Artist Fellowship recipient, first in 1998 and then again in 2012.  In 2000 he represented the State of Florida in the 200^th anniversary of the Library of Congress and that same year, was awarded placement in the collection of the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress.  In 2006, he was presented the E.R. Cross Award by the Historical Diving Society.  Nick is also a Florida Folk Heritage Award recipient presented by Governor Charlie Crist and is a National Heritage Fellowship recipient presented by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2003. 

Nicholas continues to evolve and expand his artistic focus, using the inspiration of his iconic diving helmets to create copper and brass art pieces. Each original work of art continues his devotion to creating breathtaking copper and brass art, showcasing his incredible talent as a metal artist.  His copper and brass diving helmets are available for purchase, as well as, his new hand-hammered copper and brass art work.