Rainbird, by Miami-based artist Douglas Hoekzema, aka Hoxxoh, was created for the 2023 edition of SHINE Mural Festival in St. Pete, Florida.
Apr 242024
Apr 032024
Summer Wheat created this mural, Foragers, in 2020 for the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it remains on view today.
From the museum about the work-
This monumental “stained glass” installation celebrates the resilience of North Carolina’s community of makers and providers and creates a space where our present-day Charlotte community can gather for contemplation and inspiration. Collaging sheets of colored vinyl, Wheat has created a towering, prismatic composition that fills all 96 windows of the Mint atrium with female figures of varied sizes, ages, shapes, and races performing acts of labor: fisherwomen, beekeepers, hunters, mothers, caretakers, farmers, bankers.
Following the tradition of stained-glass windows found in places of worship, Wheat offers a narrative of hope and resilience that can be enjoyed in a few minutes or studied over hours. Wheat says that “Foragers presents a tradition in which women were the original hunters, technologists, and artists. This array of women connected by geometric patterns echoes the psychological space of women supporting each other. They are marching together, connecting to creatures from land and water, demonstrating their inherent link to natural elements and to the intricate depths of the unconscious.”
The women in Foragers also call attention to the underrecognized populations who have cultivated the land that we now call North Carolina, from the indigenous tribes to the colonial settlers to the enslaved Africans and all those who have followed. The region is home to myriad traditions-ceramics, basket weaving, quilting, furniture construction, textile production-and The Mint Museum specifically celebrates that legacy through its collection and exhibitions. Foragers salutes North Carolina’s history of creativity and industry, both by those whose names we know and those who remain anonymous.
Her latest exhibition, Fertile Ground, is currently on view at Nazarian/Curcio in Los Angeles, closing on 4/6/24. It includes new paintings and three stone mosaic sculptures.
Mar 262024
The mural above was created by artist Lauren Pearce and is located in Cleveland, Ohio. You can also find her work on Instagram.
She will also be part of the upcoming group exhibition How Do You Want to See Yourself, curated by Larry Ossei Mensah, at Galleria Anna Marra in Rome, Italy. That show will open on 4/10/24.
Mar 092024
The mural above, Celestial Tigers, located outside the Oceanic Market building in Tampa, is by Florida artist Michelle Sawyer.
She is currently showing recent paintings at Parachute Gallery, located in the Kress Contemporary building in Ybor City.
Also check out her Instagram for recent work.
Jan 312024
Birds by Detroit based artist Rick Malt in Canton, Ohio. The mural is part of Canton Mural Initiative.
For more work by Malt, also check out his Instagram.
Jan 252024
The Mangrove Refuge (The Vorasane Family and Friends; Gandy Beach circa 1980) by Michael Vasquez was created for the 2023 edition of SHINE Mural Festival in St. Pete, Florida.
The artist’s statement about the mural-
A displaced Lao family (and friends) find refuge and a moment of reflection amidst the mangroves of Tampa Bay’s Gandy Beach.
A 1978 Datsun 280Z serves as a centerpiece and point of pride, fusing together car culture and masculinity. Similar aspects of clothing and style signal togetherness, emulation, and a shared sense of identity—yet their solitary gazes set them apart from one another and allude to a deeper and more personal past, present, and future…
Vasquez is currently part of the group show TRADITIONS: Honoring Heritage, Ritual and Family at Muzeo in Anaheim, California. The show is curated by Thinkspace and Tlaloc Studios and is on view until 2/25/24.
Also check out his Instagram for current work.
Jan 222024
Ride on the sPEACEship! by Chris Dyer was created for the 2023 SHINE Mural Festival in St. Pete, Florida.
Check out more of his work on Instagram.
Jan 112024
This mural by Bunnie Reiss was created for the 2023 edition of the SHINE Mural Festival in St. Pete, Florida.
Also check out her Instagram for updates on her current work.
Dec 172023
This mural, perfect for a rainy day, is by artist Jean Thomas. It is located in the Eau Gallie Arts District in Melbourne, Florida.
Dec 072023
“Fluorescent Dwarf”, 2017, Acrylic and water based aerosol on wood panel, pattern traced from found branch with wood boring beetle larvae trails (the source branch is on display directly to the left)
“The Expanding Universe”, 2017, Hand cut (jigsaw) plywood, water based spray, nails, pattern traced from found branch with wood boring beetle larvae trails
“Transcend and Include”, 2019, Wood boring beetle larvae paths traced from a dead cedar tree hand-cut from re-purposed Aluplast, water based spray
Community Foundation Tampa Bay works to match people and organizations with the resources they need to carry out projects that make a positive impact on local communities. In their space in St. Pete they also exhibit work by local artists. Currently on view are selections from Kenny Jensen’s Paths of Consumption series.
From the artist about this work-
As a Florida native who spent much of my childhood outdoors both in the city and the country, I have always had an essential connection to our unique natural environment. This relationship has steadily deepened over the years through my evolving art practice, and related ecological research. Becoming a parent has also raised the stakes and heightened my ecological awareness and concern. As a result there is a tension present in my work – An earnest desire to share the wonder and mystery I continually encounter in common, overlooked nature while also expressing grief and frustration over what is actively being lost.
All of the work on display here is a part of an ongoing environmentally focused sculpture project entitled Paths of Consumption which recreates found patterns eaten out of by various insect larvae at exaggerated scale and with a full spectrum of layered hues. This series is a meditation on our consumption of the natural environment. The inverted insect paths act as a kind of metaphorical map to guide us to reflect on our own record of consumption as we develop and grow, both as individuals and as a society.
Also on view at the gallery are digital works from Nick Davis’s Black is Beautiful series. Sadly, Davis passed away in December of 2022.
