Join us in discovering the story of Tory Freeman, a magnificent tattoo and visual artist.
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Tag: Orlando Artist
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Episode 113 – Yan Diaz
Actor Yan Diaz joins us to share his story and his experience in musical theatre in Central Florida. He highlights the importance of diversity and representation in the theater community.
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Episode 112: Donald Rupe
Co-Founder and Artistic Director of The Renaissance Theatre, Donald Rupe joins us to share his story in Artistic Spot.
For more information on Donald Rupe visit: https://rentheatre.com/about
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THE DIVINE CREATION OF THE AZTEC WORLD
Osceola Arts
Photo by Jose Rodriguez Marmol
On Saturday, March 5th, Osceola Arts hosted the Opening Reception of ‘Divinity’ by local visual artist Patricia Cavazos, welcoming guests from all around Central Florida.
Patricia is originally from Monterrey, Mexico. She has been living in the U.S. since the year 2000. Her career as a visual artist has represented the colors of her country and the mythologic world of the Aztecs.
Since she was a child, Patricia felt a passion for the world of visual arts. She is responsible for sharing the stories behind Mexico in the abstract world. Wonderful stories are told through the use of colors and textiles.
This time, Patricia wanted to pay homage to the Aztecs and the importance of the Gods in the creation of the world.
Photo by Jose Rodriguez Marmol
“I feel happy to see my exhibition here in Osceola Arts come to life. It is a result of working with love and passion. I have waited 2 years for this moment. Unfortunately, COVID-19 made us postpone the exhibition. Now, it is the perfect time to show guests the story behind the Aztecs, the creation of the world, and the Gods behind it,” said Patricia.
‘Divinity’ is an exquisite and elegant exhibition full of vibrant colors, textiles, and Patricia’s famous trees of life.
“I have always felt passionate about mythology. This exhibition is a result of my passion to tell the stories of my beloved Mexico and the importance of the Gods in our story,” said Patricia.
Photo by Jose Rodriguez Marmol
For Betania Acosta, “all the art pieces that are part of this exhibition are beautiful. The story behind all the artwork is amazing. I learned new things about the Aztec world. Information I did not have before I came to see this exhibition.”
“The pieces shown in this exhibition were inspired by books about the Aztec culture and their mythology. The impact that this magnificent culture has on me. This is my depiction of that world,” said Cavazos.
Photo by Jose Rodriguez Marmol
Visiting this exhibition will bring you to a colorful world of Mexican history.
‘Divinity works by Patricia Cavazos‘ will be on display through April 1st in the Studio Gallery at Osceola Arts
For more information visit https://www.osceolaarts.org/events-1/divinity-works-by-patricia-cavazos-february-21-april-1
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Episode 110: Victorious McLeod
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REIMAGINING FRIDA KAHLO. AN UNUSUAL ART SHOW
Jose Rodriguez Marmol for Artistic Spot
Leu Gardens hosted the ‘Unusual Frida Juried Art Show‘ on January 13th and 14th, kicking off 2022 with the vision of Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo from 32 Central Florida visual artists.
The ‘Unusual Frida‘ show came back to the City Beautiful after a long hiatus due to COVID-19 in 2021. This third annual show featured the vision of Frida in an ‘unusual’ way.
Raysa Molina, a local visual artist and the mastermind behind this show, created this event as an opportunity to represent the side of Frida that artists see in a way that is not common. This art show is the perfect representation that art is subjective, and it is in the eye of the beholder.
Jose Rodriguez Marmol for Artistic Spot
On November 8th, 2021 a total of 32 local visual artists were selected after a very successful call to artist with more than 100 entries from different cities in the State of Florida.
Aly Vidal, Antelmo Juarez, Barbara Tiffany, Bethany Myers, Carla Brito, Carmen Rubio-Colon, Cherie Rieck, Christine Wallbom, Deliz Berrios, Elizabeth Stainberg, Fania Pena, Fernando Molinares, Heather Lockwood, Holly Tharp, Ileana Miquilena, Jack Void, Jennifer Payne, Jenny Ramos, JJ Gonzalez Acosta, Jose Sanchez, Leslie Maloff, Libby Smith, Manuel Rodriguez, Marisela Rodriguez, Michele Beaujardin, Nancy Hagood, Nina Ramos-Travlos, Pam Coffman, Paula Andrea, Raul Gomez, Veronica Garcia-Bernal, and Wilson Romero were the visual artists selected to have their art pieces in this one-of-a-kind, two-night art show.
Marilyn Cortes-Lovato, Director of Visual Arts at Osceola Arts, was responsible for selecting the three winners of the juried show announced the night of Friday, January 14th.
Deliz Berrios and her art piece ‘Deeply Rooted’ won third place in the show. “By using elements from different Frida Kahlo paintings, those which spoke to my sensibilities, I have created an ode to my connection to Frida,” said Berrios.
Photo by Jose Rodriguez Marmol
Local Artist Jenny Ramos and her vision of Frida ‘Diego y Yo,’ in pencil on Canvas was the winner of second place.
Photo by Jose Rodriguez Marmol
Venezuelan visual artist Ileana Miquilena won first place in the juried show with her piece ‘CosmograpFrida’ a beautiful art piece representing Frida Kahlo in her intimacy featuring a sublime representation of Diego Rivera watching on the back.
Photo by Jose Rodriguez Marmol
The ‘Unusual Frida Juried Show‘ was elegant, eclectic, and showcased some of the best visual artists in town. This show promises to be one of the most important in the visual arts scene in Central Florida.
For more information on the Unusual Frida show visit https://www.unusualfrida.com/
Central Florida artists are in constant growth. The stories they share are not told using the spoken word but from creating a world of colorful images that are part of a creative process that comes from a place deep within their hearts and souls.
The Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs in Orange County, Florida is in communication with local visual artists and non-profit organizations with information of new grant opportunities available to them through United Arts of Central Florida.
On December 7, 2021, Orange County’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Director Terry Olson informed that $1.5 million of Federal funds were approved for “revenue recovery” for nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Orange County for losses suffered because of COVID. United Arts of Central Florida will handle the management of $1 million. This amount will be divided proportionately among all the groups that apply. The Dr. Phillips Center will receive $500,000.
Although these amounts of money are only accessible to local artists if they have a non-profit organization, local groups promoting Arts and Culture are working to offer artists free seminars on grants and how to register non-profit organizations.
For Beatriz Andrekovich from CABETCAL, a local non-profit organization in charge of promoting arts and culture within the Latin community, this is a must. “We must help our artists. Local artists are constantly striving to make their ends meet. We are responsible for providing them with the necessary tools needed to have access to these grants. Together we can bring this information to more artists. It is a result of teamwork.”
Photo Credit: Jose Rodriguez Marmol
“Our responsibility is not only providing them with platforms to exhibit their artwork, but they also need financial support. Local artists need to have access to the funds that are available to them thanks to the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs of Orange County,” said Beatriz.
The local government keeps working hard to provide local artists with a platform to exhibit their wonderful world of colorful images, and at the same time providing them with the information they need to make their passion their source of income.
For more information on the grants that are available to local arts and culture organizations please visit United Arts of Central Florida.
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Episode 109: Marsha Jackson
Discover the story behind Marsha Jackson. A local performer and visual artist.
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Episode 108: Ken Austin
Watercolor Master Ken Austin, joined us to discuss the highlights of his career, and his pathway in arts for the past 60 years.
In today’s world, there is a significant amount of people that are constantly striving to do what they feel most passionate about. Visual artists are among those people.
Orange County, Florida is one of the most important travel destinations for local, and international tourists. The theme park industry put Central Florida on the map and in the bucket list for people around the world after the opening of The Walt Disney World Resort on October 1, 1971, with their first theme park in the area, The Magic Kingdom.
The Walt Disney World Resort has grown in the past 50 years, as well as other companies decided to create more options for visitors and locals. Universal Orlando Resort and Sea World Parks and Entertainment are other options for those who visit the County.
The theme park industry in Orange County, has made Central Florida have talented people that have dedicated their professional lives to entertain others as well as being able to bring entertainment for audiences worldwide. Visual arts play an important role in the world of storytelling.
The world of Visual Arts is a fantastic way of telling stories with the use of colors and paintbrushes. Orange County in Florida offers the world of Visual Arts and its artists a variety of events where they can showcase their artwork.
The County’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Office led by its Director of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Terry Olson has an Advisory Council. The Council is in charge of recommending the office of Tourism and Tax Revenue where to spend their budget that the county has for the arts and culture. At the same time, the Council has different committees that oversee promoting new ideas. One of these committees is the Sustainability Committee which mission is “to pursue and implement the long-term sustainability and resiliency of the arts community, and its place in the natural, built and human environment of Orange County,” said Theo Webster, Chair of the Sustainability Committee and Member of the Advisory Council.
“One of our goals is to increase tourist awareness by promoting art and cultural offerings to hospitality industry and transit providers. We are also working on creating a unified, centralized marketing campaign for arts organizations,” said Theo.
While Orange County, Florida and the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs make great efforts to ensure that the community has access to new opportunities, visual artists around the County share their experiences.
For local artist JJ Gonzalez Acosta “Orange County has done a great job offering us the opportunities to showcase our talents. Activities such as Fusion Fest, and platforms such as City Arts Gallery, offer great opportunities to have our art out there. However, being an artist requires not only time and dedication, but also requires money for materials and the constant expectations to have our art sold. We must rely on having full time jobs to make our ends meet. Unfortunately, art itself does not pay our bills.”
The County does offer grant opportunities for the arts and culture. United Arts of Central Florida is a Non-profit Organization in charge of reviewing and approving applications from local non-profit organizations. Their main goal is to distribute the money the County has to the organizations who qualify. However, these grants are only accessible by those who have a Non-Profit Organization.
For some artists, registering a non-profit not only takes time, but it also requires a certain level of knowledge of the process that most of them do not know. For some, this information is new, and they did not even know that the County does offer opportunities and resources. “I did not know that there were those options. I would love to have more information. I will certainly investigate more information on it. It is always good to feel that we are supported as a community by the local government,” said Sarahy Boraure local artist.
The arts and the entertainment industry was the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Greater Orlando Performing Arts Relief Fund, or ‘GOPAR’ was organized in 2020 to provide relief grants to individual arts workers of Central Florida affected by the pandemic.
“To date GOPAR has raised over $100,000 and assisted artists and arts workers covering mortgages, car payments, and medical bills, and perhaps just as critical, providing hope, reassurance and needed connectivity in the midst of debilitating isolation,” said RK Kelley, entertainment business executive, an advocate and board member in the community.
“We have an enormously talented arts community here in Central Florida and statewide. With stabilization and insightful support, we can help these artists and arts workers reach their potential, retain these talents in Orlando, and continue to enrich all our lives,” said RK.
Orange County, Florida, is constantly growing. The growth provides opportunities to our talented community. COVID-19 cases significantly decreased. The County’s state of emergency expires this November. More activities are coming back to life. Fusion Fest, Art in the Chambers, and other important calls to artists are being sent to a database of approximately 2500 local visual artists. Allowing them to showcase their artwork to a bigger audience.
For Byron Walker, Director of Facilities at the Polasek Museum, “the county does a great job offering us visual artists opportunities to showcase our artwork. The opportunities are out there. Part of our job as visual artists is to apply, apply, and apply. It is our responsibility to put our name out there.”
It seems that the most difficult part for a visual artist is treating their talent, and the passion for storytelling, colors, and paintbrushes as a business.
For visual artist Cheri Riechers, “I studied art in college. Art Festivals were not a thing. I decided to go into the computer industry. There came a time when I made some hand-painted fabrics, that lead to murals, and one day a local art dealer in Orange County said she wanted to see my artwork. I went to a gallery on Park Ave. in Winter Park and brought all my artwork with me. They loved it. They sold everything within two weeks. That was my first art lesson. I stayed with them for 18 years. I started painting in Café Tu Tu Tango on International Drive. The experience was amazing. I was invited out to Disney’s Festival of the Arts. After having a consulting company, I learned to treat my art as a business. It is a passion. It is storytelling but, it is a business.”
During the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, Mexican visual artist and architect Patricia Cavazos said, “the most important thing for me is knowing all the talents of my fellow artists. I am happy that the city does these types of events. More than the economic part, it is just a platform to let my art be shown in different places, knowing me. It’s more like being supporting each other and showing the people around. For me is more to show that the Hispanic culture and what we have to offer. The economy part of it is good but is more about showing what we have and who we are.”
Visual arts can become a main source of income. Opportunities are out there. Visual Artists are encouraged to continue telling colorful stories while taking advantage of the outstanding job that Orange County, Florida is doing through the Arts and Cultural Affairs office to provide platforms to showcase art and stories.
For more information on the Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs office visit: https://www.orangecountyfl.net/CultureParks/ArtsCulture.aspx#.YX7ter3MJb_
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