Five of Florida’s Artistic Talents

FIVE of FLORIDA’S ARTISTICTALENTS

| BY JAMES ESSEX

From Ernst Hemingway to Zora Neale Hurston, Florida has always been home to many talented artists. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that today Florida boasts some impressive artists from every cor-ner of the state. Whether you’re into glass sculptures or minimalis-tic paintings, you can always find a talented artist in Florida whose art can suit your home's decor. Which is why we’ve taken the time to find five of Florida’s most interesting, and best, artistic talents. Some have been creating their work for decades, others have just started. But every artist on the list offers a unique look at the quali-ty of art currently being created in the sunshine state.

CAROLYN MARA

Carolyn Mara was born in Houston, Texas, and moved to Miami in her late twenties after studying photo, video, and related media from the School of Visual Arts in New York City — from which she holds a Masters of Fine Arts.

From her early days as a photographer, she transitioned into performance art and painting as a means to express herself through movement. Her large-scale, abstract paintings have turned her into a viral sensation and she is represented by Pan American Art Projects in Miami.

Carolyn’s work has exhibited in multiple gallery spaces in the United States — including PhotoFest Houston — and she has been published in PDN magazine, Saplings Magazine, B&T Australia, and Business Insider. She has sold her work to private clients throughout the world and her photography has been featured in various competitions including the IPPAwards, in which she won third place overall, photographer of the year, in 2016. You can learn more about this talented artist by visiting her website | carolynmara.com

AROLINA SARDI C

Carolina Sardi is an Argentinean sculptor that has been creating beautiful artwork out of Miami since 1995. She has a Master’s Degree in Sculpture from the prestigious National University of La Plata in Argentina and studied Architecture and Urbanism as well. Sardi is currently represented by Pan American Art Projects in Miami and has had a number of solo exhibitions across the United States. Her work is represented in some of South Florida’ s most distinguished buildings — including the Miami International Airport — and she has been exhibited in Shanghai, Milan, New York, London, Brussels, and Paris.

Sardi’s pieces are about the deep connection between every component of the universe. As she states, “We are all made of the same atoms and the same elementary particles that vibrate and fluctuate between existence and non-existence. ” Sardi’s work is held by a number of private, public, and corporate collectors in North America, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Her work can be found in the collections of the Art Museum of the Americas, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve in Washington DC, the Museum of Art of Fort Lauderdale, Miami-Dade’s Art in Public Places, The Related Group of Florida, Neiman Marcus, The Cleveland Clinic, and the Heico Corporation. You can see more of Caro-lina Sardi’s amazing work on her website, carolinasardi.com

ROBERTO BIRKENES

Robert Birkenes grew up in California, and it was there that he learned about the joys and challenges associated with painting. Birkenes had previously pursued a career in advertising throughout the country before settling in South Florida, where he now creates his artwork. Birkenes is constantly impressed with the majesty and beauty of the American landscape, and his landscape paintings reflect his impressions of the natural beauty that has been carved into the mountains, rivers, and deserts of the United States. Many of the works Birkenes has produced are held both privately and publicly, housed in homes and corporate buildings throughout North America. Birkenes received received his B.F.A. Degree in Advertising & Design from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, Pasadena, California. robert-birkenes.pixels.com.

ELI CECIL

Eli Cecil is a South Florida glass artist currently working and residing in Palm Beach County. Much of Cecil’s work orbits the dialogue of a conscious and sus-tainable future. His sculpture reflects on the balancing act between humanity and nature. Many of the themes are a narrative about growth, causality and the legacy left from one generation to the next.

Cecil earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Salisbury University 2012 and in 2018 the Imagine Museum recognized Ce-cil with the “Artist of the Future Award.” That same year the Duncan McClellan Gallery presented him with an “Emerging Artist Residency” in St. Petersburg, Flori-da. Cecil was also a speaker and presenter at the Glass Art Society National Conference "Charting a Course to the Future” in 2019. Cecil is currently the Creative Director at the Benzaiten Center for Creative Arts in Lake Worth, Florida. If you want to see more of his stunning sculptures you can do so by visiting his website, elicecilart.com

EMILIO APONTESIERRA-PARETTI

Emilio Apontesierra Paretti is a South American artist — born in Valledullar, Colombia — who brought his love of the arts when he moved to South Florida in 2002 seeking political asylum. Since then he has focused his time on creating art, writing poetry, and his public speak-ing career. Apontesierra-Parreti’s visual work is created using three mediums — Paper Manipulation Fine Art – Ink on Canvas – Manipulated Photography — and his poetry is composed wholly in Spanish. Apontesierra Paretti speaks mainly about social issues that affect the Latinx com-munity as well as the LGTBQ+ com-munity. He is best known for his health activism and work surrounding AIDS prevention and care. Apontesierra-Paretti is the writer of the En Confianza Bilingual Newsletter for High Impacto Inc., and Spanish language LGBTQ+ Columnist for Columbus Al Día and Al Día Media. He also creates weekly articles offering com-mentaries and opinions about LGBTQ+ issues. If you’d like to learn more about Emilio Apontesierra Paretti’s art, poetry, or activism, you can visit his website at artbyemilioapontesierra.com.