Judges and Poster Artist

WILLIAM SCHAAF

William Schaaf is a Floridabased artist who has worked with equine themes for more than 55 years. He is a painter, sculptor, writer and educator. He works in stone, wood and clay, which are sometimes translated into bronze editions.

Schaaf graduated from the University of Florida with a BFA and the University of Illinois with an MFA, both with a focus on painting and printmaking. He has worked as a professor, lecturer and workshop facilitator, and was an early advisor for the Art in Medicine Program at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, which has become a national model.

He has taught at dozens of universities and colleges in Florida and the Midwest and has presented workshops and classes at the Penland School of Crafts and the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. His work has been presented in more than 100 group shows and 30 one-person shows in Florida and nationally.

In addition, his work is included in many private and corporate collections and is on display at numerous museums across Florida.

NOFA DIXON

Nofa Dixon has been a professional artist and an active member of the Jacksonville community for more than 40 years. She taught drawing, painting, ceramics and sculpture at William M. Raines High School for 12 years, developing one of the strongest secondary-school art programs in Duval County.

Dixon spent another 12 years serving as curator of education at the Jacksonville Art Museum (now the Museum of Contemporary Art). Between 2001 and 2019, she served as an associate professor in the Department of Art & Design at the University of North Florida, where she taught drawing, design I and II, painting and art in public places.

Together with her students, she facilitated the creation of 18 murals and mosaic images that embellish the UNF campus. Dixon recently retired from UNF as a professor emerita and is looking forward to leading a very creative life.

Her art has been exhibited throughout the United States and is included in numerous public, private and corporate collections.

MONICA BLISS

Monica Bliss picked up a paintbrush for the first time in the fall of 2020 — and the art that emerged caught her by surprise. Today, Bliss uses her gift to infuse homes with joy by creating meaningful artwork that will last for generations. Bliss believes that nature has a profound way of grounding us amid the chaos of everyday life and leans heavily on its inspiration. She describes herself as an impressionistic artist who uses acrylics to create emotive works from her home studio in Orlando.

Wind Song was inspired by the peacocks who parade majestically around Winter Park. After being commissioned to create a realistic peacock for a local client, she wanted to explore this beautiful bird in a more impressionistic style.

The first peacocks were brought to Winter Park in 1950 by Hugh McKean, a former president of Rollins College, and his wife, Jeannette Genius McKean, granddaughter of Charles Morse and founder of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. A peacock has graced Winter Park’s seal since 2004.

Wind Song was created with a palette knife using acrylics on canvas, and the original measures 16-by-20 inches.

49 th ANNUAL

49 th ANNUAL WINTER PARK AUTUMN ART FESTIVAL