We were thrilled to present the following artists at Platform # 6.

Please respect copyrights as we provide you with these previews of their work.

click on images to enlarge Wheely Amazing Art "Wheely Amazing Art" is part of the Sunrise Community of Polk County, Inc. It is a private, not for profit organization dedicated to serving adults with developmental disabilities. The artists are given opportunities to explore their creativity, learn business skills and contribute some of their time and products back to the community. Every bold, vibrant "Art in Motion" piece is unique. Each work is a collaborative effort created with adaptive art equipment.   <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Robin Maria Pedrero Pedrero began her formal studies as an artist at the age of thirteen. Born Robin Maria Neilson in Norwich, Connecticut in 1964, Pedrero is acknowledged for her luminous skyscapes and portraits. In 1995 her work was selected for the prestigious Juried International Association of Pastel Societies Exhibition. Pedrero had work selected for three of the Orlando Museum of Art First Thursday events and was a featured Artist of the Month in 2004. Pedrero continues to be an award winning artist and exhibits nationally with her works collected world wide. She has been published in magazines, newspapers, and news broadcasts. Artist Statement "Inspiration comes in many forms; people, books, art, shadows, light, relationships, simple pleasures. I create to express an emotional response in colors, shapes and lines. I desire to capture the wind in the trees, the atmospheric reflections of dawn and dusk, and places of serenity. I believe when we savor nature it creates a space in time to experience the presence of God. When I create landscapes I personify the skies and trees through color and movement. Several of the landscape terrains flow on to the paper as no specific place, gathered from memories or symbolically formed while others clearly take you to a recognizable area. As I work the images can be unexpected. Nephelococcygia (pronounced, nef i la caca gia) means finding pictures in the clouds. Beyond the sky, I see faces, animals, and cities within my subjects. Simply smudges of color on paper? What do you see?" <Robin's website> <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Polly Perkins Drawing and painting have been Polly's compulsion since she could hold a brush. Polly was born in Philadelphia, and spent many happy summers at the Jersey Shore. Her formal arts education includes a BFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, studies at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester NY and at the University of Colorado, and an MFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. In Poly's career she explored many media, including animated film, lithography, silkscreen printing, photography, collage, murals and pastel. For the past few years Polly has returned to and focused on what feels to her like home, the warm rich smell, color and feel of oil painting. Artist Statement "I've always found inspiration in natural landscapes, artifacts and organic processes. To support my artistic pursuits and family, I work as an exhibit designer in museums and science centers. This vocation has put me in touch with a wealth of wonderful objects, people and information, inspiring new ideas for paintings. My current series of paintings began with small painted studies of shells. Now I paint old toys, ceramic animal planters and dishes as well. I find that human-made animal figurines and toys have a particularly odd way of commenting on how we regard and treat the natural world. I like things that can be held in your hand, and objects that tell a story. People have told me they find my paintings funny, ironic, nostalgic, cute, and disturbing. My goal is to make the thing come alive for the viewer, and to pull at thoughts and memories." <Polly's website> <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Jon Boring Jon started shooting with a film SLR in high school and was amazed at the images he could capture with a telephoto or wide angle lens. Ever since, Jon has not been too far away from a camera. When the digital SLR’s came out, he was excited about the opportunity to combine his computer science background with his photography. "Finally my left and right brain get to meet!" Today Jon shoots using a Canon 20D body with various Canon-mount lenses. He then “develops” the raw files using Photoshop CS. "Amazingly, you can perform all the same tricks like dodging and burning that you do in a film lab, just on a computer." Jon shoots in color-mode and then converts many of the images to black-and-white. Some of the images he converts to “digital velvia” where the reds, greens and blues are exaggerated to create a surreal feeling. He prints using a Epson 4000 printer. The Epson UltraChrome inks are archival quality and rated for up-to 100 years on some papers. Artist Statement "My current theme is Florida landscapes. Many of the images were shot at wildlife preserves such as Cayo Costa and St. Vincent Island. The remote islands are hard to get to but often worth the effort. Apalachicola is another favorite spot. Some of the images were shot in the Bahamas. I love palm trees on the beach and old docks and boats in a harbor. I am a fifth generation Floridian and much of the Florida I remember as a kid has disappeared. I hope to capture some of that history and wonder in my images so future generations will also be able to enjoy it. Hopefully, my images will bring you enjoyment and wonder too."   <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Gregg Wortham Raised in TN then attended the University of South Dakota where he earned his BFA. Enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the infantry. After receiving his Honorable Discharge he earned his MFA in Sculpture from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Currently Gregg is the curator for The Melvin Gallery at Florida Southern College and teaches as an adjunct professor in sculpture at FSC as well. Artist Statement "In the past, I have mixed hand forged steel with ceramics to make both figurative and abstract works. Currently I have been working with cement and steel to construct his sculptures. As an artist, I draw inspiration from Western and Eastern Religions to try to understand human nature in its’ history, possibilities and limitations. As a sculptor, my imagery is drawn from boats to ceramic vessels to the figure." <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Diana Lucas Leavengood Diana's MAGGIE DREAMS OF TRAVEL was recently honored with the 2005 Members’ Choice Award at the Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts (TGPA) Member Show. The same image earned an Honorable Mention from WIPI’s Beauty: Camera Eye of the Beholder in the Conceptual Category, Michael DePirro, Sr.V.P. of Deutsch, Inc, juror. Dr. Jennifer Hardin, Chief Curator of the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts selected TURNING 5 for an Honorable Mention for the 2004 TGPA Member show. Noted photographer Jack Breit selected SWAMP CHURCH for the 2005 juried Artists Unlimited Member Show (Tampa). William Zimmer, art critic of the New York Times, selected her piece SEE ROCK CITY for the 13th Annual All Florida Juried Competition in 2004. Her haunting B&W print entitled CAROLINA SLAVE GRAVE was selected for voice auction at last year’s Art for Life. A 1998 recipient of a Florida Individual Artist Grant and a Pinellas County Arts Council Grant, Diana was the Founding Executive Director of the LiveArts Peninsula Foundation. Under her tenure the unique theatre foundation achieved an amazing revival of WEBB’S CITY: THE MUSICAL as well as the ground breaking FLORIDIANS. The organization served to help spur interest in the economic revival of Midtown St. Petersburg when it commissioned THE MANHATTAN CASINO. Artists Statement "A flood and a bully made me who I am today. In ‘68 the basement of our house in Spring Valley, NY flooded out. Nearly all of my baby pictures were destroyed. Only 30 or so images remain of me under the age of 6. Years later my younger sister lost the majority of her baby photos when our older brother purposely threw them out days after our mother died. Keenly and deeply aware of the importance of documenting time & place, I photograph my own children incessantly so as to leave a beautiful paper trail for them after I am gone. The two dominant muses of my work, Tennessee & childhood, compliment each other. In rural Tennessee a child is free to roam & explore. Gone are the killers of youth: TV, junk food and speeding SUV’s. We have to climb over Northern Florida and all of Georgia to get there but it is always a worthwhile journey. <Diana's website> <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Mikal Chambers "These one of a kind art dolls began about 20 years ago as the result of a workshop with Sandra Webster. The first “sister” was called “moth”. From a pile of ugly things(reed, torn fabrics, jumbled threads) was born this lovely ‘spirit’ in the form of ‘woman’. Compared to the work I am now doing, she was more of a ‘girl’..younger and less aware of who she was. Each takes 1-2 weeks to complete. The idea of ‘wallflower” I suppose is a bit autobiographical. I was a ‘late bloomer’ I guess. I knew I was beautiful on the inside, but as with wallflowers, few others recognized it often enough to ask us to ‘dance’. In looking at the body of my work, in various media, the common thread seems to be ‘ the spirit of “woman”’." Artist Statement "Each ‘lady’ was ‘born’ entirely through her own efforts to BE. Sometimes it was the colors of the fabrics that dictated her look; often it was the the flower, or the symbolism associated with the flower, that initiated the process. Through it all, each dictated the results. I believe, with any art form, the artist has to listen to what wants to be expressed." <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Joanne Osborn A Vision of Life - Joanne was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1978. Her hometown inspired her to turn blank canvases into an array of color and form. In 1990, she had the chance to live in Europe and learn the history of the arts from a different perspective. In 1996, she moved to the US, where she pursued a career in marketing and a dream, or what the University calls a “minor”, in Fine Arts. During her lifetime, she has done extensive traveling in four of the world's continents, but realizes there is more out there to explore Artist Statement “My work interprets different anthropological and cultural views of the world. As a traveler, I capture the small details each culture has to offer and transform a blank canvas into a dance, a performance, a scene, a documentary or simply a memory from a different country. I am influenced by music and folklore, as well as political and social events. The colors used in my paintings reflect the passion and uniqueness portrayed by each culture, and the picturesque scenery surrounding everyday events.” “I take inspiration from the masters of Impressionism as well as Expressionism. Colors and brushstrokes play an important role for the creation of movement in the final works.” “My short-term goals are to learn more about art and the use of different mediums. I want to give something back to the community and teach children in need that art can make a difference in their lives”. <Joanne's website> <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Florida Dance Theatre Classic & Contemporary Dance Lakeland Florida Dance Theatre is nationally recognized innovative contemporary dance company. Based in Lakeland, this professional dance company has been serving the Polk County community for more than 12 years. FDT’s ensemble and repertoire demonstrates, and celebrates, the multi-cultural diversity of Central Florida. FDT is directed by Carol Krajacic Erkes, a member of the Florida Dance Association and the Polk Arts Alliance. <Florida Dance Theatre's website> <<back to event page

THE LEDGER Sports Photography Photography by all 10 Ledger photographers: Tony Ranze, Calvin Knight, Paul Johnson, Pierre DuCharme, Ernest Peters, Scott Wheeler, Michael Wilson, David Mills, Rick Runion and Cindy Skop. As Ledger photographers they get opportunities to photograph sports at all levels, from Little League to high school sports; from college games to professional sports, including the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup games, golf matches, etc. Sporting events offer opportunities to capture peak action and the emotional highs and lows of winning and losing for all the Ledger readers. <The Ledger's website> <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Tammy Rejimbal Tammy Rejimbal received her BA at Rollins College and MFA from Old Dominion University and Norfolk State, Norfolk, Virginia in drawing and printmaking. She is a Florida native who has spent a lifetime drawing and creating art to celebrate the beauty of her sub-tropical surroundings. Her images are a reflection of her home and places traveled. She is drawn to tropical surroundings that include palm trees, the ocean, and abstracted, imaginary landscapes. While creating personal paradises, Florida’s tropical colors and brilliant color schemes are suggested in her work, joyfully inviting the viewer into the image. Artist Statement My personal paradise series are images that include hearts mixed with scenes of paradises. Tropical nature and images of the ocean are my passion. This current body of work are simple images in which the subject matter focuses on colors and shapes intriguing to the viewer. This series emanates a passion and love of life with one another and our surroundings. Each piece shows a small version of many passions. They are inspired by the places I travel and the people that I meet, and sometimes even by a simple common phrase that expresses multiple meaning so the viewer can personalize its meaning. This particular series suggesting passionate living bring forth a softer side of me and sometimes very personal. The pastel medium is usually the genesis of an idea. These images are built layer upon layer of various colors in a circular motion. Blended not by the hand, but by the eye, these images create an array of fantastic colors. The layering effect results in highly vibrant pulsating colors. I try to create movement with the use of line to create a bit of movement around a picture plan. Once I recognize an image's strength, it may manifest into an acrylic painting often with color changes. <Tammy's website> <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Rick Sgrillo Rick is a metal sculptor. He lives in Lakeland. <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Don Stone Don is a self taught artist with no art training what-so-ever. He is a 12th generation New Englander. He has been influenced by family lore, a house full of books everywhere and the colors of Florida and Georgia where he has lived for the last forty years. Artist Statement "I like color. I like Humor. I like Positivity. If I can make you smile - make you laugh or bring you joy, you have gotten my message and I have done my job." <<back to event page

Catherine Bergmann "Although I was trained as a printmaker and continue to print small editions in drypoint, today my work is primarily in collage and assemblage. In my work, I am interested in creating a "third" presence by combining unlike objects and materials that in my mind, already possess some off-beat affinity. I tend to make things that are private and peculiar and in this way, obviously human. Along the same lines, I prefer my work to retain a handmade quality as this awkwardness or "imperfection" is central to my concept of beauty. Although I believe art is made complete by others' experience of it, I do hope some sense of vulnerability, humor and defiance is communicated in my pieces. I like to think of being an artist as a devotion of sorts. For me, making art is life-affirming and life-sustaining. I don't always like or recognize what I have created but that is the joy and the intrique that spurs me to continue on." <Dunedin Fine Art Center's website> <<back to event page

click on images to enlarge Camille McClellan - Fashion Camille has been a professional theatrical and dance costumer for the last twenty years. Her expertise in design and construction runs the gamut, from draping and pattern-drafting, to airbrush and specialty dye-work. In addition, Camille is one of only a few specialists in the country trained in the construction of European-style classical tutus. Camille is the sole proprietor of Costumes By Camille, and is currently the resident costume designer for Theatre Winter Haven. Camille also designs for Southeastern University, Orlando’s Repertory Theatre, Central Florida Community College, and the Imperial Symphony’s Opera Company. <<back to event page

Eddie Jackson - Sound Eddie "Smoke" Jackson was born in New Haven, CT; the only son of single mother with 4 children. Music kept him out of the danger prevalent in the projects where he lived.The influence of family members from the Carribean steered him toward the sound and message of reggae music and Rastafari. He's displayed his voice and talent in the Northeast first singing with the Holy Smoke band, then singing & deejaying with the Burn Dem Up Sound System (pics available at www.reggaephotos.com) and now in his new Central FL locale, he's making his presence known with his upcoming album release. <<back to event page

Erika Schmidt Erika lives in Lakeland. Erika is truly an interdisciplinary artist; a dancer, a printmaker, a mixed media artist, sculptor and musician. She is co-founder of Platform Florida, and director of Vital Spark Performance Art Group. The Vital Spark Ensemble has received both National and International acclaim. <Erika's website> <Vital Spark's website> <<back to event page

PREMIERE! A Film by: Van Cannon Kirby & Josh Kring Title: Rowboat Charles is a confident career man, indulgent father, loving husband. But his comfortable world has morphed into a blend of distorted reality and surreal dreams. Charles seems to be losing his grip on those things that make life worth living. He is slipping toward an apocalyptic event threatening all that is important, secure, fulfilling. <Barking Dog Film's website> <<back to event page

Seven Films from Florida State University Trip the Light Fantastic Director: Kathryn Conkowycz from Winter Haven Charm Director: Melissa Rossi Biograph Director: Benedict Kasulis Distance from the Sun Director: Eyad Zahra The Sky is Falling Director: Adam J. Kreps Moondance Director: Will Bigham Fields of Mudan Director: STEVO

 

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