Florida Museum for Women Artists

©Jan Tomlinson Master, St. Augustine, FL, "Caught in the Corner" 

Having been accepted into the Second Annual Juried Show, I had to drop off my work to the FMWA last weekend, and my daughter came along for the ride. After exploring the gift shop, we took a look around at their current exhibit: Witness to Creativity II, installation art.

My daughter was quite taken with the fact that she could walk around, and sometimes even in between, the art. She's used to 2D work in museums and she really had a good time looking at these very cool pieces. Emilie is interested in making her own videos, and she said that Caught in the Corner gave her some ideas for a future video.

Inspiration is a wonderful thing.

©Nathalie Chikhi, Sanford, FL "intrinsic" 2011

Intrinsic was my favorite piece. I just loved the way the spiny balls cast spiny shadows on the floor. I wondered what they would be like suspended... I could not walk between them like Emilie could in Caught in the Corner but they still drew me in. I love the hot pink centers, they stirred imagery of sea urchin for me. 

We had a great time at the museum, it was nice to share an artistic experience with my daughter.

The Second Annual Juried Exhibit opens September 10th, Membership preview and reception is Friday September 9, 5:00-7:00pm. I hope you will come down and say hello and share a slice of blueberry pie with me!

©St.Hilaire Nelson, "Blueberry Bliss" 24x24 / collage on panel

Florida Museum for Women Artists

Martha's amazing work with wood "City of Angels"

Princess and The Pea...

5,000 Sq. Ft. of amazing exhibit space

My girls!

Abbe comes out from behind the camera

I visited the FMWA over the weekend, attending their opening of the first annual juried show. They had 1200 pieces of art submitted for this show and they narrowed it down to just 40. Kudos to all who were accepted!

Martha Lent works with wood and power tools, I have three of her pieces in my own art collection. I was proud to see her work City of Angels featured so prominently and well lit.

My favorite piece was a clay sculpture by Barbara Balzer of Tallahassee called "Princess and the Pea, Sometimes Power Knows Sensitivity" simply amazing, the colors, the concept, bravo!

The best part about the evening was running into Martha & Larry and my photographer friend Abbe Eshack Arenson as well as spending time with my artsy mother-in-law, Pam and Talie for a girls night out!

Florida Museum for Women Artists

Birds of a Feather, 15x15, 2008 ©Maggie Taylor


Over the weekend I went up to DeLand, FL to visit the Florida Museum for Women Artists, this wonderful museum is 7,000 square feet of newly remodeled space upstairs in the historic Fish Building. The mission of the museum is to promote women artists and to educate the public about women in the arts.

The current exhibition is a collection of work called "Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland by Maggie Taylor" it's open through May 2 and I'd highly recommend it.

Ms. Taylor has 45 inkjet prints on display, illustrating Lewis Carrol's famous literary work. The prints are composite images that usually begin with an original photographic portrait - often a daguerreotype or tintype from the mid-19th century. She then uses 21st century digital processes and Photoshop montage techniques to layer multiple images and create the final prints. All the pieces are quite surreal in that they are photographic, yet illustrative, real, yet not real.

I enjoyed the show and especially enjoyed the space. The staff was friendly and helpful and the gallery is beautiful. If you live nearby, you might check out this wonderful show before May 2!