Universally known as the Sunshine State, the ethereal tropical beauty of Florida has forever been a glorious inspiration for area artists. Now, Brooksville Gallery 201 Coordinator, Pedram Moghaddam, announces Brooksville Gallery 201’s exhibit “Florida Native: Paying Homage to Our Roots.” This will be a showcase of the nature-made radiance that defines not only flora and fauna of the Sunshine State but the people and places as well. Brooksville Gallery 201 is located at 201 Howell Ave., Brooksville.
This exhibit is set to feature mastered techniques; sculptures, ceramics, glass, 3-D, and digital art – with all works named in honor of their natural inspirations. “This exhibit will feature Native peoples, plants, and anything Floridian,” said Pedram Moghaddam.
Indeed, this exhibit will serve as a showcase and celebration of all things Floridian–including works of living, photographed, drawn, and painted art that captures the true essence of this state and its natural surroundings. “We will have a flower show in conjunction with the Brooksville Garden Club and a sculpture in cedar,” said Moghaddam. “We’ll have a painting of a Florida native panther and much more.”
From fern prints to paintings of Florida florals, the elements of this exhibit will come together to form a vivid portrait of Florida life and living, one highly personal to its curator. “I’m a gardener. I get so many ideas from my own garden,” said Moghaddam. “We live in a natural environment here in Florida that is so inspirational for artists. I especially love Florida native birds and plants, such as blue herring, passion flowers, ferns, lemon grass and cranberry hibiscus, avocados, and honeysuckle.”
For this exhibit, Moghaddam also is interested in works that depict the lives of native peoples and the earth that they tend as well as representations of Florida Native American art and storytelling. Moghaddam shared, “Now more than ever, I’d love to see us come together as a community to preserve our environment and our history.”
One featured Florida Native artist will be Kathy Schemmel of Hernando County, whose painting of sandhill cranes will be showcased in the exhibit. “We moved here from Michigan a few years ago. We did see Sandhill Cranes there, but never in my own yard!” Schemmel explained. “I took several pictures of the Crane family as they walked by and then combined and painted them. We have a Little Blue Heron that is visiting us lately. Maybe I can get a good photo of him.”
Schemmel finds herself endlessly inspired by the wonders of the Florida environment and is also a co-coordinator with the Brooksville Garden Club of the Florida Native flower show.
“Florida is inspiring. So many beautiful tropical flowers and birds! So many painting opportunities!” she said. “The Florida Natives show was chosen to reflect things not only like early settlers, Seminoles, and animals but could be taken to mean Florida Native plants too. This is how the Brooksville Garden Club is partnering with the Gallery. We will be exhibiting floral designs on the evening of the art reception for Florida Natives. The flower show will be non-juried but will give club members a chance to share their art, and it will also be free to the public.”
The reception for the Florida Native exhibit will be on Friday, April 7, at the Brooksville Gallery 201 located at Brooksville City Hall, 201 Howell Ave., Brooksville. The reception will be from 6-8 pm with music and refreshment and is open to the public.
For more information, contact the Brooksville Gallery 201 at 352-540-3811.
