Six Central Florida artists will each receive a studio space for one full year at the Maitland Art Center campus, a part of the Art & History Museums of Maitland.
The Artists-in-Action were chosen by a selection committee and announced on Facebook by the A&H, and includes Ericka Sobrack and Nicholas Kalemba, Victoria Walsh, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Jacoub Reyes, and Matthew Mosher.
Here is a look at the six artists, who come from a diverse range of backgrounds and artistic media.
Ericka Sobrack and Nicholas Kalemba are known for their large-scale acrylic and oil paintings, murals, and artistic depictions of domestic life. Sobrack’s art may be considered “suburban nightmares” according to her artist bio.
Kalemba’s work is about the “painfully humorous decay of our social institution,” according to his artist bio.
Victoria Walsh, also known as “Macrame Momma,” creates hand-knotted macrame apparel inspired by vintage fashion. Walsh is known for “fiber bombing” the community with tree wraps and colorful street art, and she hosts DIY workshops teaching others the art of macrame.
Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz is known for her visual exhibitions and performance art which incorporates self portrait transformations as a Latina woman and reinterpretations of personal trauma. Raimundi-Ortiz’s art “dissects cultural and social constructs designed to isolate, “herd,” and manage otherness,” according to her artist bio.
Jacoub Reyes is known for his elaborate and compelling woodblock prints and lithography that incorporates Christian, Islamic, and Taíno symbols. His art uses cultural depictions to investigate his personal heritage and the history of its “social hierarchies, capitalism and other concepts entwined in contemporary culture today,” according to Reyes’ artist bio.
Matthew Mosher is known for linking the physical and digital worlds through his immersive “intermedia” art installations and experiential systems that incorporate computer programming with traditional sculptures. “Conceptually, my work examines current political issues, interpersonal relationships, and the role of technology in each,” Mosher wrote in his artist statement.
The executive director of the A&H, Mark Harmon, said “We are excited to continue the legacy of Jules Andre Smith with this event,” which is to live and create art inside of an immersive, residential art campus.
The Artist-in-Action program will provide all six artists the space to grow and create. “It’s a great use of time to explore their art, explore new knowledge, and further their talents uniquely during this event,” said Harmon.
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This article appears in Best of Orlando® 2019.