The Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center kicks off 2020 with two new art exhibitions. The Grand Atrium will feature visual artist Frank Henriquez, a native of Cuba with a solo exhibition titled Archangels. On the second floor, showing in the Capital Gallery is the mixed media works of Ehren Fritz Gerhard with his show titled Heat Stroke
The opening reception takes place during Art Walk on Friday, Jan. 3 from 6 – 10 p.m. at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, located at 2301 First St. in downtown Fort Myers.
Many artists have been influenced by street art methods and techniques and are utilizing less conventional mediums for their creations. Frank Henriquez’s exciting and provocative exhibition, Archangels, takes us for a stroll down an alley where urban expressionism and traditional painting meet. His use of unconventional materials such as stencil cutouts with spray paint on recycled materials like glass, windows, doors, and plywood is an ode to urban street art. Henriquez immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba at the age of 20 where he embarked on a journey of artistic expression and self-discovery. He was fascinated by the visual arts from a very early age and it was in Cuba where he began his formal training. After moving to the United States he discovered that his interests would serve him well in the tattoo industry and he began serious training as a tattoo artist, where he utilized his artistic skills to create permanent works of art on his clients. Simultaneously, he was working on his style and evolution as a visual artist and he used street art as an outlet with subjects like urbanization, homelessness, animal cruelty, and other social issues creating social consciousness and awareness in the community.
Gerhard completed his master of fine arts from Arizona State University in 2013. He is an adjunct professor of art at Florida Gulf Coast University and gallery director of the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers. Gerhard has created a series of mixed media oil and acrylic paintings bursting with tropical plants, fruit trees and edible landscaping for his show Heat Stroke. Over the past three years, Gerhard has been planting and landscaping his property to provide habitat for wildlife and food for his pantry. Gerhard depicts the natural world with an emotional range of colors, textures and mark-making. By placing emphasis on the expressive qualities of his medium, he guides the viewer into an immersive experience that overwhelms the visual senses.
Both shows will be on display through Jan. 31. For more info, visit www.sbdac.com or call 239-333-1933.
