Another year has gone by, and did it fly by so fast! We look back with a big smile and warmth in our hearts because of all the precious moments we have shared together. We closed out the year strong with a celebration of art in our final exhibition held on the 9th of December. Beautiful artwork, wonderful artists, much positivity, and good vibes were the order of the day.
We would like to extend our congratulations once again to the winners during the show. Special mention goes to Heather Davidson who won the audience prize, a Conception Arts goodie bag. Sondra Mullenax who won the Award for Excellence and $250 artist grant, and a standing ovation for Nivia Bejarano who is the first artist to ever scoop the Rising Star Award, Audience Award, and Art Biz Bootcamp Scholarship. Wow, what a night full of surprises!
Artist: Sondra Mullenax
Prize: Award for Excellence and $250 artist grant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sondramullenaxartist/
These works are a part of an ongoing series, Portraiture, and Landscapes. They are individual snapshots that have been shaped by smelling the smells, tasting the tastes, hearing the sounds, feeling the textures and seeing the sights the world has to offer.
Found materials are what drive the compositions. After a long walk, it is not unheard of for me to have pockets full of detritus I have picked up because the texture or color speaks to me. It happens so often that my husband and close friends even point out objects that I may have missed. I remember where and when I pocketed each rusty bolt or piece of chalky-mint sea glass – even if it fulfills its new destiny many years later.
Some pieces are worked on over a long period of time and others are completed in one sitting. The work develops as I put single parts together making something new, then those pieces join others to become the finished piece. As the parts come together, the story becomes clear, with the overarching theme of the series being the joining of foreign and discordant objects to create a unified whole. Handmade pieces are also added to give context while colours and finishes such as Thai taxi pink and metal leaf, seen so often in temples and places of worship, are recurring components in the works.
Artist: Nivia Bejarano
Prizes: Rising Star Award, Audience Award and Art Biz Bootcamp Scholarship
Website: https://www.wildhippie1111.com/
Nivia Bejarano 40 yr old Fort Lauderdale local, self taught artist well known for her larger than life personality and live painting at many local events. Her Colombian-Lebanese background has influenced her work to also be showcased at various locations including the Circa Hotel (Hollywood, FL), the Hidden Garden (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Gingers (Fort Lauderdale) Hair Circus (Fort Lauderdale)Berlin Bar (Las Vegas, NV) Art Basel 2020 & recently 2021 at the Red Dot art Exhibition and the Westfield Mall (Fort Lauderdale, FL) you can also find her work At Conrad west Gallery (Las Vegas) and on Artsy.
Nivia’s involvement in the art community has allowed her to also do a multitude of charity events all over Broward County including many to help underprivileged children. The events teach and help children to express themselves through art in a more constructive manner to help cope in a positive and fun environment.
A huge shout out to each and every artist who exhibited with Conception Arts. Thank you for showcasing your amazing artwork and sharing your talent with the world. Each show is even more exciting because of your amazing talents!
Of course, the show would not be complete without our raving fans and each and every one of your supporters who took the time to dial in, vote, and support the artists. So thank you, and we hope to see you all again in 2022. Happy Holidays!
The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of.
Leonardo da Vinci
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Author & Editor: Mildred Mugauri
