Art Teachers Display Work at Exhibition

The Visual Arts teachers recently exhibited their artwork in partnership with ArtSouth in the Village of Palmetto Bay at the lovely Perrine Community House. They are grateful to all who joined them that evening. It was a fabulous night!

Cuban-born artist Alexander Porto holds a bachelor’s degree in art from Santiago de Cuba University. Since
immigrating to the USA in 2004, he is actively engaged with organizations like the Portrait Society of America and FACE, collaborating with Editorial Portavoz to illustrate books. Porto is deeply committed to capturing the essence of humanity in his artwork, transcending boundaries of age, gender, and social standing. His portraits, described as Emotional Realism, not only depict individuals but also serve as powerful reflections of societies, incorporating the study of psychology to delve into the root of emotions.

Barbara Rivera, a Puerto Rican-born painter, specializes in portraiture. She moved to Miami in 1987, earned her BFA in painting and graphic design from the University of Miami, and later obtained her MFA from Florida
International University, focusing on painting. Rivera's small-scale paintings offer fresh perspectives on female identity and its social connections, drawing inspiration from the eighteenth-century tradition of decorative, fancy pictures. This tradition persisted into the early Victorian era, notably in the more refined form of illustrations featuring charming young women.

Sandi Wood is a native Floridian who received a BFA in Painting from the University of Florida and a master’s in
art education from Florida International University. She enjoys both portraiture and landscape painting and
recently found a fun way to combine the two with her series of cow portraits. Loose, washy layers of paint create a dreamlike environment for the more realistically rendered cows, who serve as symbols of the peace and calm that is still possible once one escapes the more densely populated areas of Florida.