Where Art Takes Center Stage: Spotlight on Red Dot Miami

John Denis – Booth 716

Chicago, IL

https://www.johnjosephdenis.com/

John Denis is a contemporary artist who has over the last two decades developed a signature medium using glass and acrylic. Denis’s art opens the boundaries of glass as sculpture.  He introduces an esthetic that bridges abstract, architectural and natural form. The work presents a modern sensibility to texture, light and composition.

Nguyen Thanh Gallery – Booth 703

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

http://www.nguyenthanhartist.com

For twenty-five years, Nguyen Thanh has explored the philosophy of peace through painting. Each work is a chapter in his journey, capturing calm within movement and finding serenity amid chaos. Through abstraction, he transforms tension into softness and noise into quiet strength. For Thanh, art is a guide to inner peace, inviting viewers to pause, breathe, and be renewed.

OSJ Art Factory – Booth 416

Gyeonggi-Do, Korea

https://www.osjartfactory.com/

OSJ Art Factory is dedicated to discovering and nurturing artists, curating engaging exhibitions, and offering educational programs to enrich the cultural and artistic community. The gallery supports artists by participating in both domestic and international art fairs, presenting a diverse range of art, and collaborating closely with creators to help them advance in the art world.

Scarcity Hub – Booth 712

Chester Springs, Pensylvania

https://scarcityhub.com/

Featuring Elena Salova, a Ukrainian-born, Spain-based artist, blends classical and monumental art with a contemporary, introspective sensibility. Her work explores the subconscious—human emotion, intuition, and spiritual experience—transforming psychological depth into visual poetry that balances light and shadow, form, and feeling.

Art Business News: Introduce yourself — who are you, what is your vision?

Jason Perez: I’m a Miami-based art broker, dealer, curator, artist, DJ, entrepreneur. Working with artists, I value the relationships I build with fellow artists, collectors, and the community. Being a friend to those I work with is essential to creating a supportive and collaborative environment where creativity can thrive.

ABN: What is your background and how it fits with your art?

JP: My journey into the art world is deeply personal. I was born into the legacy of my father, Michael Perez, a renowned pop artist who established several galleries in New York. His influence was profound, and after moving to Miami, we opened Gallery 212 in Wynwood. Unfortunately, during the final year of our lease, my father suffered a stroke, which left me to navigate the challenges of continuing his work. With only $500 to my name, I took it upon myself to learn the intricacies of the art business. Over the next five years, through relentless dedication and hard work, I founded Jason Perez Art Collective. Today, we represent over 40 artists and collaborate with multiple galleries and venues across Miami, hosting numerous art events throughout the year. This background has profoundly shaped the gallery’s mission. My personal experiences have instilled a deep understanding of the challenges artists face, fueling my commitment to providing a platform that supports and elevates their work. The gallery’s history is intertwined with my own, and together, we strive to honor my father’s legacy by fostering a vibrant and inclusive art community in Miami.

ABN: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

JP: I believe my role extends beyond selecting and displaying artwork; it’s about creating meaningful connections between artists, audiences, and ideas. My philosophy centers on authentic storytelling, inclusivity, and collaboration. I strive to curate exhibitions that not only showcase art but also foster dialogue and community engagement. By prioritizing these values, I aim to create spaces where art becomes a catalyst for connection and understanding.

ABN: What artist(s) inspire you?

JP: The artists who inspire me most are Keith Haring, Salvador Dali, and my father, Michael Perez. I’m inspired by Haring’s bold, socially conscious energy and Dali’s limitless Imagination, while my father’s work as a pop artist taught me the importance of vision, discipline, and creating art that resonates with people. Together, their influence shapes how I approach creativity, storytelling, and expression in my own work.

ABN: What is the best advice you’ve received?

JP: The best advice l ever received is to work hard and then work even harder. It’s a simple reminder that real growth happens when you push past your comfort zone and give just a little more than what’s expected. That mindset has helped me stay focused, resilient, and continuously improve in everything I do.

ABN: When you are not working, where can we find you?

JP: Outside of work, I love exploring Miami on my bike, finding inspiration in nature, creating art and music, and building meaningful connections through networking and shared experiences.

ABN: Tell us about participating in Spectrum Miami 2025 — why is it important and what it means to you?

JP: I have high expectations for this year’s Spectrum Miami / Red Dot 2025. I anticipate it to be the biggest show yet, drawing a substantial turnout of art lovers and collectors. My hope is to add another award to my wall, and I’m excited about the opportunity to showcase my artists in such a dynamic and prestigious event.

We were intrigued with the story behind JDR Atelier when we first met them at Spectrum Miami 2023. Basically, three artists coming together to find synergy and strength in building a business together. We thought it was a story our readers would love to read and use it to inspire their own opportunities.

Art Business News: Give us an overview. Tell us about JDR Atelier, how it started, and your vision.

JDR Atelier: Having first met at an Art Fair in March 2022, Jessica de Vreeze, Daniel Marin, and Romi Myers quickly bonded over shared experiences as Miami-based artists. With diverse backgrounds and a mutual passion for growth and success in the art world, they forged a strong connection. By Spring 2023, a casual reunion evolved into an inspiring brainstorming session, sparking the idea of creating a collaborative artist collective. Drawing from each of their unique strengths and perspectives, they envisioned a shared platform to support and elevate not only each others’ creative journeys, but also the potential creative journey of other local talent. In December 2023, their vision became a reality as JDR Atelier made its highly anticipated debut at Spectrum Miami.

JDR Atelier is guided by three core principles: fueling creativity with passion, sharing life experience and representation through art, and pushing visual boundaries through innovation.

ABN: Your Collective focuses on three artists. Tell us a little about each of them and how the Collective benefits each of them. 

JDR: As a Miami-based collective, JDR Atelier is deeply committed to nurturing the city’s creative ecosystem. Having received positive feedback and community support since their debut in 2023, the co-founders invited Andre Salas to join the Collective roster for the first time this year. The co-founders’ strengths lie behind each of their skillsets acquired over the years. Jessica is a former attorney, Daniel is a public relations guru, and Romi’s expertise focuses on strategic brand positioning and tech innovation. “We utilize on our former strengths in order to help our Collective grow at a healthy and sustainable pace that works for all of us, while giving local Miami talent a voice for representation. Our goal is to create opportunities to share what it means to be from Miami – while engaging with the artwork itself, but also with amplifying the incredible talent that makes our city so incredibly unique”, says Romi Myers.

Andre Salas is a self-taught Miami-based artist whose practice is fueled by intuition and an irrepressible urge to create. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and of Mexican heritage, he draws inspiration from the rhythms of his daily life. Andre experiments with acrylics, pastels, and unconventional materials to produce works that balance the raw energy of neo-expressionism with the fluidity of abstraction. His bold use of color, texture, and composition reflects a deeply personal way of interpreting the world around him. As a fresh voice in the Miami art scene, Andre aims to spark meaningful dialogue and forge genuine connections with those who engage and collect his body of work.

Working under the conceptual moniker Department M, Daniel Marin creates paintings that merge pop culture, abstraction, street art, carpentry, and décollage into colorful, surreal snapshots in time. Drawing imagery from magazines, comic books, newspapers, and other media, Marin blends visual fragments to construct layered, multidimensional works. His process—combining silk-screening, freehand painting, hand-cut stenciling, and collage—reflects both patience and play, resulting in striking compositions that feel at once familiar and unexpected. A self-taught Cuban-American artist from Miami, Daniel has works in private collections across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. His pieces often reveal humor and tension beneath the surface, inviting viewers to unravel the stories hidden within.

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, with Japanese and Italian heritage, Romi Myers draws inspiration from the Superflat Movement, infusing her work with bold colors and striking, cartoon-like imagery. Her fascination with augmented reality, coupled with her advocacy for sustainability and environmental awareness, expands her practice into the delicate balance between physical and digital spaces. Guided by her synesthesia, she embeds hidden messages that invite viewers to look beyond the surface. Through this interplay of sensory experiences, Romi explores how art can manipulate perception, foster empathy, and spark connection—while her playful titles and tongue-in-cheek humor reveal the beauty and complexity of the human condition. As Romi’s collectors circle continues to rapidly grow both nationally and internationally, some of her work can be found at Wynwood Kollective, located in the world renowned Wynwood Art District in Miami, FL.

ABN: You’re coming back to Spectrum Miami — what’s new? What can collectors expect to see? 

JDR: First and foremost, as saddened as we were that Jessica was unable to participate this year, JDR Atelier is very excited to welcome Andre Salas into their roster! What collectors can expect is to experience art pieces that are engaging in unexpected ways, some of which bridge between physical and digital realms, including a secret virtual art gallery that can be visited from anywhere in the globe, giving those who may not be able to physically attend the event, an opportunity to see more available works for purchase. Access to the Secret Virtual Art Gallery will be made available not only during Spectrum Miami, but also accessible on JDR Atelier’s website from December 3 – 31, 2025.

ABN: What does exhibiting at Spectrum Miami 2025 with JDR Atelier mean to each of you?

JDR: More than just another Miami Art Week stop, Spectrum Miami is an opportunity for celebration of up and coming local talent, ensuring that emerging voices from Miami share the same stage as international headliners.

“It means a lot to me. It is the few days out of the year where emerging artists like me  get the chance to connect with people who are passionate and interested in art.” – Andre Salas

“Being given the opportunity to represent Miami at a global scale during one of the largest art weeks in the US, is a humbling experience. A decade ago, I used to be paid to fly out from Seattle to attend Spectrum Miami and Miami Art Week for design inspiration, but now I have a chance to inspire others instead. It is something I am beyond grateful for at every event.” – Romi Myers

“Unlike the rest of the year when we’re launching pop-up shows and trying to get people to come out to see our newest works, Miami Art Week is the one time a year where the masses seek out art and artists alike to get inspired. Spectrum Miami is one of those stand-out fairs where attendees know they can connect with both local and international talent and discover the undiscovered for themselves.” – Daniel Marin

About JDR Atelier

Having first met at Superfine Miami in March 2022, Jessica de Vreeze, Daniel Marin, and Romi Myers quickly bonded over their shared experiences as Miami-based artists. With diverse backgrounds and a mutual passion for growth and success in the art world, they forged a strong connection. By spring 2023, a casual reunion evolved into an inspiring brainstorming session, sparking the idea of a collaborative artist collective. Drawing on their unique talents and perspectives, they envisioned a shared platform to support and elevate one another’s creative journeys.

In December 2023, their vision became reality as JDR Atelier made its highly anticipated debut at Spectrum Miami. This marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the art world—one destined to leave a lasting impression. As the saying goes, the rest is art history.

Connect with them:

Email: hello@jdratelier.com

Follow: @JDR_Atelier

In a recent conversation with Rami and Karyn Rotkopf, founders and owners of Blue Gallery in Delray Beach, Florida, we were reminded of the captivating minimalist landscapes created by Sveta Esser. Her innovative style, known as Pixelism, has become highly collectible and will be featured in Blue Gallery’s 20th Anniversary Celebration coming March 2026.

Read on to discover more about Esser and her remarkable work.

ABN: Introduce yourself — who you are and what your vision as an artist is?

Sveta Esser: I was born in Ukraine in 1975 and studied art at the Yekaterinburg College of Art, located in a picturesque mountain region known for its natural beauty. After my initial degree in Russia, I did a student exchange program in Europe, where I pursued my second art degree.
In 1996, at the age of 20, I moved to Israel with my husband, Alex Pauker, who is also an artist.
Alongside my formal training, I gained professional experience working as an illustrator and as a creative consultant for a publishing house in an artists’ village near Haifa. During this time, I explored a variety of painting techniques and quickly discovered a passion for the rich, textural quality of palette knife painting. I drew inspiration from the stunning landscapes and rural scenes of Israel and Tuscany, which continue to influence my work today.

ABN: What is your background?

SE: As an artist in today’s world, I work in a unique technique that I call Pixelism. My artwork immediately captivates the viewer with vibrant colors and a truly original approach to composition. The core of my method is that each painting consists of numerous squares and pixels, and each one of them possesses its own unique shade, collectively creating a stunning visual effect.
My technique is not just a style. For me, Pixelism is a metaphor for life and integration: every single pixel is important and unique, but only together do they form a complete, harmonious picture. This is a principle I carry over into my social work as well.

I believe my creations exemplify innovative thinking that is highly relevant in the modern artistic context. For me, art is not an escape from reality, but a way to transform it. I use my brush and palette knife to build bridges—between cultures, between ideas, and between people. This commitment allows me to be one of the prominent figures in today’s art world.

ABN: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

SE: My goal is not simply to create a beautiful object, but to provoke a dialogue. I want my work to generate an emotional resonance and make the viewer reflect on how we perceive the world—both from a distance and up close.

Upon closer inspection, viewers can uncover hidden details that only become fully visible from a certain distance away from the canvas. This interactive approach to art fosters a unique connection between the viewer and the artwork.

ABN: What artist(s) inspire you?

SE: In my creative process, I skillfully blend several major influences. I draw inspiration from Surrealism, paying homage to masters like Salvador Dalí, as well as from abstraction in the spirit of Gerhard Richter. Furthermore, my pieces clearly reflect the influence of Pop Art, famously represented by Andy Warhol, mirroring contemporary society and its perception of art.

ABN: What is the best advice you’ve received?

SE: Stay true to what draws you to create — your instincts, your obsessions, your style. Trends change fast, but your voice is what lasts. Show up. Even if it’s a bad day in the studio. Creativity builds with momentum, not waiting for inspiration to strike. Art is personal, but the journey doesn’t need to be lonely. Surround yourself with other artists — for feedback, support. Be generous in return.

ABN: When you are not working, where can we find you?

SE: My husband and I currently live in Oranienburg, a suburb of Berlin, Germany. In our art studio, we launched an initiative in collaboration with the City of Oranienburg called “Welcome to Oranienburg.” Through this program, we host joint art classes for children from Ukraine and Germany. Together, we create artwork in a shared, supportive space. It’s a delicate and meaningful endeavor — our goal is to help restore a piece of the childhood that some of these children have lost, easing their arrival and offering support as they navigate a range of challenges. Since April 2025, I serve as the chairwoman of the board.

ABN: Any plans for 2026? Where will your creativity take you?

SE: My husband, Alex Pauker and I will participate in a Group Exhibition in the USA. It will be the 20 year Anniversary Exhibition of Blue Gallery in in Delray Beach, Florida (March 21-22, 2026).

About Blue Gallery

Mixing sophisticated flare with contemporary art, Blue Gallery features original collections of internationally-acclaimed artists painting landscapes, abstracts, semi-realistic, realistic and figurative styles. Founder/owner, Rami Rotkopf, grew up in the family art business in Tel Aviv, Israel. Extremely familiar and immersed with the kind of adrenaline buzz that is so typical of the atmosphere present in the art industry, Rotkopf adeptly infuses this energy into his Blue Gallery. He reflects a lifetime of gallery experience and exposure to art and is committed to discovering and exposing the work of extremely talented artists. He combines his knowledge and vision, with his passion for the arts, and represents some of the most well-defined and celebrated contemporary artists of today.

 

Learn More about Sveta Esser https://www.bluefineart.com/artist/sveta-esser

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluefineart/

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17976933421256356/

Contemporary landscape artist Roberto Ugalde possesses what can only be described as an alchemical gift—the ability to transform simple observations of nature into explosive symphonies of light and color. Born in Rio Blanco (White River), a small village nestled in the Sierra Madre mountain range of Queretaro, Mexico, Ugalde’s artistic vision was shaped by the panoramic vistas, flowing rivers, and abundant wildlife surrounding his childhood home.

“Every time I look around me, I see this beautiful world full of colors and forms, and my first impulse is to transform my vision and emotions in a way that connects and reconnects people to Nature,” Ugalde reflects. This profound connection to the natural world manifests most powerfully in his signature subject: aspen trees and the ethereal dance of light through their leaves and trunks.

A friend once captured the essence of Ugalde’s mastery by invoking the words of poet Mary Oliver: “Roberto has the most gifted way of capturing the trees as they turn their own bodies into pillars of light. At times, it blows my mind, because the way the light filters into his art. . . it’s like I’m standing in a photograph of an aspen grove.”

Fusion of Classical Training and Revolutionary Technique

Ugalde’s artistic foundation was built through classical training at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA) in Queretaro, Mexico, where he mastered old masters’ techniques. However, his artistic evolution has taken a dramatically innovative turn, incorporating what he describes as “the Jackson Pollock technique of dropping, throwing, and applying industrial oil-based paint with a palette knife on a horizontal position over a wood panel on top of a spinning table.”

This unique approach allows Ugalde to create what critics describe as paintings that “explode like the Big Bang, some from the center out, some in dense grids of trees.” Once the initial paint application is dry, he meticulously touches up colors and features, breathing life and luminosity into each piece. The result is artwork that opens dimensions previously unexperienced, inviting viewers into immersive natural worlds that pulse with organic energy.

From Mexico to the American Southwest

Ugalde’s journey from the Sierra Madre mountains to becoming a celebrated landscape artist in the American Southwest represents more than geographic migration—it’s an artistic pilgrimage that has expanded his palette of inspiration. His extensive catalog at Sorrel Sky Gallery showcases this evolution, featuring works that capture the dramatic landscapes of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas with the same reverence he once reserved for his native Mexican mountains.

From the iconic “Maroon Bells Splendor” series to intimate studies like “Cherry Blossoms” and “Cardinal Beauty,” Ugalde’s work demonstrates a remarkable range while maintaining his signature ability to capture the soul of each landscape. His paintings of Wilson Peak, Telluride, and the Pedernales River reveal an artist who doesn’t simply document scenery but rather channels the essential spirit of place through color and light.

A Democratic Approach to Beauty

What sets Ugalde apart in the contemporary landscape art world is his democratic vision of natural beauty. Whether painting the grandeur of Colorado’s Maroon Bells or the subtle charm of Texas wildflowers, he approaches each subject with equal reverence and technical mastery. His works range from intimate 16″ x 12″ studies to commanding 48″ x 48″ statements, yet each carries the same emotional weight and visual impact.

As an artist who “expresses the essence of his subjects in a way that draws the viewer into the painting.” Ugalde masters “the use of oils in an impressionistic manner, which breathes life into his landscapes.” This technical prowess, combined with his innovative application methods, creates paintings that seem to generate their own internal light source.

Finding Home at Sorrel Sky Gallery

Ugalde’s partnership with Sorrel Sky Gallery represents a natural convergence of artistic vision and gallery philosophy. The extensive collection of his works available through the gallery demonstrates not only his prolific output but also the strong collector demand for his distinctive style. From early works that established his reputation to his latest explorations of light and form, the gallery provides a comprehensive view of an artist at the height of his creative powers.

The gallery’s commitment to showcasing artists who push boundaries while maintaining deep connections to place and tradition aligns perfectly with Ugalde’s artistic mission. His ability to make viewers feel as though they are standing within his painted landscapes speaks to both technical mastery and spiritual connection with his subjects.

Roberto Ugalde’s artistic journey from the Sierra Madre mountains to the galleries of Santa Fe represents the evolution of an artist who has never lost sight of his fundamental mission: to reconnect people with the transformative power of nature through the alchemy of paint and light. In an age of digital distraction, his paintings serve as luminous reminders of the world’s enduring capacity to inspire wonder through simple observation and profound artistic interpretation.

Each Ugalde painting invites viewers to step out of their ordinary perception and into a world where trees become pillars of light, where every brushstroke carries the memory of mountain air, and where the boundary between observation and transcendence dissolves in brilliant cascades of color.

For more information about Roberto Ugalde:
https://sorrelsky.com/collections/roberto-ugalde
All images are courtesy of Roberto Ugalde for Sorrel Sky Gallery.

On an unseasonably warm spring afternoon in Portland, Maine, this April, the SPACE Gallery opened an exhibition titled Envision Resilience: Shifting Tides and Evolving Landscapes, which paired innovative student design strategies for adapting to a changing climate with the powerful artwork of seven Maine-based artists. This exhibition, the culmination of the fourth annual Envision Resilience Challenge, drew visitors into a discussion about climate change and community resilience through art.

Curated by esteemed local artist Brian Smith, whose work inspired by queer ecological theory has been exhibited across the U.S. and in Belgium, the SPACE Gallery multimedia exhibition created an immersive environment where designs using recycled plastic bags complemented digital renderings of floating architecture. Underwater paintings sat adjacent to storm surge projections, and virtual reality videos and seaweed sculptures alike drew people deeper into contemplation. Smith’s work aims to provide a more optimistic outlook on climate change, as explained in his curatorial vision: “When everything [regarding our changing climate] feels really dark and scary, we can acknowledge that that’s all very real, but that we’re also very resilient people and can figure it out.”

The featured artists’ work embodied this spirit of resilience and imagination.

• Portland-based interdisciplinary artist Benjamin Spalding created birds with wood, steel and acrylic, gouache, colored pencil and pastel, which brought movement and rhythm inspired by his Puerto Rican roots and nature.
• Internationally trained artist and educator Haley Nannig contributed her impressive silk work depicting historic fishing shacks washed away in the historic January 2024 storms, with layered paintings conveying the fluidity and beauty of the environment.
• Sculptor Ian Ellis provided sustainably crafted designs with natural and reclaimed elements, including steel, kelp and Irish moss to honor overlooked aspects of Maine’s ecology.
• Jordan Carey blended Bermudian craft and social critique through his expertise in fashion and kite-making, using bamboo, handmade paper and natural indigo dye for his unique creations.
• Lokotah Sanborn’s moving photomontages were influenced by his experience in community organizing for land return, cultural continuity and Indigenous sovereignty.
• Multi-media artist Michel Droge shared immersive, deep-sea–inspired paintings, drawings and film viewed through the lens of queer ecology to promote awareness and conservation of overlooked environmental areas.
• Posey (Pamela Moulton), a Franco-American multidisciplinary artist, collaborated with the community to transform salvaged fishing nets and plastic into playful, eco-mythic installations that highlight climate issues specific to Maine.

Since its first annual Challenge in 2020, Envision Resilience has been working to advance innovative planning and design in the face of climate change through student and community partnerships. By connecting current and future professionals working across disciplines, the organization creates opportunities for communities to reimagine climate challenges and inspire resilient solutions.

At its heart, Envision Resilience is a place-based, multi-university design studio and community engagement initiative, pairing student teams from participating universities with coastal communities for a semester spent researching and proposing creative ideas for challenges related to housing, stormwater management and coastal infrastructure, habitats, and ecology. But its programming also fosters innovative storytelling – harnessing art’s power to translate complex climate realities into emotionally accessible narratives. Over the past five years, Envision Resilience has bridged science, design, and art throughout communities on the front lines of climate change throughout the Northeast.

A few weeks prior to the installation at the SPACE Gallery, another exhibition unfolded at the Portland Public Library in February where visitors encountered student designs alongside the vibrant work of illustrator Lin Snow. Snow’s naturalist illustrations, with their vivid chromatic lens, provided visual reflections on ecosystem balance and climate impacts that complemented the technical innovation of the student design proposals. From living shorelines and green stormwater infrastructure to reimagined transportation systems in a low-carbon future, each design was developed through months of community engagement with Portland and South Portland residents.

Community participation is key to the challenge, not only in developing designs for the future but also in sharing and embracing that vision through a series of public exhibitions. This collaborative approach continued at the South Portland Public Library in March, where Pame Chévez Zendejas’s artwork punctuated the exhibition space. The visual artist’s work examines the natural world through compelling imagery that explores climate change impacts on ecosystems and communities. Her contributions offered striking visual reflections on resilience and adaptation, drawing parallels between student innovation and artistic interpretation.

From flood lines stenciled on sidewalks to murals that echo community voices, Envision Resilience has brought climate adaptation into public view, turning buildings and streetscapes into vivid calls for action. In October 2021, as part of their inaugural Envision Resilience Nantucket Challenge on Nantucket, the program unveiled the “Rising Above” light projection, which transformed the historic scallop shanty on Old North Wharf into a compelling story of rising seas and shifting shorelines. Owned by Nantucket native and environmental advocate Ginger Andrews, the shanty took on new life as a luminous symbol of the island’s delicate balance between preservation, adaptation, and inevitable change.

Running on a five-minute loop, a light projection of waves traced historic tides and projected future water levels created by Scenic and Projection Designer Michael Clark, reminding passersby that climate change is already at our door. For Andrews, a fifth-generation scalloper and steward of the island, the shanty became a metaphor for resilience. As she put it, “It’s knowing what you can save, what you can’t save, and getting out of the way when there’s something going down.” This breakthrough moment revealed art’s capacity to transform abstract threats into tangible, emotional experiences.

Building on this understanding of art’s power to conceptualize climate change, the 2022 Envision Resilience Narragansett Bay Challenge celebrated and supported the “The Seas Are Rising and So Are We,” a mural in Warren, Rhode Island developed by The Avenue Concept and the Town of Warren, which honors the endangered saltmarsh sparrow and the fragile habitat it calls home.

Painted by Boston artist Josie Morway, the symbols in the mural were drawn from local ecology and inspired by the first chapter of Elizabeth Rush’s Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore, which chronicles the loss of a beloved tupelo tree to encroaching seas. Echoed through Warren’s streets and beyond was her haunting question: “Who do we want to become as the climate changes us?” Envision Resilience worked with their partners to spread the word and purchased copies of Rush’s book, as well as invited the author, who biked over from Providence for the event, to be available for signing.

Warren’s climate adaptation projects underscore the town’s courage in confronting hard decisions about retreat and resilience—where community advisor and then Director of Planning Bob Rulli was stewarding early phases of the first managed retreat plan for the town. The mural serves as a public gathering point for conversation and awareness, embodying the same principle that guided the Nantucket installation: making the invisible visible through art. It stands as a local reminder, connecting ecological grief with collective resolve.

Envision Resilience doubled down on their community-centered approach for the 2023 Envision Resilience New Bedford and Fairhaven Challenge in Massachusetts with a mural in New Bedford’s North End. Designed by University of Massachusetts Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts student Ethan Moyer and brought to life by local artist and organizer David Andrews, the mural captures a moment of quiet optimism: A young person gazing toward an uncertain future, framed by the neighborhood’s familiar buildings and waves flowing through their hair. The mural was chosen through a neighborhood vote and its unveiling that late summer afternoon on Acushnet Avenue became a celebration – a moment where art brought the community together to see their shared story reflected in color.

This project, born from a collaboration among Envision Resilience, New Bedford Creative, Love the Ave, MassDevelopment TDI and UMass Dartmouth, stands as a testament to the power of public art to unify diverse voices. It grounds climate adaptation in the lived experience, culture, and identity of place, which is a mission that began to take shape three years earlier on another New England coast.

From glowing light installations to colorful murals and thoughtful student designs, each project amplifies local history and perseverance. These stories build community resilience, not only in infrastructure and policy but also in how we understand ourselves and our relationship to a changing world. As Envision Resilience moves beyond 2025, its mission grows bolder and broader. The Portland and South Portland exhibitions this year illustrated a commitment to embedding climate adaptation into everyday life, making it a shared, visible endeavor that connects communities and their parallel climate challenges throughout the Northeast

Envision Resilience reveals art’s transformative power and reinforces the importance of collaboration, creativity and hope in imagining equitable and adaptive futures.

This Spring, multidisciplinary artist Evan Paul English curates a group exhibition Inner Excess at the combined contemporary art gallery and tattoo studio Distortion Society (Beacon, NY). English’s work explores the intersection of image-making, spirituality, the body, and the ways in which capitalist consumerism shapes our perceptions of all three. Each artist in this exhibition brings a unique perspective to these themes, reflecting personal ideologies that are often shaped by shared histories and environments. Together, their works form a dialogue that questions value, visibility, and the blurred boundaries between the material and metaphysical realms.

Gracelee Lawrence (she/they) investigates the fragmented, gendered nature of the body by merging their own form with edible plants through 3D scanning and software manipulation. Their sculptures explore the ecological and ethical complexities of bioplastics, offering a meditation on the intersections of technology, consumption, and corporeality.

Similarly engaging with historical and material narratives, Colleen Rae Smiley (she/her) presents a ceremonial apron inspired by the protest garments of Suffragettes. Her work highlights the significance of the table on which the Declaration of Sentiments was signed in 1848—also later used for séances—suggesting the convergence of activism, spirituality, and the enduring struggle for visibility and agency.

Jared Freschman (he/him) turns inward, illustrating in colored pencil a personal ritual of drawing tarot cards upon waking. The recurring presence of The Empress—a symbol of divine femininity, creativity, and sensory awareness—evokes a spiritual practice rooted in self-discovery and intuitive connection.

Kat Ryals (she/her) interrogates notions of luxury, craft, and mass production by blending the aesthetics of 18th-century European Savonnerie rugs with modern banquet carpets. Her hand-built collages, later printed onto velvet rugs using consumer-level technology, lure viewers with opulent imagery only to reveal compositions of discarded, artificial, and dead materials. This juxtaposition challenges our perceptions of value, questioning the seductive yet deceptive nature of commercial aesthetics.

Sam Reeder (he/him) harnesses the allure of neon to explore digital communication and sexual desire. His neon sculptures expose the tension between visibility and secrecy, using the medium’s provocative presence to bring private longing into public space, forcing a confrontation with what is often hidden from view.

Emma Jackson (she/her) employs painting as a portal to an alternate realm accessed through transcendental meditation. Communicating with a non-human entity, she translates their world into visual form, depicting an alien history marked by cultural and environmental crises that eerily mirror our own. Her work serves as both a warning and an invitation to reflect on our collective trajectory.

Together, these artists engage with the intersections of embodiment, ritual, materiality, and desire, revealing the ways in which personal and collective histories shape our understanding of self and society. Through their varied practices, Inner Excess challenges the boundaries between the physical and the spiritual, the artificial and the organic, the hidden and the seen — asking us to reconsider what we consume, what we value, and what we choose to reveal.

To gain more understanding of the exhibition, the author and Distortion Society Gallery Director interviewed curator Evan Paul English on April 8 this year. Here is an edited version of their discussion.

MS:  Can you tell us a little about yourself and your artistic practices?

EPE: Yes! I’m a tattooer and a painter. I explore themes of domesticity, growing up queer in America is what I always put in my artist statement. As a tattooer, I use a lot of imagery found in vintage textiles, and I translate them into tattoos, which I view as an act of reclamation.

Having grown up in Idaho surrounded by these types of domestic art forms, I’m kind of reusing them in different ways, whether it’s through my gallery work, creating paintings inspired by those same patterns, or making tattoos from the same source imagery. I’m very invested in themes of Americana and what that looks like when you manipulate it and rewrite the narrative around what those images represent.

MS: You know I’m a huge fan of your work, thanks for sharing. In the curatorial statement for Inner Excess, you mention that your work, and the work in this show, explores the intersection of image-making, spirituality, the body, and the ways capitalist consumerism shape our perceptions of all three. Can you speak a little about how that plays out in your own work, and why you chose the work that you did for this show?

EPE: Yeah, so as I said, I think tattooing can be a form of reclamation; getting a tattoo can be an act of transformation and a form of reclaiming your own body. So, that to me is a very spiritual act. I think art making in general is very spiritual; making art feels like a form of spellcasting.

You’re creating something new that you’ve never seen before that you want to put out into the world. And it sort of has this ripple effect through your community and potentially even larger than that. So, my art practice is very personal and it’s a way of creating a story about myself that I’m in control of. It’s like tattooing and seeing how my body has changed through getting tattoos and liking the way I look – feeling strong in my body. It’s in essence the same process through painting.

MS: I love that! One of the most compelling aspects of this show is the varied materials and processes each artist presents: we have a 3D printed mobile, a 7 foot figurative neon wall sculpture, a suffragette-era textile banner, an 18th-century inspired rug, a transcendental painting and two vibrant color pencil drawings. There is palpable tension between themes – physical vs spiritual, artificial vs organic – and how the materials exist near one another – hand-drawn vs mechanical, soft textiles vs neon light. Can you speak a bit about this?

EPE: I was interested in the different artists work because they were so varied, but they had a similar thematic undertone. I feel like they all work with these concepts of spirituality in the body and are working in these sorts of consumer level art mediums like colored pencil, for example, or these 3D printed plastic pieces. Neon is something that we interact with on a daily basis, just in a different context. So, in relationship to consumerism, that was how I selected the works for the show.

There’s also an inwardness to all of these – they all have a tenderness and a reflectiveness. That appealed to me, or I guess I resonated with me and my own practice. So, whether they’re illustrated bodies or a spiritual practice like tarot card reading or like in Colleen’s work, the ceremonial apron that has an image of a table where seances were performed, there’s different spiritual elements in each of them. I think even neon could relate to spirituality, like light as a medium. And when I think of light as a medium, I think of stained glass in a church or the presence of light, of color. Light is just very alluring and provocative.

There’s tension between the works and different things being explored, but they’re all very colorful and they’re all really fun, too, which I think ties back into this idea of consumerism, right? Like, why are we attracted to certain things? Is it the materiality? Is it the colors? What about something makes us want to have it and feel like we need to have it? So that was something I’ve been thinking about.

And then the title of the show, which I wanted to touch on, is Inner Excess. I think we all, as Americans especially, consume a lot of information every day through our phones. Everywhere we look, there’s an advertisement. And as a result, I feel like that excess excessiveness on the exterior, on the outward, we consume it, and it kind of becomes our inner worlds, and it changes the way we think about ourselves and things. We’re downloading all this information and then we’re making art, you know, as artists, and it’s like, what do we choose to make and why? And how has the consumerism outside of us shaped the way we think about ourselves and the art we make and what we want to do with our lives?

So, that was sort of the idea. And I think as queer people too, just to speak for myself, I don’t feel like a church is somewhere I can necessarily access my spirituality. The place that I do is when I’m alone or looking inward.

MS: I also access my spirituality by looking inward. This all really resonates with me! Do you find that after working on this show these themes have infiltrated your personal work in a new way?

EPE: Yeah, I’m interested in working in more mediums – seeing people who are very good at what they do is inspiring! Haha, but seriously I think it makes me recommitted to the themes that I’m interested in. When I was curating the show, I just felt so strongly about having each of these artists work here. And that’s a process of self-investigation too: why am I so drawn to this? What does that say about myself and where I’m at in my life right now?

MS: Ah, good point! What do you hope people take away from the show?

EPE: I hope that people have a little bit of pleasure from the show, a little bit of escapism. I think because the work is so colorful and vibrant and fun to look at, I hope that there’s joy. With art shows, it’s like a big party, you’re seeing a lot of your friends and sharing art and sharing passion with each other. I think that the importance of art right now is finding community and pals to share a little joy with.

Inner Excess will be on view at the combined contemporary art gallery and tattoo studio Distortion Society, 155 Main Street, Beacon, NY through June 8, 2025. The gallery is in the front and is free and open to the public.

www.distortionsociety.com | www.instagram.com/distortion_society

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