
(In fact, Disney World is not in Orlando, but is in nearby Lake Buena Vista). Orlando, for most people, conjures up the image of theme parks, mainly Walt Disney World, but it has a lot more to offer than that. “It’s always good to meet other artists and see how they are interpreting current issues through their chosen mediums.Orlando is a large city located in Orange County, Florida. “This a very exciting exhibition that includes some pretty amazing artwork from local artists,” Bellamy said.

His two small sculptures, “Delusions,” a steel and cardboard creation, and an epoxy piece titled “Grandeur” round out his contributions to the exhibit. The other larger installation, titled “Organigram,” includes six steel sculptures and a larger central piece made of rubber, copper, and stainless steel, also displayed among blue poof balls. “Clones,” his installation of concrete sculptures, includes 86 concrete pieces holding sway amongst a bed of blue poof balls. “And the ones I didn’t know I researched and was impressed with the talent.”īellamy’s creative talent pulses in the featured works. “I had already been trying to get some of these artists in,” Green said in a press release. This exhibition excited her because it allowed her to do just that. Especially since they are taking a more critical look at their homes and might not like what they see on their walls.”īellamy had known and worked for a decade with Cabrera, who’d included some of Bellamy’s creations in homes he has worked on.Įven so, Kristy Lee Green, Mills Gallery’s artist-in-residence and education specialist, said the gallery strives to bring in more regional artists. They are all very special in their own right and after the year we had, I thought people would be ready to go out and see something different. In this show, seven from Central Florida, one from Tampa, and one from New Smyrna. The main reason Cabrera, who founded CL Studio in 1999, staged the event was “as a thank you to local artists because we have so many here. The exhibition, which closed on November 20, featured artists Krista Berman, Ben Van Beusekom, BOY KONG, DECOY, Brian Heeter, Michael Knapp, Charles Marklin, Beau Wild, and Bellamy. “With the number of talented artists working and exhibiting in Central Florida, it was an honor to have my piece chosen for the cover.” “Given the quality of the work included in the exhibition, I was very excited to have my work included in the article,” Bellamy said. His featured piece, “Clones,” a Stonehenge-y platoon of concrete sentries, graces the cover of the November/December issue of Orlando Arts magazine ( the accompanying article about the exhibit begins on page 38). “The conception of the exhibition began nearly a year ago and it was a bit of a crunch to get everything completed in time.” “I am always excited to be asked to participate in an exhibition,” said Bellamy, chair of Beacon’s art department.Īn exciting experience, sure, but also “daunting as well as motivating,” he added. Cabrera to help the skittish embrace their inner art aficionado and support regional artists by mounting and sponsoring Visual Tension: Artspace 2021, an exhibition staged in November at Mills Gallery in Orlando.Īnd like Disney, Cabrera knows what he likes: that includes some 30 paintings and sculptures from eight artists - including two larger installations and a pair of smaller sculptures from Beacon College associate professor of art Russell Bellamy. It’s a sentiment that led Orlando interior designer José J. That sentiment often is internalized by art lovers who want to add beauty to their homes but are gunshy about their artistic acumen. Walt Disney, ever the creator, put his own spin on a familiar quote, once musing, “I don’t know if it’s art, but I know I like it.”


