Art Mundo Center for Creative Expression

The Art Mundo Center for Creative Expression, a not-for-profit community arts education organization, is located in Historic Downtown Ft. Pierce, FL. at the ArtBank, 111 Orange Ave. Co-founders Allie Comer, Sherry Horton, Ginny Piech Street and Deena Wynne began talking seriously about their dream in December 2007 and refined their ideas and goals at weekly meetings through the first part of 2008. Art Mundo incorporated in August 2008 and obtained its 501 (c) 3 status in January , 2009.. Its first educational event was a series of workshops, Discover the Artist Within, held in conjunction with the Backus Museum's annual Tribute to Backus exhibition this past March.

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The Community Painting completed during the two days of Discover the Artist Within workshops. Artist Anita Prentice encouraged everyone who attended to paint a little on this large canvas. All ages participated and their enthusiasm is evident in the inclusion of the frame!

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The original concept was for classes and workshops to be held at various venues around our community, while raising funds to find and secure a location. Then - thanks to the vision and generosity of Leo Henriguez, who developed The Renaissance Center and is the owner of the former SunTrust building, Art Mundo found its location on the bottom floor of the place now known as the ArtBank!

Soft exhibitions are planned for the wide halls and open spaces. Art Mundo will oversee operations at the ArtBank and plans to sponsor its educational offerings at this location. Classes began June 27 and open studios have been held every Wednesday evening since June 17. Upcoming courses and workshops include drawing, ceramics, basket making, mixed media and collage, papermaking, oil painting, acrylics and watercolor, fiber arts, wood working, book arts, sculpture, jewelry making, weaving, photography, printmaking and fine crafts. A professional series for artists is also planned with instruction in matting and framing, photoshop skills and marketing. Arts programs especially for children and school exhibits are also part of Art Mundo's plans for the future. For information on current and future classes see Art Mundo's blog: www.art-mundo.blogspot.com

Art Mundo's aim is to provide a supportive and engaging environment for people of all ages and backgrounds to create, study and present art. The organization is looking forward to the opportunity of providing a central resource for the arts community and envisions the ArtBank in historic downtown Ft Pierce as being an additional cultural draw for residents and visitors alike. Art Mundo, in conjunction with the ArtBank, intends to compliment the already thriving art community in the Treasure Coast area, with a broader reach planned for the future. "This venture has the potential of becoming an art center like the Torpedo Factory of Alexandria, VA, said Art Mundo co-founder Deena Wynne. We are so pleased to be a part of this endeavor with Leo Henriquez"

At this time, several of the studio spaces have been rented and there are still many spaces of varying sizes and costs still available. Currently, the ArtBank, located at 111 Orange Ave. is open Tuesdays 2:30 pm to 5 pm and Thursdays 1:30 pm. to 5 pm and also by appointment. Call 201-1605 or 216-2067 for more information. Volunteers welcome! The ArtBank will also be
open during the downtown Art Walks on the second Wednesday of every month and every Wednesday for Open Studios from 5 pm until 8 pm.

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TCWAA is excited to announce that
we will be holding our September get together
at Art Mundo on September 26th!

Carmen will be teaching a mini Spill It!™ Workshop
from 3:30 - 5:00 followed by an
Open Studio at 6:00!

Come for one session or come for both!

Bring something creative to work on
and we'll get our art on...
TCWAA and Art Mundo style!

Hope to see you all there!
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Meet Indie Artist, Stacie Williams - Feature Friday

Stacie Williams, lifetime rock collector, mixed media artist and metal-smith is our Feature Friday Artist this week. Stacie’s beautiful Azoho hand made jewelry line is available in her online shops: etsy, Art Fire and 1000 Markets.

If you love metals, pearls, gemstones and vintage paper you are sure to find something Azoho that will put a smile on your face and in your heart.

You can see what Stacie’s been up to lately by visiting her blog, Creative Junque.

Join us on Saturday, at the TCWAA July Festivities
and you can meet Stacie and see some of her beautiful jewelry in person!

Hope to see you Saturday!

Quick Reminder - July Festivities are this Saturday!!!

Will you join us?

The scene at the June Kick Off Get Together!

When: This Saturday, July 25th at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Carmen's House in Port St. Lucie
(email me to get my address carmen.tcwaa @ gmail.com)

What do I need to bring? Yourself ! You can bring anything creative to work on! Also, you can get a sneak peak at Carmen's upcoming workshop!

And if cooking/baking is your art of choice, we welcome any finger foods, appetizers, dips, cookies, brownies, desserts, etc.

Hope to see you all there!!!

Help spread the word.
Invite all your artsy and crafty friends.

Other ways to stay connected...
Follow us on Twitter.
Join our Facebook group.

Feature Friday-Lee Gorman Smith

"I'M PAINTING DAILY, SOMETIMES OUTSIDE AND SOMETIMES INSIDE. I'M HAVING FUN WITH MY ART AND CHOOSING SUBJECTS WHICH EXCITE,AND FASCINATE AT LEAST ME AND HAVE FOUND NEW FREEDOM TO IMPROVISE ON REALITY THE MORE PAINTING I DO."

~Lee Gorman Smith

This week we are honored to feature another prolific and talented artist-Lee Gorman Smith.

Smith finds inspiration in her natural surroundings. She is “continually evolving” her painting style, having worked in multiple mediums. When studying her paintings the viewer will spy beach umbrellas, cats, dogs, angels, mermaids and beautiful natural settings from her native state of Massachusetts and her current dwelling, Florida.

According to her web site, Smith has, “painted and practiced art since graduating college.” She

has painted commercially and has been commissioned for private and corporate customers. In fact, viewers can email to inquire about commissions at Lee@LeeGSmith.com. Please include size, price and style requests.

Over the years, Smith has shown her support for the association of artists through her membership in the Vero Beach Art Club the Sebastian River Art Club, the Cape Cod Art Association and the National Acrylic Painters Association.

Smith states, “I am especially motivated to paint dramatic light events, patterns of shadows and displays of bright color.” Her love of her surroundings is reflected in her work. Working in plein air she uses a brush and canvas to preserve the divergent vistas of Florida and Massachusetts. Smith states, “ I have always enjoyed doing plein air painting…It is such a stimulating experience to be painting and to be immersed in the beautiful setting and source of

my desire to paint.” Her beautiful and whimsical paintings will make you smile as they capture the setting and subjects with expressive exactitude.

Lee has also won numerous awards including Best In Show for, “Fort Pierce Marina” Vero Beach Art Club Spring Juried Show, Best In Show “Fort Pierce Marina” Sebastian River Art Club Spring Juried Show. She has placed 2^nd in Oil and Acrylic in the Indian River County Cultural Council Annual Show and 1^st in Oil/Acrylic in Sebastian River Club Spring Juried Art Show.

Her painting McKee Garden Bridge, was accepted to the Treasure Coast Juried Invitational Show and the Vero Beach Art Museum in August of 2003.

You can see Smith’s work at www.leegsmith.com and on her blog.

All images © Lee Gorman Smith

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Written by Katrina Kniep

edited by Carmen Torbus

July Festivities!

Last month's Kick Off was a huge success!
Will you join us for this month's festivities?

When: Saturday, July 25th at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Carmen's House in Port St. Lucie
(email for address carmen.tcwaa @ gmail.com)

What do I need to bring? Yourself ! You can bring anything creative to work on! Also, you can get a sneak peak at Carmen's upcoming workshop!



And if cooking/baking is your art of choice, we welcome any finger foods, appetizers, dips, cookies, brownies, desserts, etc.

Hope to see you all there!!!

Help spread the word.
Invite all your artsy and crafty friends.

Other ways to stay connected...
Follow us on Twitter.
Join our Facebook group.

TCWAA Feature Friday proudly presents Katrina Kniep

"My wildest dream would be waking up in the morning and heading out to my sunporch, which faces the ocean. I would go to my computer with some coffee, ready to work on the day's next chapter or writing project."

This week’s Feature Friday Artist, Katrina Kniep is a small town girl with big heart. She enjoys all sorts of arts and crafts including art journaling, drawing, painting and knitting, but her passion is writing.

Kat has been invaluable as the author of a majority of the Feature Friday articles here on TCWAA’s blog. Her published work can also be seen in Parkland Life, Alpha Sigma Alpha Phoenix Magazine, A Lovely Dream Zine and her blog, My Darling Anodyne.

Kat looks forward to writing novels but truly enjoys writing short pieces as well. She loves to research and learn new things and plans to always freelance in some capacity even when she does get published as a novelist. She said, “I guess I just love writing. When I write I lose myself in the story and feel most alive.

I have many ideas for writing from short articles about dogs and knitting to a teen series on character and a novel about duality. I feel excited to think about writing plays, poetry and songs, too.”

She’s wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and has fond memories of a Playskool toy with wooden keys that send a bead up a rod to ring a bell. It had about 7 keys and she would pretend to type as her mom was typing stories for the local newspaper next to her. Kat would look to her mom and say, “I’m finishing my story.”

Kat said, “I grew up in Harrisville (population 514) in Alcona County, Michigan right on Lake Huron. My parents ran a newspaper (The Alcona Almanac) when I was young. I spent my youth traipsing around train wrecks, sitting through court room trials and examining fire damage. My dad took the photos and my mother wrote the 1000 words that went with them.”

Kat finds inspiration in authors, Elizabeth Berg, Pat Conroy, John Irving and Abigail Thomas and artists Emily Martin, Andrew Wyeth and Kelly Vivanco, but says her parents have been instrumental in inspiring her to explore creatively. Kat says, “They are inspiring, supportive and unique people. They are amazing researchers who never stop looking for what they don’t know. They find out.”

She remembers her moms nervousness one time when she finger painted on top of one of her dad’s paintings when she was little. Her mother was afraid he would be angry, but to her surprise, when he came home he was excited that Kat wanted to paint like him.

Kat recently started a feature on her blog called Fiction Friday where she shares snippets of a short story she’s writing called The Harbormaster.

More of Kat's artwork and writing can be seen on her blog, My Darling Anodyne.

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written by Carmen Torbus

Feature Friday Artist-Silvia Forrest

“I needed an outlet for the intuitive and dreamy side of me which I could not express in engineering.”

According to her brief biographical statement, Silvia was born in Brazil, and she spent her childhood surrounded by an artistic environment provided by the many musicians in the family. Raised and educated in Brazil and in Israel, she went on to enjoy a successful career as a chemical engineer both in Brazil and in the United States where she has lived since the 1980’s.

Since her retirement she has dedicated her time to her painting career and has exhibited her work at a number of juried art shows in Florida where she now resides. Her work can be found in several private collections in the USA, Canada and Brazil. She is also an active participant of the organization Oil Painters of America, the Pastel Society of Eastern Florida, the Vero Beach Art Club and, of course, the Treasure Coast Women’s Art Association.

Silvia prefers the Impressionist and Abstract style and draws her inspiration from nature. “Nature is my most constant source of inspiration. I am particularly attracted to the landscape of the West and Southwest. What usually grabs my attention first are the colors and designs within nature but many times the paintings that are dearest to my heart are the more subtle ones which have a more introspective nature and are the most difficult to execute due to the very subtle passages.” Silvia often works, “ in the afternoon and evening as I am not a morning person. When painting in "plein air" it is usually dictated more by nature than by me.”

It is no wonder that Silvia’s amazing paintings are able to evoke the pride of, “being able to share with the viewers the impact the subject has on me.” The subject of many of her paintings, the natural world, is captured and magnified with each skillful stroke of her brush. Silvia also shared that the message she would like to get across in her work is, “to preserve and share the beauty of the world around me as I see and interpret it." The development of this artist’s skill makes the preservation clear. Silvia has captured this natural scene and preserved it forever. The viewer can look to her painting as a window into that scene at that time.

When asked about roadblocks that came her way, Silvia stated, “Many times my analytical and precise brain get in my way and I have to remember to just enjoy the process.” Thankfully, she has learned to do just that.

You can view Silvia’s artwork at her website: www.silviaforrest.com.

She also has a mini website at the Painter's Keys Premium Artist's listing: www.painterskeys.com/pal/silvia_forrest

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Written by

Katrina Kniep

The results are in! Giveaway Winner Announced!

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Congratulations Linda!!!
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You are the winner of the
Feature Friday Giveaway!

Polarity / Torbus & Company
Collaboration Locket Set!

Linda said: "I love your work Carmen and
I wish I had the drive/motivation to
stay creative like you!!"

email your address to carmentorbus @ gmail.com