The Alliance for the Arts Presents Painter Susan Martin as the 

Featured August Exhibition Artist

Into the Green: Botanical Insights will be on view August 4-28, 2023.

Fort Myers, FL (July 19, 2023) – The Alliance for the Arts invites the public to its opening reception of Into the Green: Botanical Insights by Susan Martin on August 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. The free event features the works of the Merritt Island based painter Susan Martin as well as light refreshments. The exhibit will be on view from August 4-28, 2023 at 10091 McGregor Blvd. Ft Myers, FL.

Susan Martin, originally from South Texas, has been fascinated by the visual richness of the botanical world since childhood. Her Botanica Series reflects this consuming interest in the variety of colors, shapes, and lines found in nature. Strong light reveals intriguing forms and textures. From the mass of plant life, Martin carves out tightly cropped compositions, eliminating unessential elements and paring down the painting subject to what first attracted her.

Though her subject matter is recognizable, her paintings are conceived and painted as abstracts. All the parts: foreground and background, positive and negative spaces are treated as equally important.  The branches, vines, flowers, and leaves become shapes, lines, and textures which make a complex abstraction when viewed up close. The imagery is sometimes larger than life, with some of the featured pieces reaching up to five feet in one direction, and all are painted in a ‘super real’ manner. The intense colors are a result of many layers of acrylic paints. Martin encourages the viewer to look closely at the painting and to imagine being a part of this private place.

Theatre Gallery Artist- “The First Theatre Production” by Jade Griffin

“The First Theatre Production” (2023) is a collection of narrative-driven oil paintings

created over this calendar year by Visual Artist Jade Griffin. This body of work crosses

the boundaries of normalcy and what is acceptable. It pushes the boundaries of how we

see ourselves and strangers in everyday life. Cartoonish facial features, exaggerated

scenes, and extended limbs offer a new perspective on humanity through each piece.

Jade’s artistic vision is influenced by George Condo’s Artificial Realism movement.

Through fictional characters that are capable of being actual people with real emotions

and tendencies, Jade strives to make art that defies norms. Throughout this exhibition,

Jade asks, “Who are you behind closed doors when no one is looking?”; or “Who are

you on the stage of life?”; “Presenting yourself to others?”; and “Who do you wish to

become on the inside?”

About Alliance for the Arts

The Alliance for the Arts is a nonprofit community visual and performing arts center located in the heart of Fort Myers, Florida. Since 1975, the Alliance has been committed to transforming lives and improving community through the arts. The Alliance campus and galleries are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Located at 10091 McGregor Boulevard just south of Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers. For more information, please call 239-939-2787, visit us at www.ArtInLee.org, find us on Facebook, Instagram or follow us on Twitter.