Olivia Mansion

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Elizabeth Barenis. Her diorama Nighttime Everglades Adventure, sets the scene and sounds of a tranquil evening in the swamp.

Elizabeth Barenis was born and raised in Greenville, MS, and has been painting since childhood. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, she was named a 2017 Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist grantee as well as a 2018 participant in the International Painting Symposium at the Mark Rothko Art Center in Daugavpils, Latvia. Her work has been shown and collected nationally and internationally. She currently lives and works in St. Pete, FL. Of creating her diorama, Elizabeth reports, “The constraints of working in three-dimensional miniatures challenged me to find new ways to create atmosphere and mood. Art making is a process of solving problems to arrive at a desired result. In that way, I was able to use my usual approach of problem-solving, yet at the same time, the project presented the opportunity to learn new techniques and work with different materials.”  

Read on to learn more about what the experience of being part of our inaugural exhibit is like for her!

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
ELIZABETH BARENIS: I hope the public will take away a feeling of tranquility amidst the mystery of night and an appreciation of the beauty of nature.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
EB: Being included among other incredible artistic talent is the most exciting part!

What or what inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
EB: My Floridarama is inspired by the Fairgrounds St. Pete’s weird and wacky narrative and the Everglades at night. As a painter, I translate the language of our beautiful natural world onto the canvas. So, when it came time to create a diorama, of course I chose a peaceful place in nature to recreate as a three-dimensional work.

Who or what is the most significant influence in your art practice?
EB: Beauty is the biggest influence in my practice. If you are asking about artistic influences, I have to name Edward Hopper for his use of light, and Salvador Dali for his use of psychological concepts.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?EB: I am always working on new paintings while pushing myself in new directions. My most recent painting shows patterns in water falling over rocks in North Carolina.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
EB: You are on the right track. Doors will open if you keep working at it. Stay true to your heart.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
EB: Pass-a-Grille beach.

To be one of the first to see Elizabeth’s work and get access to Fairgrounds St. Pete buy your tickets today, and join our Insiders Club for the latest Fairgrounds St. Pete news.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Sam Ehrnman. Her diorama Sugarland Swamp depicts a sickly-sweet Florida roadside attraction that’s been lost to time.

Sam Ehrnman is an experimental installation and theatrical scenic artist. She is interested in immersive art experiences and interactive installations that explore space in innovative ways and create an active participatory relationship between the viewer and the art itself.  

Read on to learn more about what the experience of being part of our inaugural exhibit is like for her!

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
Sam Ehrnman: I express a lot of curiosity in the world around me, from diving into nature to waking up in the middle of the night to Google “do cats have taste buds? How do they work?” I’d like the public to be curious and explore the sense of wonder within themselves. It’s easy to be dismissive of the “strange”, but I believe people need more strange in their life. 

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
SE: I’ve spent the past several years working on the production side for large companies, producing themed entertainment and immersive attractions. While there’s always room for flexibility, I’ve never been able to express full creative control over my work and Fairgrounds St. Pete has allowed me the opportunity to get weird with it! Along with this, getting to be a part of the introduction of a new community of incredible artists is a real gift in the time of chaos and separation within a global pandemic.

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
SE: Florida is ripe with tourist traps and I love to explore the less commercial elements. Abandoned and run-down attractions are a particular favorite of mine, like Boyett’s Grove in Brooksville, the Land of Oz themed attraction in Beech Mountain, NC as well as the Ringling Circus Museum. While the mythological aspects of these themed attractions are enticing, I’m obsessed with the handmade elements found within them and enjoy exploring the techniques, textures and design process of those who created them. I can’t be taken to these places without exclaiming, “SOMEBODY MADE THAT!!!”

Who is the most significant influence in your art practice?
SE: Artist Amanda Palmer isn’t heavy into visual art, but I’ve found comfort and inspiration in her fearlessness and creative expression in her music and performances. She’s emboldened me in my own work to not fear judgement and that the act of creating something is the most important thing we can do with our time.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share
SE: I am a part of a collective with my childhood friends operating under the brand of CovenDesignFL. We are constantly producing new works in cyanotype printing and printmaking and recently participated in the Deland Outdoor Art Festival.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
SE: Two things: 1) That panic attacks happen to many people and aren’t a sign of a bad character. 2) Be nicer to your brother.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
SE: Dinosaur World is pretty amazing. The fabrication process is pretty intense, which involves carving foam blocks and coating the beasts with fiberglass and paint. The finished product looks objectively…not great sometimes, but the work that goes into creating those creatures is admirable. It’s just an unexpected and silly place in the middle of nowhere and the world would be a lot better if there were more places like that.

To be one of the first to see Sam’s work and get access to Fairgrounds St. Pete buy your tickets today, and join our Insiders Club for the latest Fairgrounds St. Pete news.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Jordie Poncy. His diorama Florida Room invokes a nostalgic scene that is quintessentially Floridian.

Jordie Poncy enjoys making paper art. His style pares structures and landscapes down to their essential shapes and colors, which creates an appealing, accessible and playful feel to the images. Jordie says “If viewers think I had fun creating a work, then I have done my job.”  

Read on to learn more about what the experience of being part of our inaugural exhibit is like for him!

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds St. Pete?
JORDIE PONCY: My piece depicts a Florida room with “Palm Beach chic” decor. This style is bright, fun, energetic and absurd. I love how this ostentatious aesthetic is uniquely celebrated and understood by Floridians. I’ve encountered many people from other parts of the country who just don’t get it. I hope viewers will feel like Florida insiders as they connect to this specific Florida vibe.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
JP: Through Fairgrounds St. Pete’s social media, I have learned about so many thoughtful and talented artists involved in the project. It feels awesome to be a part of it all.

What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
JP: Have you ever been to the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach? It is WILD inside, but still elegant. I am amazed how they have pulled off such a bold and sophisticated space.

Who is the most significant influence in your art practice?
JP: Strangely enough, I have been influenced by Instagram. I started doing paper cutting on my own, however once I started seeking out other artists and their posts online, I realized how much you can do with the medium.

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
JP: Right now I am decorating a house. It’s a lot easier in paper cutting than in real life, I am learning.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
JP: This may sound strange, but I was recently inspired by an Under Armour commercial. (I know.)  It said something like, “It’s what you do in the dark that puts you in the light.” It reminded me that all the tedious work involved in projects, like making art, are worth it because it allows us to create works that spread messages and joy to others. (This is especially helpful when cutting out hundreds of tiny dots that go on paper plants!)

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
JP: Sombrero Reef, about 6 miles off the Seven Mile Bridge!

To be one of the first to see Jordie’s work and get access to Fairgrounds St. Pete buy your tickets today, and join our Insiders Club for the latest Fairgrounds St. Pete news.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA Artist Eric Folsom. His diorama Family Reunion at the Mermaids’ Lair was inspired by a St. Pete Times article from the 60s and depicts a vignette of an otherworldly reunion!

Eric Folsom left St. Pete in 1973 to pursue his self education with his travels leading him to Washington, DC and Sperryville, VA. In DC, his time off from working as a bike messenger was spent in the city’s museums, galleries, concert halls, theaters and libraries. In Sperryville, he lived on a 150 acre commune alongside artists working in leather, textiles, metal and other media. Eric was drawn to the metalworkers and accepted an apprenticeship with bronze and copper metalworker George Anderson to hone his own metal skills. He started exhibiting his work at art and craft shows in 1979 and, to this day, is still making work and accepting public and private commissions using torches, pliers, cutters, grinders and shaping tools to fabricate art from bronze, copper and found objects. His most recent projects have involved recycling bicycle parts to make gates and other sculptural objects.

Read on to learn more about what the experience of being part of our inaugural exhibit is like for him!

What do you want the public to take away from experiencing the FLORIDARAMA diorama you have created for Fairgrounds  St. Pete?
ERIC FOLSOM: Flora and fauna have been living on and visiting Florida for a very long time.  Many of these are extinct. Some migrated from far away (possibly from other worlds). We are surrounded by their presence and in my FLORIDARAMA I want to honor their mystery and memory.

What about being a part of Fairgrounds St. Pete’s inaugural exhibition is most exciting to you?
EF: It is an honor to be selected and to be among such talented artists. I really appreciate the respect for artists and the artistic freedom that Fairgrounds St. Pete offers.

Who/What inspired your Fairgrounds St. Pete FLORIDARAMA?
EF: A newspaper article from 1966 in the St. Petersburg Times had a story about a UFO landing in Pasco County. The Gulf of Mexico; I grew up looking across the water and wondered what it looked like. I knew that there were ancient buildings on the other side; Olmec heads are over there! In 1976, and again in 1979, I rode my bicycle over 6000 miles through Mexico to check it out. I have been paddling the Weeki Wachee river for over 50 years and it is near the Crystal River Archaeological State Park, where there is evidence that Crystal River was a major trading center. There were visitors from as far away as the Great Lakes and Mayan glyphs have been found there.

A tour of Eric’s FLORIDARAMA, Family Reunion at the Mermaids’ Lair

Who is the most significant influence in your art practice?
EF: My wife Janet; she paints from her heart. Yoko Ono; a fearless artist. My mentor George Anderson, the music of JS Bach, the art of ancient cultures, and the Apollo astronauts; they left from Florida and twelve of them walked on the moon!

Besides Fairgrounds St. Pete, do you have an upcoming project you’d like to share?
EF: From March 26 – May 8, 2021 I have bronze and copper flatware exhibited at the “Epicurean Delights” show at Florida CraftArt. In May, 2021 I will have a piece in the “The Art of All Things Florida” show at Mize Gallery. I have also been making garden gates from salvaged bicycle parts.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
EF: Being an artist is not an easy life. But stick with it and be true to yourself. You will meet interesting people and gain experiences that give your soul joy and satisfaction. And guess what? You were right. So far everything HAS been okay.

What is your favorite FL destination or landmark?
EF: Juniper Creek in the Ocala National Forest. Did you know that when Hernando DeSoto was marching inland across the peninsula, he came to a settlement near present day Ocala which was called “Ocale”? It was possibly a Mayan colony.

To be one of the first to see Eric’s work and get access to Fairgrounds St. Pete, buy your tickets today, or join our Insiders Club for the latest Fairgrounds St. Pete news.