Julie Griffin was born in Fort Myers in 1963, with a natural talent to draw and paint. She attended FSU in 1985 and earned a BFA in Fine Arts with a minor in Art History, Marketing, and Art Education. She searched for 15 years until 1999 when she found Frank Covino and his Academic way of teaching art. Then studied with him for twenty years while she raised her children and taught after school art lessons to keep her eye sharp. “Drawing and painting has always come easy to me, I consider it a gift. I find it flows faster and stronger with each passing day I paint. I consider myself a realist painter or better defined as an Academic artist.” Julie Griffin
What is Academic Art? It is defined as the method of painting a three-dimensional object by creating an illusion on a two-dimensional surface using rules established by the masters’. Julie is constantly seeking to unlock methods and secrets that the masters used to paint their masterpieces. Only by studying the masters can we learn their methods and techniques. She attempts to match the masters’ skills using the academic rules and unlocks what rules they might have amplified or left out or altered. Academic painters are only permitted to paint in the Louvre, and permission to do so must be attained with samples of their work, along with a background checks and references. Loving the challenge of painting in the Louvre (twice) and The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and she cherishes that honor and experience. There are 7 basic rules of Academic art, one being the values and hews of color change, depending on the amount of light. Light plays a major roll in each of her paintings no matter what the subject is, because to her the light is the subject. Her oil paintings glow in richness and in depth, and her experience shows in each of her works.
She enjoys teaching art, participating in art shows, and continues to take classes because she believes one never stop learning and must continue to practice to stay sharp and inspired. She enjoys passing her knowledge along to others, because she knows how precious the information is for aspiring artists.
You can find Julie painting at her art studio, Julie Griffin Studios at: 9280-7 College pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33919 Phone 239-872-9811 FB-Julie Griffin studios www.Juliegriffinstudios.com
Steven approaches art with a scientific mindset with a love for letters, organized space, & emotional color schemes. He is a high school graphic design teacher with a passion for street art, high fantasy, & other dorky things. Steven is a Fort Myers native and a teacher at Cypress Lake High School. He has been painting street art for over 15 years across the country and draws inspiration from Bill Watterson’s historic Calvin & Hobbes comic strip, using faces and expressions to augment his personalized letterform style to bring smiles to a public art form.
Brittany Sparkles has been a circus professional for over 14 years. She is a graduate of the elite National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in Melbourne, Australia, from where she earned a Bachelor’s of Circus Arts, specializing in aerial acrobatics and object manipulation. From quirky and cute to hard-hitting and action-packed, Brittany is a versatile performer and has been enchanting audiences with shows and classes all over the world– including the USA, Australia/New Zealand, and El Salvador– with her whimsical charms and powerful imagination. She is rarely seen without her trademark pixie smile.
Brittany has been on USA national tours with major circuses, such as George Carden Shrine Circus International, Cole Brothers Circus, and the National Circus Project. She has also worked with international companies, such as Women’s Circus Australia, Ninja Circus Japan/Australia, and Jabez Ministries International.
She now lives, performers, and coaches out of sunny Fort Myers, FL and can’t wait to spread the job and magic of circus with you!
Jordan Albright Jameson is obsessed with the transferable skills the arts give people of all ages and loves encouraging others to pursue their passions. Her enthusiasm for the arts was fostered at a young age, growing up dancing in Fort Myers and participating in dance and art programs at Cypress Lake Middle and High School. At the University of Florida she discovered dance photography then arts administration, which ultimately led her to the Alliance for the Arts. Outside of the Alliance, Jordan is a photographer, published journalist, wife and mom who loves going on adventures!
A bit of a degree hoarder, she has two degrees, a B.A. in Dance and B.S. in Photojournalism, and three minors, business administration, entrepreneurship and theatre from the University of Florida as well as a Master’s in Arts Leadership and Cultural Management from Colorado State University. Prior to joining the Alliance for the Arts she worked for Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall, Tower Publications, the College of the Arts at the University of Florida, and Colorado State University.
Emily Radomski is a burgeoning gallery professional and recent transplant to the Southwest Florida area. She earned her B. A. from the University of Florida in 2016 with a major in Classical Studies. She then attended the University College London in England and earned her M. A. in Museum studies in 2017. After returning stateside, Emily worked for two years at a gallery in Northwest Florida as Exhibitions Coordinator.
While studying the history of museums at UCL, Emily became passionate about correcting the historically exclusionary practices of art institutions and wants to do her part to create exhibitions at the Alliance that are as vibrant and diverse as the local Fort Myers community itself. She believes in the power of art to challenge beliefs and open minds and she is excited to use her new position at the Alliance to elevate and amplify the work of artists that have been historically underrepresented in galleries and to help the local community engage critically with art.
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