Amplifying Visions & Artists Talk

 Jess holds a B.A in Visual Studies from Ringling College of Art and Design and an MFA in Visual Art from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Jess has danced with Moving Ethos Dance Theatre Company since 2008 and is also an instructor at Ringling College of Art and Design. Her work finds its point of view through gender, erotic power, and queer mothering, leaning into the full intersections of her experiences and embracing queerness as a disruptive and generative force, not just a predetermined identity. Her work has been featured at the Historic Asolo Theatre, Urbanite Theatre, Studio 620, FabArt Festival, PINC Festival, Festering Liberation Show at the University of Minnesota Morris in 2019, and Rain Studio and Gallery. (Member of Swamp Yell)

Painter Beck Lane has been a working artist for over three decades. Her work can be found in collections from Cape Cod to NYC to CA, from Argentina to Israel to Qatar. Often referred to as “prolific” and a “painter’s painter”, Lane’s work, as it has evolved, has also been described by collectors as “the future of painting”.

Although Lane’s earlier work consisted of being a fairly traditional body of figurative vignettes, over the last 10 yrs, the paintings have become a gripping visual adventure in layered, multi-medium techniques. The work, which she calls “von innen” (or “from within”), is a passionate affair that’s resulted in a wholly unique style developed by applying both flat & glossy oil paint over aerosols over black & white gesso with pencil, chalk and oil pastel sometimes being interspersed. The result is an explosive, energetic focus on an undercurrent that is intended to show the subject from the inside out – expressing thoughts & feelings, emotions & inner energy thru texture and color.

Lane’s work has been best described by one supporter as being “the love child of a Russian graffiti artist & Vincent Van Gogh”. While another wrote, “I love this woman’s art. When I view it, I literally don’t want to b…link. For a momentary flash of darkness may cause a distraction and I don’t want to miss a thing.”

Gabriele Keusch is a poet and performance artist, creating atmospheric landscapes dripping in history, her own muses, and a meditative blossoming. Gabriele also loves to capture a specific feeling in her photography, deeply inspired by the individuals who grace her lens. She considers herself a Florida Native and has created art, in some capacity, for as long as she can remember. (Member of Swamp Yell)

b.1999) Griffin has used art as a creative outlet in which she could explore her mind &
inner dialogue. Griffin’s artwork is a visual representation of how she interprets her perspective on life and people through her characters and compelling, narrative-driven storytelling. Aspects of identity, politics, and African American culture can be found in Griffin’s work.

As Griffin integrates abstract brushstrokes, proliferating limbs, and
dramatized facial expressions into each profile, Griffin reveals the emotional and mental state of each figure at that given moment in time. Griffin proclaims the personality and the plot of her work are sources driven by her life experiences, culture, music, and everyday life. Griffins work has been exhibited at the Non-Profit Organization Love Your Rebellion& Murals on Tour Traveling Group Exhibition (2021-2022), the Alliance For The Arts Members& Group Exhibition Challenging Stereotypes (2022), and the &”;JUST SAY GAY & Trans; Group Art Exhibition with Fabulous Art Foundation (2022).
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I’m a trans artist based out of Southwest Florida. I specialize in digital visual art and poetry.
Riptide Zen is a visual immersion of my journey to authenticity and the audacity of expressing authentically in our culture. My art and poetry resonate with anyone searching for authenticity and struggling against the constructs of society. It also includes confronting my gender identity and the emotions I encounter in the struggle between conforming to society’s needs and living authentically against the odds.