Dania Beach, FL: Visitors to Dania Beach City Hall may notice a new eye-catching work of art located in the atrium: a colorful series of paintings created by three different and talented artists. The Cultural Arts Committee of the Creative Arts Council, led by Henriette "Kitte" Arnold, received permission from the city commission to create a revolving art display in the city atrium. “The committee raised the funds to buy hardware for hanging the art and "voila" the bare atrium became the Dania Beach Atrium Art Gallery. Under Kitte's direction we have had several different displays from local artists and the response from the public and the city hall staffers has been very positive,” states Bo Donly Chair of the Creative Arts Council Advisory Board for Dania Beach. This art display is free and accessible to anyone.
About the Artists:
Dawn (Duncan) Verheylewegen is originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Born into a family with both professional and casual artists, she has continued that family tradition. Throughout her High school and University studies, Dawn pursued her two greatest interests; Visual Arts and Anthropology. Dawn has a keen interest in other cultures, their people, environments and way of life and expresses this through her artwork. During a year-long stay in Japan, Dawn began to develop her detailed style of portraiture. She has traveled extensively throughout North America, Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa and the Caribbean, drawing and painting the people and landscapes of the countries she has visited.
"I have been fortunate, in my life, to have been able to travel, live and work in a great number of diverse countries and cultures. I believe that, due to my background in both Anthropology and Art, I have come to focus primarily on people in my work. I see the power people have to convey such emotion, character and beauty. I am always captivated by the human face and form and the stories they can tell us,” states Verheylewegen. She now lives in Broward County as one of the 18 working Artists at Studio 18 in the Pines, an 11,000 square foot gallery in Pembroke Pines Florida. For more information on this artist, visit www.dawnvportraits.com.
Robyn Vegas, born in New Orleans, works with paper, color pencil, ink, graphite, oil paint, collage and mixed media. Vegas describes herself as a “creator.” Her current work explores the theme of historical perceptions of women, celebrating their strength and inner beauty. “I want to awaken an appreciation for the spiritual qualities manifested through my paintings and sculptures.”
“If my work touches someone else, then I am rewarded because it is meant to inspire the viewer. This goal pushes me to grow with my creativity and skill. I want people to stop and appreciate that beauty is all around them,” says Vegas. For more info on Vegas, visit www.robynvegasart.com.
With a background in Graphic Design from the New York Institute of Technology, artist Maria Wieder has always had a love for art. After marrying, she decided to pick up painting again and her passion ignited. “I like painting in oil, although I use other mediums as well. My subject matters are varied, including still lives, sceneries and just about anything I find interesting and beautiful. I trained in the European realism style, and recently I am beginning to experiment with portraiture. My last exhibit was influenced by the Farm to Table movement, which I painted varied vegetables in rich colors and details,” states Wieder. She currently has studio space at Studio 18 in Pembroke Pines where she works and teaches classical painting.
Stay tuned for future revolving art displays at the Dania Beach City Hall Atrium.