Manuel Iván Cordero

(March 18 - April 8)

Manuel Iván Cordero is a professional theatre stage designer and art director for film, theatre and television. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he pursued formal fine arts and theatre design training in the U.S. In 1986 he graduated from East Carolina University where he studied fine arts and theatre stage design. In 1990 he obtained his Masters in theatre design from Brandeis University where he had intensive painting training with master scenic artist Robert Moody. Since then, he had designed and painted a wide array of live shows in Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Orlando where he currently designs special events and parades for Universal Studios, Walt Disney World , Nickelodeon Recreation, and MTV Networks. Manuel was one of the lead set designers for Harry Potter: The Exhibition (Becker Group), currently touring in Toronto, Canada.

Manuel presented his series of textured acrylic paintings at the Open House of the Arts in Casselberry, FL and formally introduced it as Traces of Solitude (Trazos de Soledad) at the Suz Letzig Gallery in Orlando in 2003. His upcoming work drifts away from “solitude” into personal freedom and slowly detaches from the pictorial to the emblematic.

Ulysses Mora  (February 18- March 17)

Ulysses Mora started his studies at Emerald Academy of México City, and continued at San Carlos INBA, UNAM University National Autonomy of México, and obtained a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts and Majored in Restoration, Maintenance and Preservation.

Ulysses has received numerous awards and recognition for his accomplishments. He received the prestigious “Paoli International Award 2004”. His work has been exhibited in numerous art galleries. Some of his creations are part of public and private collections. His art can be viewed at City Bank in Puerto Rico, San Lucas Hospital, Ponce Puerto Rico (Mural), Andrés Grillasca Oncology Hospital, Ponce, Puerto Rico (Mural), Art Museum of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Julio Alvarado School, Ponce, Puerto Rico (Mural), San Angel Inn Restaurant, México, D. F. “EPCOT” Center, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, City Hall, Orlando, North Lake Park Community School, (Mural), Orlando Florida, and Many others.

Abdul Delgado (November 19 – December 15)

Abdul Delgado was born in Havana, Cuba in January of 1973. Since the early age of six, Abdul showed interest for art by participating in art competitions where he received the first prize. In 1994, Abdul moved to the United States and, like any other immigrant from his country, he came looking for freedom and a new beginning. The first years in America were very difficult. Later on, he was employed by a printing company and with the help of a good friend, he finally landed a job as an artist for Disney MGM Studios. Now, as a permanent member of the scenic shop at Disney, he has been responsible for designing and painting theater backdrops, murals, show stages, character paintings, and much more. His love of art and sensibility has been displayed in all his work. His first paintings, as an exiled Cuban, are the result of a deep introspection of his experiences and his rough beginning in this country. Today his work transmits a more mature message to the audience. Abdul’s narrative paintings are more refined and bring themes based on his work experience, his life in Florida, his childhood memories, and most importantly, his true passion for art. Still appealing to personal metaphors and familiar elements, his figures engage in a more intimate and enigmatic ritual.

Abdul has won first and second place in different competitions, has displayed his work in local galleries and has participated in different activities at the Orlando Art Museum. His work has gone beyond any cultural and linguistic barriers, and has gradually earned the respect of the viewers and the local art community.

Samuel Santiago (June)

Samuel Santiago is part of that first generation from Puerto Rico to be born, raised and educated in the Bronx in New York City. Growing up during a turbulent time in the South Bronx projects, Samuel struggled to find his place between his talents and the realities of his neighborhood. Exposure to art at the Guggenheim and The Museum of Modern Art was influential to his following a path that helped him negotiate the volatile settings of his inner city environment. It was with a small and humble portfolio that Samuel, with the encouragement of his Junior High School art teacher, auditioned and was accepted to the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan. It was there that the seeds to his artistic personality were sown. Majoring in Illustration and discovering the application of both acrylic paints and mixed media, it lit a fire in his heart that gave voice to his raw talents.

The call of fatherhood redirected the focus of this aspiring artist. Over the years he never lost sight of his heart’s dream. Samuel relocated his family to Orlando, Florida, and took on artistic projects whenever they presented themselves in his community and place of worship.

With his children now grown, this young grandfather embarked to pursue his passion, to fulfill a dream and to make his mark. This deeply personal journey began as a quest of fulfillment. Sights were set on a European experience. Samuel arrived in Dublin, Ireland at the end of May 2008. During the rest of 2008 Amsterdam, Manchester, and Barcelona were included in this journey of artistic rediscovery. Standing before the works of great artists such as Van Gogh and Picasso, an awakening stirred. In Cork, Ireland, inspired and focused, Samuel produced some of his best works. He participated in local art events and gallery openings. Samuel established his own fledgling Global Rogue Studio in the Patrick Hill area of Cork and set to work.

Recognized as a Hispanic American abstract artist, he was embraced by the art community and was invited to participate in Shaw Gallery’s “New International Artists” presented in December 2008. The Shaw Gallery, in Cork, Ireland, is a prestigious and sought after venue by new and established artists. The well attended opening night marked Samuel’s arrival.

This journey continues with Samuel’s return to Orlando, Florida. Returning to the United States with a few pieces from his European Collection, he is currently adding new works to his new American Collection. Participating in local art exhibits in local venues in the United States, he has been invited to show his works in group shows at RoHo Art & Coffee, Redefines, The Black Box Collective and at the offices of Florida Outsourcing Incorporated.

RoHo Art and Coffee has given Samuel the opportunity to have his first solo show in the United States displaying works from both of his collections. This young Hispanic American grandfather now enters a new and wondrous part of the journey he began a little more than one year ago. Exploring other facets of his artistic personality, he will be expanding to include in future shows, found art sculptures and wearable art pieces. Samuel’s journey is once again, just beginning.

Catherine L. Foulks (June)

Catherine was born in 1982 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Growing up in an area filled with performance theaters and museums she was exposed all of the arts at a very young age. Catherine’s first passion was music; however, after her family moved to the Orlando area she was introduced to painting and photography and the shift in interest to visual/fine arts began.

While in the AP art magnet program at Dr. Phillips High School, she utilized all the resources available in both the graphic and fine arts departments. After high school Catherine continued working on her technique. While traveling and photographing everything, she created a concentration on deep geometric abstract. This evolved into the collection, “city blocks,” exemplifying her passion for cities and the abstract vibe that comes naturally with the heartbeat of every city across the world. Catherine then began infusing her photography images taken from cities around the world to the rich painting style in the overall collection of graphic works. This merge allowed Catherine the freedom to create mixed media works such as the American Quilt and The Bugle Boy (a photograph symbolic of New Orleans’ rebirth—a child performer in New Orleans only 3 years after hurricane Katrina). The image is set in the city blocks background with copper leaf framing around the black and white photograph on canvas. The works in this collection reflect the unique character and diversity of this artist.

German Lemus (June)

German Lemus was born in 1976 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Although poor, his family paved the way for an artistic lifestyle, by providing culture, music, Bible teachings, and most importantly art. At the age of 12 German’s mother immigrated to Miami, FL. School was especially difficult and lonely the first few years due to the language barrier. It was then that everything silenced and images began to shape and appear on paper. His drawings became adventures influenced by the styles of the early 80s and 90s. His teachers and mentors aware of his gift allowed him to create and expand through painting -- cultivating basic skills such as negative space, composition, design, layout, and color selection.

Upon graduation from high school G. did not have the financial resources to pursue his art education so he enlisted in the U.S. Army where he continued to create murals and portraits. With assistance of the GI bill G. attended Valencia Community College where he fined tuned his skill by allowing the real to become surreal and by twisting personal memories, dreams and experiences into the subject matter of his work. G. Lemus has been actively cultivating his art through other independent art classes.

Now living in Orlando Fl, Lemus seeks to establish a deeper understanding of how his life experiences contribute to his existence and the lives of others through art. For G. art is not just the ability to create an optical image through paint but rather the study of how the images we create affect the senses of individuals. In pursuit of a dream Lemus creates his art with untraditional materials, natural talent, and some formal art training.

B-Side Artists (March)

B-side artists is comprised of 7 original members, but the group does not have a limited number of participants.  The B-side refers to the B-side of the tape cassette or the flip side of a record.  In the 80’s, it seemed to be common knowledge that whenever you bought an album or were introduced to something new in the mainstream, its twin opposite shined a little harder, thus, allowing the underground to emerge.  B-side Artists its the urban youth underdog that continues to surprise pop-culture with its style, bold content, and willingness to create an artistically a-typical creations.

Carlos Alberto Quintero B. (February)

Art Investigator, Professor and Plastic Artist. Alberto’s passion and strength on investigation and exploration is captured on his Artwork, which covers a vast journey in the dimension of the roots of the Latin-American magic realism. Alberto has a long trajectory exhibiting his artwork nationally and internationally with great results. He possesses extensive knowledge of Aesthetic Education, Plastic arts and extensive work experience within the country and overseas.

Steve Villalobos (February)

Since the young age of five, I have been creating insightful painting and had my first exhibit at the age of twelve. My work has always shown brilliant detail, colors, and expression. Sometimes I incorporate sculpture into my paintings, but in any medium my work always has a deep meaning to convey. I had seen much in my journey through life and feel that we all have greatness within us. I wish to convey to everyone who views my paintings that we are a part of something greater...

Abdias & Carolina Suarez-Garcia (January)

Carolina was born in Lima, Peru during the summer month of March in 1981. She is a lifelong Doodler with a deeply rooted devotion to the Arts.

Carolina has been involved and in love with the arts in Orlando since 2001. Here she trained as a Face Painter in 2002 and has been painting colorful faces since. Currently Carolina Face Paints at venues such as the Lake Eola Farmers' Market, the Orlando Art Farm & private events.

Her husband, Abdias,  is a musician and artist as well. They collaborate in numerous mediums including mixed media paintings on canvas, paintings on Congas & Cajon drums.

Carolina blends mixed media on her original art and creates unique and bizarre pieces which are born and inspired by her personal doodles.

Pedro Brull (January)

Pedro Brull was born in Puerto Rico and currently resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the school of fine arts in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His works are displayed throughout many private collections as well as galleries and museums including the General Electric HQ in Stanford, Connecticut. As well as Seguros Multiples at Orlando, Fl and San Juan Puerto Rico and VACO corp in Maitland, Fl and many more throughout the world.

Carolennys (January)

A starving man, a woman in pain, a crowd of faceless mimes; it doesn't matter who they are, because they simply just are. There is no distinction between them or us, you or I; we are all the same, we are not one. It is a matter of our souls and of the universe. If we cannot understand each other, we cannot understand this world or our purpose in it. These subjects are of essence in Carollenys' paintings, which are an exploration of humanity and its woes. Her primary works consist of figurative subject matter, which are often faceless and anonymous, portraying some ailment of the human condition.

Born in Dominican Republic, Carolennys has been drawing since she could hold a pencil. She knew she wanted to be an artists at a very young age. It wasn't until she was 14 that she received formal training at the region's top magnet art high school, Douglas Anderson. There, Carolennys quickly fell in love with the medium of painting. And in college she learned the complexity of versatility of oil paints. Coupled with her love for the human figure, she knew this would be the subject matter that would consume all of her works, and would carry the messages she wanted to should to the world. Compassion.

Isabelle Ribeiro (November)

Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Ms. Ribiero moved to Florida to attend college and recieved a B.A. from the University Of Central Florida. Isabelle's 2 passions of photography and collecting Asian ball-joint dolls inevitably came together resulting in her very extensive work consisting of doll portraits. (Curently Exhibiting and Roho)

While completly customizing the dolls she collects including the eye color, hair, head mold, expressions, etc. she has begun using her dolls as her primary subjects creating a set of images far from that of an ordinary still life, they are portraits and Isabelle treats them as people.

Isabelle has exhibited her photographs nationally and hopes to continue to do so throughout her career as a photographer. Her dolls as well as her photographs are a true expression of her own personality and life.

Juilio Cesar (November)

Born in the providence of Holguin, Cuba on September 14th 1976. At a young age Julio was inclined towards sculpture and started in a studio at the age of 12 at a vocational art school in his hometown and continued on to a professional art and sculpture school in the same town. Mr. Cesar graduated in 1995 and continues to venture to express his art and with a masters degree and teaching for 6 years he continues to participate in multiple expose and personal collections in Cuba as well as having work featured throughout Canada, Europe, Spain and other international sites.

Edson Campos (October)

Edson has enjoyed sketching and painting since childhood and is a completely self-taught artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Edson moved to the United States from Brazil in 1978 and quickly established himself as an artist of the highest caliber. He has exhibited his lifelike paintings and drawings at major cities throughout the country, winning many awards and much recognition. Edson's artwork has also been published in Playboy and Penthouse magazines, and has been commissioned to grace the walls of all 500 rooms in the Queen Mary Hotel in Long Beach, California. Edson has participated in the acclaimed Art Expo New York, where his work was highly praised.

Recognizing Edson’s success, the Artist’s Magazine’s November 1999 issue featured his work in a special section on painting techniques.

Edson received the First Place award at the prestigious Coconut Grove Art Festival in 2002 and 2003. Edson’s artwork has claimed numerous awards at art festivals throughout the U.S.A. Edson was also honored with the Title of "Artist of the Year" by Orlando Modern Art Collection in 2003.

During Edson’s extensive travels, especially throughout Europe, he studied and derived great inspiration from the paintings and sculptures of his favorite Masters.