14 of the 21 pieces of art that were chosen by Sports & The Arts to hang inside the Amway Center are by local artists. The company "works directly with sports franchises, professional athletes, and nonprofit organizations throughout the world of sports to develop museum quality art installations. The goal of Sports & the Arts is to create a gallery experience in large-scale venues.." Prior to this project, Sports & The Arts curated the new Yankee Stadium, the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, and is currently working with the New York Jets on their Training Facility in Florham Park, NJ.
The 14 local artists with works inside the Amway Center:
Diane Boswell
Diane Boswell is a photographer and cinematographer residing in the Orlando area. She studied art and architecture initially in Florence, Italy. Later she received a degree in architecture and a degree in interior design from the College of Architecture at the University of Florida. Her studies continued when she received a fellowship for graduate school in urban planning at the Royal Academy of
Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.
Tracy Burke
Tracy Burke was born in Duluth, Minn. in 1971 and currently resides and works in Orlando, Fla. She received a BFA in Fine Art from the University of Central Florida in 1995. Burke explores color and pattern in her large abstracts, and demonstrates presence and confrontation in her stylized figurative work. Her art is collected throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Donna Dowless
As a self-taught, award-winning artist, Donna Dowless has become a staple in the Orlando art community and has made an impact worldwide. Because of Dowless’ inspirational efforts to spread love through art and culture, Mayor Buddy Dyer and the City of Orlando appointed her Orlando’s official “Ambassador of Love.”
Phil Fung
Phil Fung is an American-Chinese-Jamaican professional pop art painter. Studying at Florida State started Fung on his journey that his led him from graphic design studios in NYC to become a French Quarter sidewalk street artist in New Orleans. In 2007 Phil graduated with a Master’s degree in Art Education from the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Roberto Gonzalez
A native of Mexico City, Mexico, Roberto Gonzalez describes his unique artistic style as a “fluid movement from which flows the essence of life” and enjoys using vibrant colors, unusual movement and acrylics on canvas to bring his visions to life. Gonzalez currently resides in Orlando, Fla.
Derek Gores
National award-winning artist and art director Derek Gores is best known for his torn paper collage works, utilizing found materials like photographs, historical data, maps and memorabilia to create a captivating new image. Gores has also been honored as one of 15 artists selected for the Manifest Hope DC exhibit.
Shelley Lake
Shelly Lake received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1976. In 1979, Lake earned a Master of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and became the first female graduate of the Architecture Machine Group. Featured in numerous international art exhibitions and film festivals, she has won three Clio awards and an Academy Award for technical direction for “The Last Starfighter.”
Roy McLendon
In the early 1950s, a group of African-American artists painted beautiful landscapes that displayed the serene, undeveloped Florida landscape of their time. Today these artists are known as the “Florida Highwaymen” and because of the tranquil scenes and history involved, their original paintings are highly demanded by collectors and enthusiasts. Roy McLendon is the last surviving original Florida Highwayman, and his pieces are a piece of true Florida history.
Fernando Medina
Fernando Medina was born in Havana, Cuba, and became the official Magic team photographer in 1996. He has photographed well over 1,200 NBA basketball games, along with many other sporting events including NASCAR, the NFL, PGA and IHL and NCAA basketball and football games.
Larry Moore
Larry Moore has 15 years in advertising and graphic design, 25 years experience as an illustrator and 30 years painting the great outdoors. He has created many public works projects for museums, libraries, Walt Disney World Resort and the Canaveral port authority to major restaurants like Panera Bread. Moore currently resides in Winter Park, Fla.
Ivaldo Robles
Ivaldo Robles was raised in Mexico where his passion for art began. Robles’ works are oil mixed-media paintings that express different textures combined with movements and layers that create windows of colorful dimensions which are the soul of each piece. Robles was one of the artists chosen to design a Gibson guitar that was auctioned for charity in Orlando. In addition, his work was highlighted on the cover of the November 2009 issue of “Orlando Arts Magazine.”
Everett Spruill
For more than 30 years Everett Spruill, a self-taught artist, has been involved in collecting and creating works of art. He currently conducts art workshops for Central Florida youth through his non-profit foundation and is the former owner of The Ethnic Art Gallery in Orlando, Fla.
Steve Vaughn
Steve Vaughn’s panoramic photographs are displayed on the walls of numerous Florida corporations and private residences. Based in Winter Park, Vaughn also exhibits at outdoor art shows and has been a poster artist for the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, the Mount Dora Arts Festival, the Maitland Art Festival and the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival.
John Whipple
John Whipple has been a working artist for over 25 years. He currently creates his paintings and sculptures from McRae Studios in Winter Park, Fla. Along with his artist wife Lynn, their work is in numerous museum and city collections and can be seen in galleries, art festivals, books and publications.
The 14 local artists with works inside the Amway Center:
Diane Boswell
Diane Boswell is a photographer and cinematographer residing in the Orlando area. She studied art and architecture initially in Florence, Italy. Later she received a degree in architecture and a degree in interior design from the College of Architecture at the University of Florida. Her studies continued when she received a fellowship for graduate school in urban planning at the Royal Academy of
Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.
Tracy Burke
Tracy Burke was born in Duluth, Minn. in 1971 and currently resides and works in Orlando, Fla. She received a BFA in Fine Art from the University of Central Florida in 1995. Burke explores color and pattern in her large abstracts, and demonstrates presence and confrontation in her stylized figurative work. Her art is collected throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Donna Dowless
As a self-taught, award-winning artist, Donna Dowless has become a staple in the Orlando art community and has made an impact worldwide. Because of Dowless’ inspirational efforts to spread love through art and culture, Mayor Buddy Dyer and the City of Orlando appointed her Orlando’s official “Ambassador of Love.”
Phil Fung
Phil Fung is an American-Chinese-Jamaican professional pop art painter. Studying at Florida State started Fung on his journey that his led him from graphic design studios in NYC to become a French Quarter sidewalk street artist in New Orleans. In 2007 Phil graduated with a Master’s degree in Art Education from the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Roberto Gonzalez
A native of Mexico City, Mexico, Roberto Gonzalez describes his unique artistic style as a “fluid movement from which flows the essence of life” and enjoys using vibrant colors, unusual movement and acrylics on canvas to bring his visions to life. Gonzalez currently resides in Orlando, Fla.
Derek Gores
National award-winning artist and art director Derek Gores is best known for his torn paper collage works, utilizing found materials like photographs, historical data, maps and memorabilia to create a captivating new image. Gores has also been honored as one of 15 artists selected for the Manifest Hope DC exhibit.
Shelley Lake
Shelly Lake received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1976. In 1979, Lake earned a Master of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and became the first female graduate of the Architecture Machine Group. Featured in numerous international art exhibitions and film festivals, she has won three Clio awards and an Academy Award for technical direction for “The Last Starfighter.”
Roy McLendon
In the early 1950s, a group of African-American artists painted beautiful landscapes that displayed the serene, undeveloped Florida landscape of their time. Today these artists are known as the “Florida Highwaymen” and because of the tranquil scenes and history involved, their original paintings are highly demanded by collectors and enthusiasts. Roy McLendon is the last surviving original Florida Highwayman, and his pieces are a piece of true Florida history.
Fernando Medina
Fernando Medina was born in Havana, Cuba, and became the official Magic team photographer in 1996. He has photographed well over 1,200 NBA basketball games, along with many other sporting events including NASCAR, the NFL, PGA and IHL and NCAA basketball and football games.
Larry Moore
Larry Moore has 15 years in advertising and graphic design, 25 years experience as an illustrator and 30 years painting the great outdoors. He has created many public works projects for museums, libraries, Walt Disney World Resort and the Canaveral port authority to major restaurants like Panera Bread. Moore currently resides in Winter Park, Fla.
Ivaldo Robles
Ivaldo Robles was raised in Mexico where his passion for art began. Robles’ works are oil mixed-media paintings that express different textures combined with movements and layers that create windows of colorful dimensions which are the soul of each piece. Robles was one of the artists chosen to design a Gibson guitar that was auctioned for charity in Orlando. In addition, his work was highlighted on the cover of the November 2009 issue of “Orlando Arts Magazine.”
Everett Spruill
For more than 30 years Everett Spruill, a self-taught artist, has been involved in collecting and creating works of art. He currently conducts art workshops for Central Florida youth through his non-profit foundation and is the former owner of The Ethnic Art Gallery in Orlando, Fla.
Steve Vaughn
Steve Vaughn’s panoramic photographs are displayed on the walls of numerous Florida corporations and private residences. Based in Winter Park, Vaughn also exhibits at outdoor art shows and has been a poster artist for the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, the Mount Dora Arts Festival, the Maitland Art Festival and the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival.
John Whipple
John Whipple has been a working artist for over 25 years. He currently creates his paintings and sculptures from McRae Studios in Winter Park, Fla. Along with his artist wife Lynn, their work is in numerous museum and city collections and can be seen in galleries, art festivals, books and publications.