Transformation, whether personal or societal, is an experience that touches nearly every human soul. It is certainly a theme that has touched me deeply: several years ago, a surgeon’s error transformed my life by leaving me with a lifetime of medical issues. The transformation was both physical, creating a host of challenges I must deal with on a daily basis, and spiritual, leading me to find space in my heart to forgive the surgeon in order to heal and move on.

I’ve recently been lucky enough to pore over a gorgeous book filled with art, memories, and poetry. La Bolsa–The Purse was written and illustrated by one of our featured artists, Sonya Gonzalez. Of all the beautiful, bilingual poems and paintings, my favorite is Pasteles con amor-Pies made with love. It’s gorgeous, loving, and delicious.
 

Art is important. Art matters. And yet, so often, art seems expensive and out of reach. We go to Art Hops, or art fairs, or find that little pottery place on our travels, and buy what we can to bring color and life and art to our homes. We rent art from the local university for a term or more, head to the annual sales at the art insitute. We devour art at museums, stare at that van Gogh, tears fall upon seeing that Bierstadt you've loved your whole life, chuckle at the poker dogs, teach our kids to love art as much as we do. 

After making history as the first non-Greek Artist in the World to exhibit in the National Archaeological Museum of Greece, Orlando’s own fine art photographer J. Joshua Garrick returns from a two year tour of Europe to OPEN the new HENAO Contemporary Center in Orlando.