Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 5:30 p.m.

"Place & Displacement" Raina Benoit

Whether it is through drawing, painting, installation, video, performance, or spoken word, Raina’s working process delves with metaphor, associative memory, parody and current events. Her interests in community, art, and change led her to co-found Plugged, a nationally based grass roots art collective, to be curator of “Her Shorts”, an International Women’s Video Festival, and other creative events. She earned her BA from Louisiana State University (1999), attended Ateliers des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris (2001), and has an MFA from the University of Arizona (2006). Recently, Raina became the Director of the University of West Florida’s Art Gallery.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008, 5:30 p.m.

"Pyramid, Inc. Presents" Diana Amato

Since 1994, Pyramid, Inc., has served the needs of adults with developmental disabilities. The organization, well known for its unique arts program, provides an environment where its students find excitement, meaning, and participation in community life. With guidance from trained professionals, Pyramid visual artists work independently to create paintings, sculptures, jewelry and ceramics. Their art work is shown throughout Florida and, from September 9 to 19, will be on exhibit at Artel. Artel member and artist, Diana Amato, Pyramid’s Visual Art Coordinator, teaches her students from “concept to framing to marketing”. Join her to find out more about this valuable program.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 5:30 p.m.

"Confluence of Art and Religion in Southern India." April Matteis

April will present the perspective of American youth whom she guided last month with Studies Abroad for Global Education. Exploring the beauty of traditional ancient art forms, diverse religions and their interrelationships, her students visited art centers and studied mythological drama, Indian vocals and dance, and mural painting. Attend and share their creative experiences.

April teaches Fine Arts at West Florida High School of Advanced Technology and acts as Artel’s outreach coordinator to Escambia County schools and art teachers. She holds a BFA from the University of West Florida. April is a professional mixed-media assemblage artist who has traveled to Morocco and Tunisia as a Fulbright Scholar.