VERO BEACH — Intrepid Art Gallery will host the exhibition Southern Heartbeat by artist Sean Sexton from Nov. 10-30. An opening reception and launching of his book poems, “Blood Writing,” will take place on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m.
The period in Florida history between the 1950’s and the present has been, and will be recognized as, a time of maturing culturally, economically, politically and spiritually.
All of these factors must be in place in order for a country (state) to have an art of its own and they are in place right now.
History makes Vero Beach a special place, and they are few artist by virtue of their tenacity, longevity, and familiarity with the country that earned the right to be called the new masters and deserving this titled is Sean Sexton for he is part of Vero’s living history.
There is an environment just west of Vero Beach that is referred to the backcountry and that is just exactly where you will see the roots of Sean Sexton. He is both a cattleman and an artist. One apparently feeds of the other.
Sean undoubtedly gets his creative bent from his deceased grandfather Waldo Sexton who gathered up odds and ends from old buildings and turned them into Vero Beach landmarks like the Driftwood Inn and the Patio Restaurant.
Honesty is the sense that the artist has living working with the familiarity with the subject chosen. Time must not be a factor in the creation of an honest painting. Sean sexton has mastered it he is true to himself, the creation, his environment and the creatures that inhabit it. His paintings are honest in every sense.
Sean sexton’s work has been exhibited at galleries and museums throughout Florida and other U.S. locations. In 1979 he received a bachelor in Science from the University of Florida, and in 2001 he received an Individual Artists fellowship from the State of Florida.
The book of Poems “Blood Writing” are drawn from 25 years of his ever present journal/sketchbook to a glimpse in the ranching life of old Florida. Johanna Jones , M.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State University is a poet, board member, of the Laura Riding Jackson Foundation and works at Spector Soft Corporation in Vero Beach. Jones will make a special emphasis on the release of his book of poems “Blood Writing.” That will take place on the opening reception on Nov. 10.
Intrepid Art Gallery in an educational partnership with Fielding Institute for Lifelong Learning at the Indian River State College has organized convocation with artist Sean Sexton on his exhibition “Southern Heartbeat” and along with poet Johanna Jones they will converse about the book of poems “Blood Writing.”
The convocation will be on Friday Nov. 18 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Richardson Center Mueller Campus. Open to the public.
Tickets are $20 per person.
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