- April 18, 2024
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Brianna Angelakis’ art will be displayed on digital billboards in Jacksonville
BY WAYNE GRANT | STAFF WRITER
Ormond Beach artist Brianna Angelakis has had her paintings displayed in some pretty lofty places — the Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens in Jacksonville, the Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco, as well as in galleries in Minnesota and Chicago, to name a few.
And she's only 22.
Her art can also currently be seen in high places: Digital billboards throughout Jacksonville show her work as part of the city’s second-annual Highway Gallery art exhibition.
Angelakis is one of nine artists featured in the public project which uses digital billboards to showcase paintings, drawings, printmaking and photography from regional artists. Clear Channel Outdoor is donating the usage of the billboards for the show, running through Sept. 31.
“It’s great to bring art to the community,” Angelakis said. “You see people stuck in traffic with just ads to look at. If I was a kid and looked up and saw art that big, it would be wonderful.”
Not only has Angelakis been featured in shows around the country, her art has also appeared in a handful of national publications, including "Blick Studio Catalogue," "Poet and Artists Magazine" and others.
None of this recent success has come easily, though. A couple of years ago, she started sending her art to galleries. And she said she received several no thank yous.
But then the Cummer Museum sent her a "big yes."
She was one of 50 Florida artists selected out of 750 applicants for a show at the museum last fall. She will be in another show there this December.
Although she is unable to attend most shows around the country in which her art is displayed, next May she plans to attend her first solo show at the Modern Eden Gallery, in San Francisco.
“I can’t wait,” she said. “I can’t describe how excited I am.”
Angelakis contributes much of her success to a teacher she had at Seabreeze High School, Nina Masters.
“She taught me a lot about the elements of design,” she said. “Every time I paint, I think about the principles she taught me.”
Angelakis moved to Ormond Beach six years ago with her family. She graduated in June from Flagler College with an English degree, as well as a bachelor of fine arts degree. She plans to return to college this fall to continue art studies.
Jennifer Savage, spokeswoman for the Jacksonville art project, said Angelakis’ art is “amazing” and to see it blown up on billboards will be “truly awesome.”
“This art project makes art accessible to all, showcases Jacksonville as a forward-thinking city and provides exposure to local artists,” Savage said.
