Best In Show At PSC Student Art Exhibition “Means Nothing”

by James Coulter

Ava Edmonds, a sophomore art major at Polk State College, won Best In Show at the Student Art Exhibition on Thursday. She won the award for her abstract painting, prominently featuring three large faces smashed together almost as one while surrounded by several smaller faces.

If you were to ask Ms. Edmonds what her painting means, she would simply point to its title: “Look Closer And It Means Nothing.”

 “A lot of people look really deeply into my work to try to find really crazy detail meanings, but it is like…I like to paint things that I like, people who are awkward just like I am,” she explained.

Edmonds receives her inspiration from many places, from religious artwork to the illustrations within children’s storybooks. Her favorite subjects are plants and people. While other artists might want to find deeper meaning, Edmonds remains content in drawing what she loves.

“I just like art,” she said. “I have always liked to read, and I always look closely [at] the illustrations in my book forever. I remember staring at pages for hours, and I want to [create artwork like] that.”

Currently, she is in her fifth semester as an art major. She has big plans for publishing her own art and even her own writing. Outside of the arts, she’s contemplating becoming a teacher and perhaps even a filmmaker.

“I have a lot of dreams,” she said.

More than 100 art pieces by various students, including art majors, were exhibited and judged in several categories during the art reception at the Fine Arts Gallery at Polk State College on Thursday.

Winning Judge’s Choice was Hope Shiver, a sophomore psychology major, for her 3D art sculptures. Her many art pieces range from a cluster of porous balls to a makeshift house.

As for what inspires her and her artwork, Shiver simply shrugged and replied that she makes whatever is on her mind. She simply creates and doesn’t think about it, she explained.

“I made it because of the deadline,” she said of her recent art pieces. “Honestly, whenever I make things, I don’t really sit or think about it, I just do it and it comes to me.”

She really enjoys being able to mix different glazes and seeing the final combinations once her art pieces have been placed within and removed from the kiln.

“Seeing it come out of a kiln after it glazes is fantastic,” she said.

Though a psychology major wanting to move onto forensic psychology, Shivers has an interest in art. She is especially inspired to do what she does through the support of her grandmother and boyfriend.

“It feels good to win,” she said. “I did not expect to win anything.”

The art reception that evening exemplified the growth that the college’s arts program has experienced in recent years. As of 2019, PSC has 200 art majors enrolled for their two-year degrees. Once they graduate, many will transfer to other colleges to pursue their art degrees, explained Holly Croggins, Visual Art Organizer and Coordinator.

The art reception that evening showcased the sheer number and diversity of its many art students, and even many of the students who are not art majors, Croggins said.

As for the success of the show, Croggins states: “I think it is their hard work and professionalism, trying to exhibit their work. And their professors…have really invested in them.”

The Fines Art Gallery at Polk State College is located at: 999 Ave H NE, Winter Haven, FL 33881. For more information, visit: https://www.polk.edu/visual-arts/

Here are the other main winners of the art show reception:

Best In Photo: Nikie Silers, “Harold.”

Best in Ceramics: Finn Hoffen, “American Traditional Pitcher.”

Best In Drawing: Allison Guana, “Growth.”

Best In Painting: Aca Edmonds, “Series Of 5.”

Best In Mixed Media: Judith Zamora, “Sea Breeze.”

Best In Sculpture: David Santiago & Kieran Fox, “End The Violence.”

Best In Digital Design: Oliva Yeager, “Ehteral Imperfection.”

Downtown Winter Haven Celebrates 13th Annual Oktoberfest Despite Rain

by James Coulter

Cloudy skies and light rain could not stop people in Downtown Winter Haven from having a “Wunderbar” time with beer, brats, and plenty of oom-pa-pa music.

Hundreds of beer and brat lovers congregated in Central Park Winter Haven on Friday evening to celebrate the 13th Annual Oktoberfest, hosted by Main Street Winter Haven.

Wearing rain jackets and carrying umbrellas, these brave attendees withstood the rain for a chance to down craft beer, take a bite out of barbecued bratwurst, and otherwise have a Wunderbar time listening to live musical entertainment.

This year saw the addition of a special private VIP area provided by MyBox, a company that rents out movable containers that serve as bar and seating areas for special events.

 Several dozen local businesses served as vendors that evening, including a handful of local breweries including Swan Brewing Company and Grove Roots, all of who helped offer fresh servings of locally-brewed craft beer.

This was the third year that Grove Roots attended the annual downtown event. The local brewery had been participating in local events such as this since it first opened, explained Morgan Wilson, Grove Roots Chief Operations Officer and Bar Manager.

 As someone who is also on the Board of Directors for Main Street Winter Haven, Wilson has been working closely with the other board members towards achieving their initiative of attracting more local breweries to the area and having them involved with events such as this, she said.

 Grove Roots, since opening three years ago, has maintained a “community-centric” philosophy by participating in events such as the Oktoberfest, as well as helping give back to the local community through various fundraisers.

“We have been doing this for three years, and we will continue it,” Wilson said. “I love seeing the community come out, not only as an art community but as a local community as well.”

This Oktoberfest has been growing over the years since it first started back in 2008. The event has experienced tremendous growth in turnout, vendors, and participation, explained Sean Greear, President of Main Street Winter Haven.

“We learn every year that we are getting better and better at doing this event, and we learn from any mistakes we have,” Greear said. “There is more proof in the pudding that more people want to sponsor this event so it is a good thing.”

Greear attributes the local community to the event’s success in recent years. More and more people have been turning out for a great time, and he expects more people to continue turning out in the future.

“How can you not like it?” he asked. “It is good food, good beer, good music, good people, good vibes. Why not? Celebrate Downtown Winter Haven. Eat more, drink more, and sleep less.”