Brandy Stark
Artist Biography
Inspired by her knowledge of ancient world mythologies and religions, Brandy Stark has produced her "Metal Myths" series since 1995. Ms. Stark focuses on bringing ancient characters, deities, and ideals to life in the modern world, thus connecting the past and present into a cohesive whole.
Her body of works reflects a Neo-expressionist basis. Each piece is hand wrapped into an intricate pattern that blends the natural colors of the metals together into a unified structure. The works further link to current cultural ideas through the use of found objects. The implementation of these re-discovered items not only promotes an awareness of our current environment, they also show that everything, and symbolically everyone, has a unique place in this world.
As and advocate of the arts, Ms. Stark has held several art public offices within the community. She served as an artist-in-residence for Bay Pines VA Hospital. She created a specialized art tour designed in conjunction with the internationally attended Dragon*con Convention. The artist also wrote as a freelance arts reporter for the St. Petersburg Times for a number of years. Her articles appeared weekly in the Weekend and Neighborhood Times sections, as well as community and events areas of the newspaper. Her writings have appeared in Bayside News, Sterling Powell's City Life, Pug Talk Magazine, The Pinellas Informer, and several art-related websites.
Currently, she serves on the board and is the Newsletter editor of The Exhibiting Society of Artists (TESA). Her other artist memberships include the Morean Arts Center, Gulf Coast Artists’ Alliance (GCAA), and the Florida Craftsmen. She has also enumerated academic lectures and workshops for the St. Petersburg Historical Museum, the Florida International Museum, and the Dali Museum, among others. She continues to find ways to introduce the public to local artists-in-residence, to new and varied art venues, and to stress the importance of art in society.
Her drive to create has granted her awards for works in multiple disciplines including metal sculpture, creative writing, web site design, digital artwork, and photography. Her winning pieces include several "Best 3-D" and "Best Concept" awards.
Ms. Stark graduated with her Masters in Religious Studies from the University of South Florida and is continuing her post-graduate education in the field of the Humanities/Liberal Studies. She is also a doctoral candidate in Education and Leadership at Barry University, and is currently working on her dissertation. She is presently an instructor in World Religions and Humanities at St. Petersburg College, the University of Tampa, Eckerd College, and Hillsborough Community College.
