Good Folk Fest Featured visual Artists
Missionary Mary Proctor
Missionary Mary at Creative Clay’s Folkfest St. Pete in 2018.
Missionary Mary Proctor
Missionary Mary Proctor is a self-taught Florida artist known for her vibrant, storytelling assemblages. Using found objects like beads, buttons, and written messages, her work expresses a deeply personal and spiritual vision. After losing loved ones in a tragic fire in the 1990s, she received a spiritual call to “paint a door,” launching her artistic journey. Raised by religious grandparents, Mary views herself as a missionary, using art to share messages of faith, family, and life lessons. Mary runs her own museum and gallery in Tallahassee, Florida called the American Folk Art Museum & Gallery.
Her art has been exhibited at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore and is held in numerous museum and private collections across the United States. In 2005, Proctor’s work was featured in On Their Own: Selected Self-Taught Artists at the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum. She has also been recognized internationally, appearing on the cover of Raw Vision, the leading magazine for contemporary folk and outsider art.
Mary Proctor’s artwork is included in permanent collections at Asheville Art Museum (Asheville, NC), High Museum of Art (Atlanta, GA), Mennello Museum of American Art (Orlando, FL), Polk Museum of Art (Lakeland, FL), Morris Musuem of Art (Augusta, GA), St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts (St. Petersburg, FL), Smithsonian Institution Anacostia Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY), New Orleans Museum of Art (New Orleans, LA), and the California African American Museum (Los Angeles, CA).
Missionary Mary Proctor has exhibited at 14 Creative Clay events since 2007. We are thrilled to have her back for Good Folk Fest.
Artwork by Denis Gaston.
Denis Gaston
Denis Gaston, originally from West Virginia, grew up in Florida and received a BA in Art and Design from the University of Florida. First working as a graphic designer in Atlanta, Gaston returned to Florida in 1984 and embarked on a fine art career. He has maintained a studio since 1986 in the Gulf Coast cities of Dunedin and Clearwater.
Gaston’s mixed-media paintings and drawings are rendered in oil, acrylic, wax, collage, and other materials. His spontaneous and intuitive style draws inspiration from many world cultural traditions. Masks and indigenous art hold special attractions for him.
In 1990 Gaston was honored with a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship, and his art is included in the Florida Art in State Buildings Collection. He has participated in hundreds of exhibitions and one can find his work in private and public collections throughout the United States.
In Florida Gaston’s art works are included in the Polk Museum of Art, Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Raymond James Financial Corporation, Holland and Knight Law Firm, Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg College and Eckerd College.
“Cathartic” 9x12 Blood painting by Jenipher Chandley.
“Penelope” by Jenipher Chandley.
Jenipher Chandley
Jenipher Chandley is a highly accomplished and internationally recognized contemporary visual artist hailing from St. Petersburg, Florida. Working predominantly with oils, she has honed her craft to create stunning representational figurative artwork infused with elements of surrealism and symbolism. Her paintings delve into the intricate relationship between nature and the human condition, exploring themes of strength, beauty, loss, pain, and, above all, resilience.
With a boundless range of concepts and styles, Jenipher's art remains deeply human and relatable. She believes that art should reflect the complexity and ever-evolving nature of humanity itself. "Humans are complex and ever-changing, so our art should be as well," she eloquently expresses.
Jenipher's work can be experienced in her local city, gracing the walls of boutiques and galleries, as well as large-scale mural installations that carry profound messages of hope. By employing various mediums such as fashion, choreography, poetry, and public arts installations, she strives to amplify the healing power of art, fostering a deeper connection between individuals and their surroundings.
An ardent advocate for artistic expression, Jenipher has dedicated the past 12 years to working with numerous non-profit organizations and community initiatives. She passionately hosts a weekly Wednesday Night art meetup, providing a platform for local artists of all skill levels to come together and share their creativity, free of charge and without commission. Furthermore, she curates monthly shows that showcase the work of emerging artists, nurturing a vibrant artistic community.
In recognition of her exceptional talent, Jenipher has recently been honored with the 2023 Emerging Artist grant from Creative Pinellas. She has also been selected as the Local Artist Spotlight by the esteemed Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in Tampa, and featured as the local spotlight artist with the American Stage Theater in St. Petersburg. Her commitment to artistic excellence is further evident through her membership in esteemed organizations such as The Portrait Society of America and the Warehouse Arts District Association.
Jenipher Chandley's artistic journey transcends geographical boundaries, captivating audiences worldwide with her thought-provoking and emotionally resonant creations. Through her art, she illuminates the depth and richness of the human experience, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those who encounter her work.
Gina Kenney and Summer Elisabeth Artlink Poster
Artlink Team: Summer Elisabeth and Gina Kenney
Summer Elisabeth Kluytman and Gina Kenney were making videos together during Creative Clay’s studio time, where Gina has been a member artist since 2002. They posted their videos on Creative Clay’s YouTube Channel. One day, an anonymous donor and long-time supporter of Creative Clay watched their video, Wickie Wallie and the Chocolate Factory, a bold and quirky spinoff of the original conceived by Gina and brought into fruition by Summer.
Summer and Gina at the Dalí Museum. Part of the work of the team is to explore museums, galleries and exhibitions in our community to learn and for inspiration.
“For our Artlink project, Gina and I are currently working on an original song that she wrote, and we sing it together,” said Teaching Artist and Gina’s Artlink mentor Summer Elisabeth Kluytman. “This collaboration has been incredible, and our vibe is positive, empowering, and emotional. Gina has a remarkable way of expressing herself through her words, emotions, and feelings.”
Ashton holds his painting for the St. Petersburg Opera Company “Carmen” exhibit.
Ashton T.
Written by Creative Clay Member Artist Ashton T.: My favorite is mostly using pencils. I have free control and can erase. Other mediums do not let you erase in the proper way. It takes a lot longer with other mediums, rather than just using a simple pencil. Black and white is more simple to use, and it is simple. Using colors takes a lot longer to get the colors right. I do like to paint on occasion. Painting is more time consuming and having the passion for the project makes it more fun to do and easier to get done, but when you are practicing sketches, pencils are easier.
One goal I have is to explore more mediums. I want to use different kinds of paints. I currently enjoy using acrylic, but I want to get into more oils and watercolor. I also enjoy the idea of exploring more mixed media art. I want to also get back into animation because it helps me understand how people and objects move in a realistic way. I use this knowledge to inspire my sketches and paintings. I always want to work on perfecting my techniques.
“Million Dollar Pier” by Ashton T.
I love listening to music. I occasionally write music myself as well, but I have not had much time to keep working on it. It takes a long time to come up with lyrics sometimes. I enjoy using GarageBand and I used to handwrite music too. I think when I see my improvements over the years that I came so and I want to keep going to see what I can do next in other mediums to push me further and to get greater than I’ll already are. I think the proudest one is when i get encourage to get what I want become in future of long comings to much items and inspired.
My proudest moment is seeing how far I have come. How much I have improved in my skills over time. Specifically, I am proud of how much details I have included into my artwork, like proper details and things. I am also proud of the shows I get accepted into. When I see it in person, I love to socialize with people. I love people getting to know me and my art. I like when they ask questions. It is hard to count which one I am most proud of because each is a different opportunity and experience. For me, I like that my family is so interested in my shows. My family and others that know me, when they show they are invested in my work, it makes me proud.
Marquise Russ
Written by Creative Clay Member Artist Marquise Russ: I came straight to Creative Clay (after high school in 2008) because my brother knew a teacher that used to work there. He got me into Creative Clay because I did not have anything to do at home. I did not know a lot about art techniques, but I was sketching on my own. As I grew, I became more independent as an artist. It was hard at first because when I first started at Creative Clay, I used to only draw really small creatures. My first piece I did was small people. I sketched a little before I started, but not much.
I like both painting and drawing. I like all my colors that I put together when I paint. I like how they all pop out, all the colors. I never know what I am doing with it until it is finished. When it's finished, I feel excited and comfortable with what I made. With painting I can move colors around with the paint, but with drawing with colored pencils I can create different shadows with different textures. When I make art, I like doing angels and landscapes. Sometimes I do both at the same time. I like the angels because one of my favorite movies is Tinker Bell. Her wings, the way they change different colors, inspires my art.
“Feel the Darkness of Red” by Marquise Russ.
I like doing music and dance. I like all the movements I can see in shows. I like watching music videos because the movements inspire me. I also sing sometimes. I know I make people happy because the last time I performed everyone clapped along. It made me feel good and happy inside.
I want to try and expand my art and move it to different galleries. I have been in a lot of shows, and it makes me feel excited that people can see my stuff. My proudest moment is when I sell art. I like when people come to events like Art Walk and ask about my art. I share my story about becoming an artist and what inspires my art and color choices. All of the colors I use inspire everybody and that makes me happy. I like when people ask me questions about my art.
I am most proud of my sculpture Winged Man which won second place at Florida CraftArt Member’s Exhibit. I did not know I was going to get second place until I got there. When I found out it made me feel happy. This is my first time getting second place prize in an art show. It made me feel proud.
The teachers inspire me because they continue to help me with the background colors. They also inspire me to try new things like clay. I enjoy using clay because it is fun. I love using my hands. I usually make animals and human figures.
My advice is if you say you aren't an artist and I see your drawings I will tell you that you are an artist. That you can draw good. Don't doubt your skill. I have a friend who doubts their art. She says she hasn't sold anything, but it takes time to sell. I encourage her that she will get there one day. It takes time to grow your art. Just believe what you do for your art.