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Although my studio is located outside the Orlando metro area, I think of Orlando as "downtown" and I spend a lot of time there. The Orlando / Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau reaches out to African-Americans nation-wide to promote Orlando as a destination. Several years ago they featured my sculpture in a variety of display ads, pamphlets, note cards and posters. They now work with a number of artists to focus on the cultural side of Orlando. The sculpture shown above (Noble Origin) was featured in ads that ran in magazines such as Ebony, Essence and The Black Convention.
The people of the central Florida and its organizations have always been very supportive of me. Orlando is a relatively young city with a struggling community of artists. For artists who do not yet have a national audience, making sales here can be a real challenge. But challenges are mixed with the opportunities that come with growth and a clever artist can grow here as well.
Brian Owens |
