Student Surrealist Art Exhibit Online: 2023 Statewide

Samantha Galon
The Escapist’s Epiphany
Mixed Media
Bell Creek Academy
Florida County
Art Teacher: Richard Runas
Grade: 6

The woman I drew in this piece represents that type of daydreaming escapist. She avoids her earthly problems by escaping to her dream-like utopia, a place where she can wallow in blissful ignorance. The rose in front of the woman represents escapism itself, and like a harmful drug, her situation is worsened by her addiction to it. The escapist’s epiphany is that she cannot ignore or evade her problems as she gets pulled back to her cruel yet crucial reality.

Madison Fleming
Untitled
Newspaper, Ink and Watercolor
Buffalo Creek Middle School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Tatiana Hernandez
Grade: 8

When I started this art piece, I had no idea what I was doing but as I began the ink process, the tentacles just came to me. I feel that the tentacles are the main and best part of my artwork. This artwork was made because of a dream I had about a month ago and felt this was a perfect opportunity to show my creativity.

Chi Nguyen
Crossing of the Soup
Watercolor and Colored Pencil
Central Middle School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Amy Jones
Grade: 8

I dreamt about a crew of organic food going to war with humans and junk food. Everyone present fought, as beads of blood, sweat, and tears paint the sea of tomato soup. My team was victorious, and the disfigured junk food sank into the vast sea of soup. Some of the humans were still moving, and they were so injured and deformed they were unrecognizable. Captain broccoli ordered the fruits and vegetables to eat the humans.

Kathy Tellez
Euphoric Swine
Ink
Conway Middle School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Amanda Morehead
Grade: 8

My piece shows bullying in a surrealistic matter. My dream is of a pig bullying the obese head by riding it and the open-eyed head seeing this and also being mistreated. The heads represent justice and injustice. Why does the pig hate them? Why does the obese head smile? Why don’t they do anything about it? My dream art is similar to Dalí’s dream art because it uses real-life subject matter but it is expressed as an imaginary concept.

Zoe Gershowitz
Her Love
Digital
Davenport School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Emily Lacasse
Grade: 7

Zoe Waldon
Hypocrisy
Paint, Pens, Colored Pencil
Dr. Mona Jain Middle School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Denise Mueller
Grade: 8

The important elements of my dream that I focus on are the lizards, the mouths, and the off-putting background. I depicted my dream through the placement of each focal point. I used paint to go over my sketches of pencil and ink. My interpretation of my dream is that the human mouths are hypocritical because the lizards they are biting also have human teeth.

Hannah O’Brien
The Instrument
Paint
Freedom Crossing Academy
St. Johns County
Art Teacher: Kathryn Frericks
Grade: 8

For this project, I was inspired by my sister, who plays an instrument for school. I wanted to incorporate that in my art, along with some surrealist elements we were taught in class like transparency and a dreamlike setting. While I was making this project, I learned that you have to harness some of your most far-fetched ideas when making surrealist art, and embrace the chaotic concepts as they pop into your head.

Brylee Barnett
Reaching
Digital
Haile Middle School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Katelyn Reyes
Grade: 6

I was inspired to create a scene that was creepy and questionable. I worked in Photoshop to combine a body of water, dead trees, and a robotic arm. I aimed to create a bizarre world to show that even though it is negative all around, there still can be life. I focused on details by adding barnacles and rust on the robotic arm to express that it was underwater for a while.

Samantha Gibson
Moon Balloons
Digital
Haile Middle School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Katelyn Reyes
Grade: 7

I explored the feeling of loneliness through my art. By combining the child and the moon balloons on a different planet, I aimed to create dreamlike space that challenges the viewer’s imagination. By adding multiple layers to create depth, I wanted the viewer to connect to a childlike loneliness while the faces on the moon relate to a lost loved one.

Alexia Aguirre
Transforming
Mixed Media
Hammocks Middle School
Dade County
Art Teacher: Katherine Martinez
Grade: 7

When I first started the art piece I began with a sketch of a realistic portrait of a kangaroo. As I added details, it took on certain human characteristics that inspired me to add jewelry. I kept adding more from the ideas that came to my mind until I considered it done. I enjoyed how process-based surrealism can be. I had a lot of fun watching the kangaroo transform before my eyes.

Anthony Brinquez
Nightmare
Photography
Highland Oaks Middle
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Anna Weiss
Grade: 8

My piece was made to invoke a creepy feeling with the shadows created by the light underneath the person. The skull adds a sense of dread and intensity as it is being held by a person who seems to be utterly engulfed by fear. To get a stark contrast between the main object and the background, I placed a blackboard behind the person and turned off all the lights in the classroom so that absolutely no light could get in the background of the image.

Mildreth Trinidad Bautista
Disoriented
Ink on Paper
Hill-Gustat Middle School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Megan Ekenstedt
Grade: 7

Abagail Upton
The Grandeathe
Recycled Materials
Jewett Middle Academy Magnet
Polk County
Art Teacher: Caitlin Friedenstein
Grade: 8

I used cardboard and other recycled materials to make this piece. The dream inspiring my art happened shortly after my old piano teacher’s funeral, who died of breast cancer. This piece displays how something giving comfort can quickly turn into something unsettling as piano playing did for me. I love this artwork because it really let me work out some unsettling feelings about my old piano teacher, whom I, and everyone I knew, loved very much.

Leah Austin
Ice Cream Dream
Mixed Media
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
Polk County
Art Teacher: Areti Clark
Grade: 7

Caryss Silva
The Sandman
Mixed Medium
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
Polk County
Art Teacher: Areti Clark
Grade: 7

Jessica Tran
The Marionette’s Dream
Mixed Media
Louise R. Johnson K-8 School of International Studies
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Elfi Garcia
Grade: 7

The idea for The Marionette’s Dream is that our dreams are being controlled by some outside force. The outside force in this picture is represented by the big, purple lady. The marionette doll being controlled by her is the “dreamer.” The castle in the sky shows a good dream while the bottom part of the cloud is a nightmare. For this artwork, I used mainly watercolor with some metallic paint, gel pens and colored pencil.

Quinn Carlson
Lunacy
Colored Pencil
McNair Middle School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Jennifer Bergendahl
Grade: 7

Alexa Gonzalez
Dreaming from the Depths
Mixed Media
Miami Arts Studio 6-12
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Brian Reedy
Grade: 8

This was partially inspired by the part of Alice In Wonderland when she falls asleep and gets carried away into another world in her dream. In my piece, she is melting away from reality into the dreamland she created for herself. She travels through oceans, plains and comes across a weird creature that’s watching her. All of this comes in small snippets that glow around her, bringing light to the darkness.

Alejandra Perry
Intuition
Acrylic
Paul W Bell Middle School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Lisa Oberlander
Grade: 8

When eyes do not see, the mind reveals. The individual at the focal point of the painting is blind; the greys tones of her face and eyes bind her to the dark void surrounding her. Still, her mind, ears, mouth, and tears are wide open; they are colored like her vision. Though she does not see, she feels the shape of dreams.

Ania Medina-Lopez
The Thing
Graphite and Colored Pencil
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Simoni Limeira-Bonadies
Grade: 7

The creation of this piece was inspired by a drawing my friend and I did. It is about deviation and juxtaposition and an imaginary creature that is a Thing, a toilet-a-poo, or maybe pipes.

Trinity Wiggs
The Candy Shop
Colored Pencil
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Brandie King
Grade: 8

I created this piece because I am inspired by the way chameleons can change colors to blend into their environmental surroundings. I think it is fascinating how each scale on a chameleon can independently change colors and how their tails can curl around branches to hold them up. Because of this, I decided to turn the tail of the chameleon in a rainbow lollipop and make the setting a candy shop.

Myah Burchell
Nightmares
Acrylic
Rowlett Middle Academy
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Brittany Braniger
Grade: 8

I am inspired by Salvador Dalí because I find creating with dreams and nightmares to be very interesting. My creative process comes from combining different kinds of dreams and nightmares. People go through ups and downs throughout their lives which effect their dreams and nightmares. Putting those experiences together can create something beautiful or destructive. I used acrylic paint, markers and different brushes to create multiple textures on this project.

Sofia Cardenas
Optical Clickers
Mixed Media
Rowlett Middle Academy
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Brittany Braniger
Grade: 8

Optical Clickers was inspired by a zombie character from the game and show “The Last of Us” as well as things that are nightmare-inducing. I wanted this piece to remind people of the optical illusion of the ball infinitely rolling down a hole. I also wanted it to be disturbing to the eye and be a bit uncomfortable to look at. I believe that I effectively accomplished both tasks.

Mayson Strauss
Art In Motion
Acrylic and Metallic Paint
Sculptor Charter School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Michelle Akimenko
Grade: 8

My artwork shows the dark side of dreams and that there is always light shining through. I decided to depict my dream in this painting by showing the dark swirls representing bad, and the colorful shapes as the good. I used a popsicle stick with ridges in it then swirled it on the paper. I then used metallic watercolor paint to add to the movement in my painting and represent the “shining through” concept.

Madeline Katz
Open Mind Exploration
Digital
Wedgefield K8
Orange County
Art Teacher: Ellen Kramer
Grade: 8

This is the second of four pieces from my art collection “Pieces of My Mind.” I wondered what it would be like to look into my own head, with my interests, hobbies, and likings then I made “Open Mind Exploration.” I love looking into the night sky and seeing different photos of planets, black holes, different types of stars and nebulas. I’ve always been fascinated by this and wanted to reflect that with a surreal twist to show how this is me.

Lia Morla
Snake Eyes
Colored Pencil
Winston Park K-8 Center
Dade County
Art Teacher: Isabel Sigarroa
Grade: 6

For this artwork, I wanted to focus on the head while capturing the concept of surrealism. My purpose with this piece was try to express emotions. One could interpret this artwork as an expression of our minds and our many thoughts. As a person on the spectrum who struggles to express emotions, I find that art gives me a voice in the world. I really thought it would be interesting and fun to do something like this.

Mia de Pedro-Rivera
Colonnade
Watercolor and Ink
Winthrop Charter School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Jill Maxwell
Grade: 8

Colonnade is a dream-like artwork with unidentifiable creatures enjoying their day at an arcade. What makes my artwork surreal is its non-realistic dream like creatures that most likely haven’t be realistically seen on earth playing arcade games and drinking at the bar like human beings. I used some surrealist techniques like displacement, levitation and transparency with details like the floating chairs, wine glass, or the misplaced mini aquarium in the claw machine.

Lainey Deckinga
The Fairy Has Fallen Down A Tunnel Of Infinite Color
Newspaper, Ink and Watercolor
Buffalo Creek Middle School
Art Teacher: Tatiana Hernandez
Grade: 8

Natalie Guevara
The Circus
Digital
Davenport School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Emily Lacasse
Grade: 7

Abigail Clark
Holding Shattered Glass
Painting
Freedom Crossing Academy
St. Johns County
Art Teacher: Kathryn Frericks
Grade: 8

Max Dessoffy
The Frog-Horse
Color Pencils
Freedom Crossing Academy
St. Johns County
Art Teacher: Kathryn Frericks
Grade: 8

Marcella Profeta
In my Dreams
Scratchboard
Hammocks Middle School
Dade County
Art Teacher: Katherine Martinez
Grade: 8

Valeria Guzman
Untitled
Colored Pencil on Paper
Hill-Gustat Middle School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Megan Ekenstedt
Grade: 7

Lilly Choe
Dream-making
mixed media
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
Polk County
Art Teacher: Areti Clark
Grade: 8

Kenneth Goff
The Rapture
Color Pencils And Markers On Mix Media Paper
Louise R. Johnson K-8 School of International Studies
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Elfi Garcia
Grade: 8

Kaia Mulock
Night Time Dive
Color pencils, alcohol markers, gel pens on paper
Louise R. Johnson K-8 School of International Studies
Manatee Count
Art Teacher: Elfi Garcia
Grade: 8

Atenea Elzmendez
The Floating Island
Graphite and Colored Pencil
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Simoni Limeira-Bonadies
Grade: 7

Sara Farley
Heaven and Hell
Graphic Art
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Brandie King
Grade: 8

Zoe Sweeney
The Listening Room
Color pencil
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Simoni Limeira-Bonadies
Grade: 7

Faith Spiegel
Eye In The Sky
Modeling Clay
Sculptor Charter School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Michelle Akimenko
Grade: 7

Olivia Miehl
POP Goes the Fishy!
Digital
Wedgefield K8
Orange County
Art Teacher: Ellen Kramer
Grade: 8

Nour Aloumari
Midnight Strikes
acrylic and ink
Winthrop Charter School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Jill Maxwell
Grade: 6

Chantel Costoso
Goba
colored pencil, watercolor, ink
Winthrop Charter School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Jill Maxwell
Grade: 6

Amelia De Leon
A Glimpse of the Past
Oil
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerald Obregon
Grade: 11

My work is a metaphorical description of something abstract like my experience with dreaming. The use of oil paint helps to execute softer edges in my ruminative figures. The female subject is clear above the night sky resting on the waxing crescent moon, dreaming, examining the mystery shadow from beneath. The smoke gives her direction but the shadow lying against the tree is unclear.

Hailey Morales
Dolly’s Legacy
Acrylic
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerald Obregon
Grade: 12

I can relate my process of creating art to quotes by Dalí because the majority of my pieces have very profound meaning even if I don’t exactly know how to put it into words. This piece is similar to Dalí’s dream art in the sense that he often draws hallucinatory characters. In my opinion, that is as similar as my piece can get to his art because of how distinct his style and the meanings behind his work are.

Yirabel Rodriguez
Feline Fantasy
Watercolor and Pen
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerald Obregon
Grade: 10

In the dream expressed in my art, the important elements are the fantasy and sweetness of the rodents themselves. I decided to depict them as classy group of mice. I used references from classic Victorian paintings and depictions of this fashion. I used watercolor to portray the lightness of the scene. I wanted to do something whimsical. I like to create art that personifies animals in curious and unlikely situations.

Maia Sierra
Too Many Mouths To Feed
Acrylic
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerald Obregon
Grade: 11

When I started this piece, I decided to try visualizing a sensation I often feel in my dreams. Similar to when you’re in a dream and you feel that you are falling, I wanted to visualize the feeling of not being able to communicate. In order to capture this sensation on a sheet of paper, I decided to implement the use of contrast and focus into my work.

Reagan Miller
Elephant’s Playground
Watercolor and Colored Pencil
Bay High School
Bay County
Art Teacher: Amanda Hunt
Grade: 11

My idea for the theme, “Shape of Dreams” was to portray two elephants roaming over a large city. The idea to use elephants is influenced by the numerous elephant components throughout Dalí’s paintings. The elephants symbolize future and strength, which inspired me to make the curious elephants as hands to metaphorically represent the future held within mankind. Primary colors were chosen to have the focal point be the main subjects against the city.

Sabiha Sharif
Bleeding Fortuity
Acrylic
Bell Creek Academy
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 11

As in dreams, all the colors, all the lines, all the shapes become blurred into this imaginative piece of art. I blended paint in my work since it is similar to the way the images in our mind mix into a disarray of scenes. After painting, I tore three holes into the paper, symbolizing the cryptic chaos our subconscious creates. The red represents wounds. Sometimes, the deepest parts of ourselves present themselves when we’re vulnerable deep in our slumber.

Beatrice Volosen
Freedom
Ink and Graphite
Bell Creek Academy
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 10

At the time of creating this piece, I tried to contemplate what the shape of dreams actually meant to me. My answer at the time was freedom. I created this when I felt like a bird drowning in the sea when I dreamed of flying past the moon. By formatting this piece like a tarot card, I hoped to express my dream for freedom through the implications of divination.

Olivia Wagner
The Deceit of Dominions
Mixed Media
Bell Creek Academy
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 10

The battered Dominion shields the woman, a descendent of Eve, from her whispers of falsehood. The wolves, tearing at the woman’s skin, are symbolic of the violence of religious corruption, as well as humanity being ‘thrown to the wolves’ after man’s first sin. The Holy Spirit, represented as two doves (the father and son) watch idly from the sidelines as an option. Religion is a complex subject that feels like it’s being held together by a singular red string.

Carlos Polanco
The Chimp’s Final Stage
Mixed Media
Coral Reef Senior High
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Perri Cox
Grade: 10

This exhibit has granted me the opportunity to dig into the depths of my mind and tie random thoughts, memories, and ideas together, all with a strange feeling of familiarity, and somehow contain it in a sheet of paper. Dalí’s influence is clearly seen in this piece with the desert landscape and the interference between the background and foreground, creating a centered image that lies somewhere in between. I was able to show things that I love and destroy them.

Paula Utrera
Hidden Figures
Acrylic
Coral Reef Senior High
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Perri Cox
Grade: 10

Art is dreaming and beyond. It starts with an idea and ends on paper. My dream depicts the creatures in both the light and shadows by turning on a light that shows freedom and colors, to the dark corners of a room where rats can be heard. I believe my vision is similar to Dalí’s; it may look real, but will never become a reality. Only one question remains, “Why is the furniture on the ceiling?”

Emily Wood
Fortune Favors the Few
Acrylic
Dr. Phillips High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Abigail Callaway
Grade: 12

The loss of control in dreams is a factor that I wanted to express through this piece. Having dreams
present themselves with no order and common sense feels like someone is controlling your future and your decisions, much like a fortune teller.

Daniel Huang
Euphoric Dreams: Diving into Unconscious Depths
Colored Pencil and Graphite
Eastside High School
Alachua County
Art Teacher: Luann Howard-Blaskowski
Grade: 11

My intention for “Shape of Dreams” was to portray the mind in its unconscious form. Taking inspiration from Freud, the drawing uses many vibrant colors to symbolize the euphoric aspect of REM sleep. This is contrasted by the monochromatic individual at the center, symbolizing the sobering realization that our unconscious experiences are not real. The drawing also references components of Dalí’s paintings such as The Moon and the motif of circles commonly seen throughout his works.

Naish Hernadez
Gutty Buddy
Mixed Media
Entirety K-12
Hernando County
Art Teacher: Melanie Dilly
Grade: 11

My artwork was made from my dreams and how it would look in one photo. What inspired me to do this is the other students’ artwork in the museum. My art expresses myself in a lot of ways, like how I enjoy cute things, and some scary things. I feel like my artwork is a cartoony and colorful version of Dalí’s art and looks somewhat similar in a way.

Jasmine Guibaud
Sleeping Cat
Colored Pencil
Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Brenda Fischer
Grade: 10

For my Salvador Dalí project I choose to base my dreams loosely on my future. I put different animals in the drawing because I want a career involving animals in the future. I also drew a staircase and a clock with hand pointed at my birthday which represents looking towards the future.

Navya Pant
Stuck in my Mind
Ceramics with Acrylic
Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Jamie Filo
Grade: 11

I wanted to capture the bizarre and mesmerizing characteristics of dreams in my artwork. Just like how dreams combine reality with fantasy, my art is an amalgamation of multiple different subjects. The tail of the creature symbolizes a road leading into the unknown. The Venus flytrap and the eye signify how we are captivated by dreams, constantly trying to decipher their meaning. The arrows represent a broken clock, showing how time becomes meaningless when dreaming.

Shyenne Reid
Untitled
Acrylic
Gateway High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Joseph M Trask
Grade: 11

My dreams are a gateway to my subconscious mind. In my dreams, I live and see life from the perspective of my characters. My subconscious mind helps me to visualize a world where I can further understand and design my chapters. I can visualize their environment and feel the emotions that they feel. With the inspiration of my dreams, I am able to create visual art that reflects upon my unconscious mind.

Kenzie Argus
Forget Yesterday
Acrylic and Pen
Horizon High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Christine Murphy
Grade: 11

My artwork is a representation of the consequences of greed as the two sides, full of contrasting hues, clash as past and present. On the right is a money tree in the sunlight, presenting the idea that money, the center of our lives, can buy us happiness. To the left, there are dark swirls of shadows creeping over the next day, reaching out towards the present with a river running red. This represents the sins a person commits for money catching up to them.

Zoe Pollmann
Eyeball Soup
Ceramics
Horizon High School
Orange County
Art Teacher:
Christine Murphy
Grade: 12

Madison Jorge
Easter
Found Objects and Acrylic
Hudson High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Faith Neris
Grade: 10

Isis Mango
Computerized Heaven
Pen and Ink
Hudson High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ariana Santillana
Grade: 9

Sydney Keller
Pieces of Ourself
Digital
Jupiter High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Sarah Knudtson
Grade: 11

Society will often hide behind masks to present their ideal selves, but through dreams, they are confronted with a reflection of their inner thoughts. To depict this concept, my digital painting showcases a humanlike creature removing the plastic parts of itself to reveal the underneath muscle and bone, thus symbolizing how dreams strip the filters of our minds present during the day that conform to fit into the world’s common sense.

Zach Lobel
Share
Oil
Jupiter High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Sarah Knudtson
Grade: 12

Johanna Ovebeck
Hysteria
Mixed Media
Jupiter High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Sarah Knudtson
Grade: 10

My artwork is meant to create a sense of movement and chaos, reflecting the constant changes in our conscience. The name “Hysteria” highlights the never-ending cycle of judgment we pass on not only to ourselves, but other people. For my process, I created a gel print and collaged photographs that I’ve taken with images from magazines.

Abby Schaefer
Domestic Nightmare
Mixed Media
Jupiter High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Sarah Knudtson
Grade: 12

The sculpture Domestic Nightmare was meant to explore the expectations of people and neurodivergence. The plates and cup are not functional in the traditional sense, yet they elicit an emotional response because of the way they have been reconstructed. This relates to the experience of mounting social expectations and the struggle to fulfill them.

Rich Rivera
Reality
Digital
Keystone Prep High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Stacey Rusch
Grade: 12

When thinking about the exhibit’s theme, I had a lot of ideas and questions. In a philosophical standpoint, we don’t have a definite answer if we are dreaming until we wake up. Can we ever say with certainty that this life we live is not a dream? I wanted to express that thought throughout my whole piece. The glass acts as our window to what is real or not.

Savannah Gagen
Poise of Harmony and the Absurd
Mixed Media
Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Christine Munoz
Grade: 9

I used the surrealist techniques of levitation and juxtaposition in a collage in my own style to capture a dream. There is contrast between the cartoonish style of the octopus and the photograph clipping that makes up the crow, which I believe could represent the duality of my identity: creativity and rationality. The paintings on opposing sides further this idea of duality.

Avery Scharr
Distorted Vision
Acrylic
Lake Mary High School
Seminole County
Art Teacher: Karen LeBlanc
Grade: 10

By using techniques such as levitation and transparency within this piece, the artist explores dark surrealism. The careful balance of mind and matter alludes to the dreamlike state that exists in the human body. Can the brain and body exist separate from one another? Does the bio-mechanical form of the body imply an unexplored and cryptic part of the mind? This story of the psyche and anatomy is explored through the shape of dreams.

Jacelyn Velazquez
01100110 01101111 01111000
Mixed Media
Lake Mary High School
Seminole County
Art Teacher: Karen LeBlanc
Grade: 12

The two main elements of this piece hold sentimental value to me. Is the fox real or not? This piece is a representation of a fox, fading and glitching while creating the illusion of it disappearing into non-existence. Inspired by binary code & The Matrix, the title is Binary Code for the word “fox;” A complimentary mixture of the digital world and nature.

Ava Fritze
Visions of Gravity
Mixed Media
Lakewood Ranch High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Adela Salas
Grade: 12

To bring my dream of a deep sea of blue tones to life, I selected different shades of blue to create a sense of fluidity. I aimed to create a structure that was graceful and flowing but not too overpowering or chaotic. Overall, my goal was to capture the essence of my dream in a way that would truly resonate with the audience and transport them to the same captivating dream world I had experienced.

Isley Kellison
Adoration
Digital
Magnet Innovation Center
Walton County
Art Teacher: Melissa Buckner
Grade: 12

The important aspects of my dream that I focus on are themes of detachment, freedom from identity, whimsy, and the romance associated with these. Through a romantic lens of adoration comes a detachment from one’s identity – referenced by the two bodies mirrored but contrasted in pose and palette – and thus one experiences a resulting giddiness and whimsy portrayed by the vivid color palette. In the pursuit of attachment, the subject detaches from the self.

Caitlynn Blowers
Death of the Feminine Dream
Watercolor and Ink
Manatee School for the Arts
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Melissa Aldan
Grade: 12

Death of the Feminine Dream is a representation of my identity as a woman and how it feels society is approaching an eraser of women. In a world that creeps closer to androgyny, my experiences as a girl approaching womanhood feel insignificant and belittled by many people in my life. Women are pressured to follow the same schedules, dress codes, and roles as men, instead of being accepted for our nature.

Nicolina Isaac
United Against Cruelty
Mixed Media
Manatee School for the Arts
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Melissa Aldan
Grade: 12

My motive in this piece was to capture a problem in society that I wanted to resolve. Animals are a major part of my everyday life since I have a farm, I decided to make a project aimed towards my strong opinion against animal cruelty. Animals are oftentimes subjected to cruel conditions all across the world, but my dream is for animal cruelty to one day stop forever.

Alyssa Krupnick
Chocolate Sunshine Stairway
Mixed Media
Merritt Island High School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Amy Martin
Grade: 12

When we dream, it is like we are floating; submerged in the experience but never truly present. My piece depicts the feeling of dreams as a whole. I wanted to give an uncanny feel by combining striking imagery with muted colors. The piece appears visually unified, yet there is no coherent pattern or setting. It is impossible to determine what is actually going on. Just like with dreams, it is up to the viewer to fill in the gaps and decide what it means.

Annabella Soldevilla
A Tormented Intellect
Acrylic
Miami Arts Studio 6-12
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Brian Reedy
Grade: 11

This piece is an homage to the great works of classic Russian literature from Dostoevsky to Tolstoy and Bulgakov to Chekhov. In attempt to emulate the raw passion and torment of humanity displayed in these stories, this painting gives the audience a window into the dreamlike world wherein one considers questions of the heart versus the mind and struggles to find balance between what is easy and what is true.

Nicolle Zamora
Doppelganger Dream
Colored Pencil
Miami Arts Studio 6-12
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Brian Reedy
Grade: 10

My inspiration behind this piece was the idea of symmetry. The theme helped me challenge myself and think outside of the box. I experimented with different ways I could utilize symmetry. I typically do portraits but not with this type of composition. With the use of primary colors, I combine color differences and create symmetrical unity.

Jenna Mirmelli
Road to Delusion
Watercolor and Pen
Miami Beach Senior High
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Grace Cox
Grade: 9

The inspiration that led to this piece was a vibrant dreamlike Wonderland in which visions would turn into an unsure bizarre reality. It’s a place to feel liberated from the worries of the world where you’d find nature and objects to be abnormal, lost in reverie: a hiraeth. An attachment to a hazy spectacle you never want to abandon but can never legitimately exist within exists here.

Max Castel
Self Portrait
Digital
NeoCity Academy
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Natalie Menedez
Grade: 9

My artwork is based off a nightmare. Dreams can be warmhearted and happy but can also be ice cold and scary. I depict the darker side of dreams that we wish to forget. Through the depiction of being inside a ball of ice, I can convey the feeling of being alive but forgotten. There but also not there. To perfectly create an image of the theme, dream, I decided to depict the unforgettable side of dreams: Nightmares.

Andres Colon
Self Portrait
Digital
NeoCity Academy
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Geoffrey von Rentzell
Grade: 9

In the dream, the kid in the bathroom represents our young, naïve self. We are prone to betrayal and depression. We can start to find hope, but only in the reflection of those we admire. We won’t know all the reasons behind out feelings, but we can make efforts to change. Only Jesus can save us. May God protect us all.

Samantha Valenzuela
Self Portrait
Digital
NeoCity Academy
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Michael Mistler
Grade: 9

I feel like this artwork accurately reflects my dreams since sometimes my dreams are random and nonsensical like a surrealist painting. Some of the elements of the artwork were decided randomly, to reflect how random my dreams are. However, some things like the chess-related elements in the artwork were inspired by my own hobbies and personality.

Madison Gonzalez
Swimming in Tears
Digital
New Smyrna Beach High
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Laura Johnson
Grade: 12

I took inspiration from the many pieces of surreal art that incorporate eyes. I have always been fascinated with eyes and wanted to add them in a surrealistic way. This piece shows a goldfish with an unusual eye in the center of its body. It is in a bowl that is being filled with tears form the outer eye.

Katie Vordenberg
My Kingdom’s Dream
Digital
New Smyrna Beach High
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Tina Curry
Grade: 12

My Kingdom’s Dream is an illustration of a mystical beast that appears in my dreams often, symbolic of the uncertain and ever-changing world around me. The bright colors tempt the viewer into taking a ride. This dreamlike environment is void of people, to represent me ignoring the negativity of others.

Eva Wilson
A Stitch in Time
Digital
New Smyrna Beach High
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Tina Curry
Grade: 12

My work symbolizes my three recurring dreams. One is of a mother and daughter who grew apart physically and mentally; something they both regret. To mend their broken relationship, they commit to fully trusting one another. The second dream is of two sisters mending a relationship that became strained when they were younger. The third dream is of two opposite women who became friends. Over time, their relationship became strained, but as they matured, they realized what they had and want to be friends again.

Kylie Mabe
A Child’s Nightmare Lives on Forever
Colored Pencil
North Marion High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Gloria Sed
Grade: 12

I drew my reoccurring childhood nightmare. This nightmare consisted of me sitting on my bathroom floor watching cockroaches flood out from the faucets and vents. I aged the bathroom, used a recent portrait of myself, and wrote “A child’s nightmare lives on forever” to show that I can remember every detail of that dream from years ago. I also implemented Dalí’s melting clocks which symbolize “the lack of meaning and fluidity of time in the dream world” to back up my statement.

Alanna Duque
Deception
Scratchboard
North Port High School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Felecia DeSiano
Grade: 9

I like my art to be interpreted in whichever way the viewer pleases. When I made Deception, my mind felt very warped and distorted. I was having difficulties with friendships, self-esteem and love. I felt like depicting the act of multitasking, while letting go. Letting go of love is difficult, especially when they continue to deceive you. So, what else to do except to deceive everyone?

Rhiannon Joiner
Snake Lady
Digital
North Port High School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Chloe DuBois
Grade: 12

I found the skeletal snake tail to be the most striking part of the woman in my dream and so in my artwork I placed it front and center. I interpret the skeletal part as a manifestation my deep-seated fear of mortality. The addition of the snake as my favorite animal makes me believe the overall meaning is that even things one loves most are impermanent.

Ambrynn Julius
Starry Eyed
Mixed Media
North Port High School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Chloe DuBois
Grade: 12

My art piece embodies a dream-like state that comes from the over consumption of alcohol. From my research, alcohol gives a feeling of being weightless and being confident that anything is possible. I used different printmaking techniques like linocuts and intaglio-carving methods to make this dream a reality.

Makenzie Rodgers
Something Blue
Mixed Media
North Port High School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Felecia DeSiano
Grade: 12

I focused on the manifest and latent content of my dream. The overall plot of my dream is focused on the hidden topic of jealousy. I depicted my dream in a multimedia collage format to show the illogical nature of dreams. Due to the illogical nature of the dream, the questions still stand as to what it means in my real life. My art is like Dalí’s dream art because it is very illogical looking. However, I express more of a detailed understanding of my dream.

Isabella Phou
Lured
Digital
The Ohana Institute
Walton County
Art Teacher: Vivian Moreia Komando
Grade: 10

Some important elements in Lured that I decided to focus on were the coloring and realism of the eyes compared to the imaginary beings in the middle. In my interpretation of this dream, the siren lures a creature that is similar to a human. However, the eyes, who are the outsiders, distort the story and show us their view of the other beings. This moment is only seen from the perspective of these outsiders.

Pedro De Oliveira Almeida
Red Octopus
Digital
Olympia High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Joanna Levine
Grade: 12

Octopus are fascinating and peculiar creatures. When I was in a gloomy hotel, I sketched an idea. Then I recreated it in a digital platform and added dark colors that created suspense in my visual story.

Shayra A. Rodriguez Troche
The Timeline of Dreams
Mixed Media
Osceola High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Maria Custis
Grade: 10

I decided to depict my strange dreams, the elements that come from memory and from my subconscious. Each of the elements in my dreams have meaning. The amapola flower is symbolic of my country; I always saw them in my grandma’s house. Rotting fruits show the fleeting nature of dreams. The clock represents how in some dreams time lasts for eternity while others are finished in seconds. I wonder, why do I forget some of dreams faster than others?

Max Babyak
Clouded Imagination
Digital
Parrish Community High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Hailey Patalano
Grade: 11

My artwork is a digital illustration that depicts the loss of childlike wonder and imagination. As time moves forward the mind of a child becomes less and less creative, therefore developing more logical thinkers. The carousel, which only moves forward, represents the inevitable passing of time. The creativity and inaccuracy of childhood dreams is exemplified through flying animals. The animals ascend into the sky becoming clouds, symbolizing the realistic perception you gain as you age.

Ellie Raistrick
Unplugged
Digital
Parrish Community High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Hailey Patalano
Grade: 12

When people watch TV, a disassociation from reality allows viewers to enter a different world; a dreamlike environment that is not plagued with their problems. These settings are often surreal and hazy, symbolic of fantasizing an escape. Transporting to an uncanny dimension permits for the chance to leave our worries behind.

Chloe Roeterdink
Red Giant
Digital
Parrish Community High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Cary Jones
Grade: 11

The dream that inspired the artwork was extremely chaotic in nature. It involved a giant “space” opening up before a crowd of people, representing an “imbalance” in the world. The planet itself was a major part of this imbalance and its size showed the severity of the situation. The experience felt very connected, although nothing quite made sense. It felt like a perfect subject for a surreal drawing to capture the imagery from a dream.

Tanner Issacs
Insomnia
Watercolor and Ink
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Sharon Salamon
Grade: 11

I often have nightmares that reflect my current fears and anxieties. I represented common nightmares through this artwork. For example, the snake with the infantile face represents how a lot of times in my dreams something that seems benign on the surface becomes a danger to myself and to others. This work is a reflection of how our subconscious twists our conscious anxieties into tangible threats within our nightmares.

Hana Mullen
Pigs and Dragons
Colored Pencil
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Louis Miller
Grade: 9

This piece is done in watercolor and colored pencil with vibrant colors to convey a dreamy, unreal mood. I was inspired by a phrase my family and I have used since I was young, “Pigs and Dragons”– our way of saying goodnight and I love you in three words. The yellows are symbols of childish joy and blues are of peace and safety. The people are the real world looking into ourselves at sleep.

Ellarose Sherman
Fleeting Warmth
Mixed Media
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Sharon Salamon
Grade: 10

Winter is both beautiful and deadly. In this mixed media watercolor painting, as the last evening light makes the snow sparkle, the rabbit is confronted with the impending, unavoidable dream of death.

Ava Wasilewski
Postmortem Ascension
Graphite
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Louis Miller
Grade: 10

Postmortem Ascension depicts a skull and vertebrae within a circling staircase. My piece is a depiction of the entropy of death: the body falls apart, hence the disarray of the few skeletal pieces, and the soul then must navigate to a higher plane of existence. Although a simple staircase, the strange juxtaposition of the objects symbolizes the dubiety of death, offering an explanation to the perpetual question: What occurs postmortem?

Jackie Wasserman
Hey Aqualung
Digital
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Louis Miller
Grade: 12

A representation of the classic Jethro Tull song, Aqualung, Hey Aqualung shows a homeless man on a park bench with water in his lungs – make that an entire fishbowl. Some would say it’s a symptom of his addiction to cigarettes which he collects the ends of in his mug. The piece itself took 25 hours… I hope you love it as much as I do!

Kalyn Wiggins
Consumed by Nightmares
Watercolor and Colored Pencil
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Louis Miller
Grade: 10

With the theme “Shape of Dreams,” I was drawn to the idea of night terrors and sleep paralysis. I wanted to capture the essence of how dreams or nightmares can feel like reality and can instill deep fear. Many people, including myself, have experienced life-like nightmares, some of which seem to take over one’s life, almost as if their very being is being consumed by terrifying thoughts and images.

Corinne Candelario
Daydream
Mixed Media
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 12

My mixed media drawing depicts a girl daydreaming about fish over a dreamlike background. I created this piece to celebrate imagination during childhood because imagination and creativity are two of the most important aspects of growth and development. I was able to convey this idea using bright vivid colors with acrylic paints, colored pencils, and alcohol markers.

Alydia Dumpert
Melodic
Watercolor and Pen
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 12

My piece is inspired by emotions one experiences while listening to or playing music. I wanted to capture the surreal energy and emotion of music and translate it into visual art. I used bright colors and a swirl pattern to symbolize inspiration and creativity. The colors and patterns create a sense of movement and flow that echoes the experience of listening to music. I believe art and music both have the power to transform.

Mya Schwarm
Sweet 6teen
Acrylic
Robert Morgan Educational Center
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher:
Milagros Gonzalez
Grade: 10

I started drawing whatever came to my mind and drew the girl in my art. While I was looking at it, I thought it was missing the dream part of surrealism, so I made it her birthday. I used acrylics because I wanted to show how black the background was. Usually in my dreams it is just a black background with people, so I wanted to show how my art would look in my dream.

Dalani Thomas
Inside a Student’s Mind
Acrylic and Collage
Robert Morgan Educational Center
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Milagros Gonzalez
Grade: 9

Throughout my years as a student, I’ve experienced lots of emotions. But the main emotions I felt were stress, anger, and sadness. I wanted to express those emotions using objects or living things; My emotions going up and down like stairs or mountains or me being angry at an assignment like a Doberman growling at an enemy. The eye represents a viewer looking in my brain as I try to pay attention in class, but my feelings are distracting me.

Kaja Ehrhardt
Nightmare of a Shooting Star
Mixed Media
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Kasondra Price
Grade: 12

When exploring the landscape of dreams, I wanted to focus on a nighttime fantasy. I used classic imagery of counting sheep and shooting stars to get across the aspect of falling asleep and into a dream. A unicorn, a figure of purity and grace, slips into the hold of snakelike hand representing the descent of an oncoming nightmare.

Isabel Kraby
Breakout
Mixed Media
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Christine Colby
Grade: 12

This piece is part of my Under the Surface portfolio and depicts a brain emerging from a head with the face peeling back. Fingers, which I created from molds of my own hands, are on either side of the opening in the canvas to emphasize that the brain is “escaping” from the body. Other media I used were papier-mâché, yarn, embroidery thread and wire. It is meant to represent not only one’s internal anatomy, but the emotions they conceal under the surface as well.

Emma Fordham
Dissolving Reality
Watercolor and Gouache
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Steven Van Dam
Grade: 12

Watercolor was used in a fluid application with defined movements to portray the flowing modernism. Illustrating the reach of flora within a modern sphere of abandoning a natural reality for the shaping, fabricated future.

Leah Koehler
The Flame of Knowledge Ignited
Gouache and Gel Pen
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Steven Van Dam
Grade: 10

This piece is not about my dream but about the dreams of women in the Victorian era. Women were beginning to gain rights and responsibilities in society. The future was bright for them, but the struggle would be long and hard. Looking back, their fight seemed hopeless. But women could now hold limited jobs and live alone, and a Queen was in power. Inside this woman’s head is the flame of knowledge, now available to women.

Zoe Lucas
Frog In My Throat
Watercolor and Ink
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Steven Van Dam
Grade: 11

Dreams reflect fears and insecurities held within the real world projected into the endeavors of one’s subconscious. Asphyxiation is commonly in my dreams therefore I interpreted the idiom “frog in my throat” through a literal yet creative representation of reflecting appreciation of language and art. Dreams lack self-control hence the figures that aren’t myself. Anatomical representation metaphorically shows the breaking down of dreams similar to medical posters.

Anastasya McConniel
Rotating Paranoia
Watercolor and Ink
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Kristy Harris
Grade: 11

Angel Rivera
Emergence of Reality
Oil
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Steven Van Dam
Grade: 9

The crack in my forehead symbolizes the instability of our lives while the dreams represent the hopes and fears that propel us forward. The checkerboard is left open to interpretation, leaving viewers to contemplate their understanding of the world. Against a blue background, I am depicted with a glow because I am the only real subject. The idea, “dreams come true,” reminds us that our aspirations can help us navigate through the complex and uncertain world we live in.

Michael Senton
A Capella
Charcoal
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Kristy Harris
Grade: 12

Dominique O’Leary
Mother Pearl
Watercolor and Charcoal
Sickles High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Megan Fernandez
Grade: 12

Michael Meintzinger
Vintage Nightmare
Colored Pencil
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Kemachat Sirichanvimol
Grade: 10

In this Vintage Nightmare, the vintage elements represent a reoccurring sense of dread, fear, and anxiety. The eerie nature of the dream is emphasized through the dual sense of danger and comfort. It is this deceiving comfort that is further emphasized through the lurking danger.

Ella Neuffer
Timed Admiration
Colored Pencil and Acrylic
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Jill Hallauer
Grade: 11

To love and to be unloved is what is displayed in my piece. I used aspects of transformation and displacement to encompass the feeling of someone’s love being burned out by another’s indifference to their admiration. My inspiration was drawn from my personal experience of love in the past. Soon to be completely melted, the lover is hopeful of being remolded and sculpted to be whole again, waiting to be kept and cherished; to never be burned.

Alicia Neveils
Omniscient
Mixed Media
Suwannee High School
Suwannee County
Art Teacher: Pamela Williams
Grade: 11

My art explores the concept of omnipotence and and all-seeing through the depiction of a ghost-like figure with a single eye in the center of a draped sheet, positioned on a pedestal. The figure is surrounded by a halo of eyeballs that extends beyond the page, emphasizing the idea of all-seeing and the mysterious nature of power. My work seeks to inspire the viewer to consider the meaning and symbolism behind the piece and to reflect on their own relationship with the concept of omnipotence and all-seeing.

Jayden Alyson Melo
A Botanical Union
Digital
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Kayla Helmus
Grade: 9

This work derives from my personal childhood fascination with any and everything biological. I made this piece based on loose recollections of dreams I had when younger. As a child, I would channel this fascination into designs through art, drawing and writing. Personifying the marriage between the different species of plants is something that only dreams grant the permission to do.

Leanna Ortiz
A Beautiful Surprise
Digital
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Kayla Helmus
Grade: 9

My artwork is meant to symbolize that change is full of surprises. I focused on the artistic method of surrealism, like Dalí’s dream art, to create a sunflower using butterflies. Here, you can see that cocoons are used as leaves and butterflies as petals. I like to identify myself as a butterfly – always evolving. When a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, it reveals only one thing – a beautiful surprise.

Amelia Duran Ramirez
Tea Party
Digital
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Kayla Helmus
Grade: 9

My artwork is an invitation to join a tea party. This is not a normal tea party, however. There is an underlying nightmare occurring. I wanted to depict a dark truth showing how something innocent and fun can become scary. I feel Tea Party is different than the work done by Dalí because it showcases an interaction that real people my age could have.

Yariem Vasquez-Urena
Illusion
Acrylic
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Jackelyn Adkins
Grade: 12

Stuck in a dream, two birds on a tree, falling in love as it can be seen. Something surreal like heaven on earth, a trance in the sky, spirals eye to eye. No matter the distance, they’re never apart and one can say they’re heart to heart. Their attraction for love grows deep within the void.

Alexa Garay
The Good Around Me
Watercolor and Inktense Paint
Vanguard High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Tasha Strigle
Grade: 12

Lauren Brandon
The Garden of Eden Has Marinara Sauce
Acrylic and collage
Westminster Christian
Dade County
Art Teacher: April Sharpe-Shirk
Grade: 10

“The Shape of Dreams” exhibit allowed me to explore my whimsical side. From the moment I came onto this earth, I knew one thing – I LOVE PASTA! I created this piece because I wish the sky was pasta sauce. That would be heaven!

Morwyn Kelso
Stuff of Nightmares
Colored Pencil
Westminster Christian
Dade County
Art Teacher: April Sharpe-Shirk
Grade: 11

Searching for inspiration, I sat on a wooden bench after lunch and daydreamed. My arm hair prickled as I realized a small centipede had found its way up my arm. I brought the little creature into the art studio and started my drawing while observing its movements. My chance encounter inspired the illustration of a fever dream where I was encased with bugs of all shapes and sizes. *No critters were harmed in the creation of the drawing!

Tori Villacorta
Court of Conscience
Collage
Westminster Christian
Dade County
Art Teacher: April Sharpe-Shirk
Grade: 10

My collage evokes the feeling of judgment day and the dreams and/or nightmares that pressure can conjure. Eyes remind me of the constant public gaze we live under and the judgment that accompanies that. No matter where we go, we are watched, and sometimes photographed or recorded. The planets symbolize the places we go, and the diver is trying to escape scrutiny. As God made the Earth, there is a balance with the fire below, signifying judgment.

Arien Guerra
Past Extinction Date
Mixed Media
West Port High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Jennifer Moore
Grade: 11

For my painting, I wanted to aim for something that gave off an overall lighthearted feeling, hence the dinosaur and fast-food mutants. I chose this combination not only to surprise viewers, but to reflect things that make me happy in real life. I used acrylic for this project. I chose vibrant colors that still blended the dinosaurs in with the food, but I also used black outlining so that they popped off the paper.

Milo Moore
Artificial Ecosystem
Mixed Media
West Port High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Jennifer Moore
Grade: 11

This work is a view into the people’s lives on the streets and the individuals that occupy this space. They are made of metal instead of skin, so that it gives a sense of unease and fakeness. Robots represent the view of many people treating those who live on the streets as inhuman. Graffiti fills every corner of the painting to show a false reality made to hide the dirt and grime. It is inspired by Van Gogh in a graffiti like style.

Ashley Weng
Self-Indulgence
Pencil, ink, alcohol ink markers
West Port High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Jessica Carter
Grade: 10

Cakes, sweets, and dessert are simple things in life that make me happy. Life will forever be unsatisfied with whatever you do, instead you should just focus on making yourself happy. Valuing yourself is more important than valuing others. If you are unsatisfied with your own life, then how can you satisfy someone else’s? My art is inspired by my own happiness and imagination along with sugar and spice and everything nice. Life is short, eat dessert first!

Elijah ‘Kai’ Layton
Unreachable
Photography
Wharton High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Eva Chen
Grade: 10

I created this work to show the unfortunate truth that no matter how hard we try or how much we want it, our dreams will remain forever unreachable. This piece shows my personal dream, a peaceful solitude away from here, and my photo represents me reaching for that dream, yet it remains just out of reach.

Ren Afcha
Ghastly Nuptial Act
Mixed Media
Winter Park High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Kara McKean
Grade: 11

Most of my dreams have an element in common in which my teeth fall out of my mouth. I dream the same thing at least twice every month. So, I got my inspiration from this nightmare, where not only am I getting married, but also my teeth are starting to feel loose and I start to feel anxious, not just because of the wedding but because I know what’s about to happen.

Spain Sattizahn
P.O.T.S. Nightmare
Markers
Winter Park High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Abbey Kish
Grade: 11

It’s not a nightmare I have had; it’s a nightmare of my life that I fear will come true. I have POTS, a tachycardia syndrome and I struggle with it every day: brain fog covering my eyes, a heart feeling grasped when trying to move unflowing blood, and the thought that I will be pulled down in my fear. I fight it; as my blood pools, I cry. Looking in the mirror, my symptoms appear on my face.

Olivia Robertson
Last Night
Colored Pencil
Wiregrass Ranch High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Paula Roush-Smith
Grade: 12

To create this piece, I drew from my own most memorable and wacky dreams. From getting my hands chopped off to being lit on fire in my living room, each object depicted here is an element of a dream I’ve had. I was inspired the barren yellowish skies of Dalí’s landscapes, like The Persistence of Memory and Shades of Night Descending as they emanate that liminal feeling that often comes with dreams.

Anjali Soni
Voids and Rabbit Dreams
Drawing Pencils
All Saints Academy
Polk County
Art Teacher: Nancy Fonseca
Grade: 12th Grade

Kaylee Dupuis
Untitled
Acrylic on Canvas
Bay High School
Bay County
Art Teacher: Amanda Hunt
Grade: 11

Alexis Georgiev
From the Clouds
Digital
Bell Creek Academy
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 10

Haley Turner
Evanescence
Ink/Graphite
Bell Creek Academy
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 12

Ella Pann
The Secrets of Our Neighbors
Mixed Media
Coral Reef Senior High
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Perri Cox
Grade:10

Selena Satizabal-Prieto
The Sun is a Mouth
Color Pencil
Coral Reef Senior High
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Perri Cox
Grade: 10

Skyla Gronigan
Ticking Sand
Acrylic
Dr. Phillips High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Abigail Callaway
Grade: 12

Aleeza Sheik
The Key to My Mind
Charcoal
Dr. Phillips High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Abigail Callaway
Grade: 11

Emily Wood
Run Away
Mixed Media Painting
Dr. Phillips High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Abigail Callaway
Grade: 12

Teyliah Alexis
Chasing My Dreams of Art
Color Pencils
Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Brenda Fischer
Grade: 10

Kaly Rodriguez
Childhood Dreams
Digital
Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Brenda Fischer
Grade: 12

Karen Ventura
Body Covered In Life
Ceramic and glaze
Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Jamie Filo
Grade: 12

Calvin Trudeau
Astral Plane
Digital Photography
Jupiter High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Sarah Knudtson
Grade: 12

Makayla Coyle
Information from Your Subconscious
Watercolor & colored pencil on paper
Magnet Innovation Center
Walton County
Art Teacher: Melissa Aldan
Grade: 10

Madalyn Driggett
“Love doesn’t die with death”
Paper Mache, Clay, Acrylic Paint
Merritt Island High School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Amy Martin
Grade: 11

Arianna Urdaneta
Day Dreaming
Watercolor & Pen
Miami Beach Senior High
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Grace Cox
Grade: 10

Danny Angeles-Mateos
Self Portrait
Digital Art
NeoCity Academy
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Natalie Menedez
Grade: 9

Anisa Hanafi
Self Portrait
Digital Art
NeoCity Academy
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Natalie Menedez
Grade: 9

Tegan Clark
Blue
Watercolor
New Smyrna Beach High
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Laura Johnson
Grade: 9

Coy Guzman
Look inside Me
Digital Image
New Smyrna Beach High
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Tina Curry
Grade: 10

Shania Simmonds
Eye in the Forest
Colored Pencil
Olympia High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Joanna Levine
Grade: 12

Rebecca Santana Santos Fontes
Pink Clouds
Mixed Media
Osceola High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Maria Custis
Grade: 10

Kirti Sukhram
Growing Out
Watercolor on paper
Osceola High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Maria Custis
Grade: 11

Nicole Majano Mena
Submerged
Mixed Media
Parrish Community High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Cary Jones
Grade: 9th

Neipwi Rousan
Eyes on the Cosmic
Digital Photography
Parrish Community High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Erin Lisch
Grade: 10

Dani Delgado
Recital
Digital Art
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 10

Mykala Jones
Graceful
Photography
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 9

Xoey Lyons
Self-Deprivation
Clay, Glaze
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 12

Arly Lozano
Banana Cat
Color pencil
Robert Morgan Educational Center
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Milagros Gonzalez
Grade: 10

Johna Haley
Maya’s Paranoid Insomnia
Colored Pencil and Marker
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Kristy Harris
Grade: 10

Anastazja Pretkowska
Media
Prismacolor Pencils
Sickles High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Megan Fernandez
Grade: 9

Addison Yu
Growth
Copic Markers
Sickles High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Megan Fernandez
Grade: 10

Janiellys Brito
Well-Suited
Ink and watercolor
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Jill Hallauer
Grade: 10

Keilyn Laureano
A Mantis’ Dance
Ink and watercolor
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Jill Hallauer
Grade: 11

Kathryn Witkowski
Rainbow Spark
Ink and Watercolor
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Jill Hallauer
Grade: 10

Kathleen Huang
Whale 52
pencils, colored pencil
West Port High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Jessica Carter
Grade: 11

Raz de Via Rozental
Saturn’s Fantasy
Ceramic
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Christine Colby
Grade: 11

Carol Suarez
Is it a Crush or is it Love?
Colored Pencil
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Kristy Harris
Grade: 12

Joshua Patrick Timmerman
Drifting Out of Reality
Digital
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Kayla Helmus
Grade: 11

Raelyn Woods
Floating Spirits
Digital
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Kayla Helmus
Grade: 9

Ashlynn Costello
O-Fish-ial
Mixed Media
Wharton High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Eva Chen
Grade: 12

Miles Griffin
Guardian of the Headspace
Watercolor and micron pen
Winter Park High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Kara McKean
Grade: 11

Medha Vettaikaran
Blueming
Quilted fabric & paper
Winter Park High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Abbey Kish
Grade: 11