Caren Akers at the Leesburg Center for the Arts

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

As I resume my art adventures through the creative wilds of Central Florida, I want to share with you a gem of an art exhibition I discovered in Leesburg, Florida. Don’t worry – you still have two weeks to see this show before it closes on May 18th!

Caren Akers – An Abstract Journey: Color and Texture at the Leesburg Center for the Arts is a show that really packs a punch and, I will admit, I was incredibly unprepared for the intensity of the work. Akers blurs the line between painting and sculpture to create something wholly unique and, somewhat surprising to me, very inviting. There is something special about Akers deft ability to build up the layers of acrylic paint on the canvas that translates into an overwhelming desire to touch and to feel the textures she has created. Of course, as in any gallery or museum setting, viewers are discouraged from touching the artwork. Perhaps it is that desire – to touch something that is totally off limits – that enhances the viewing experience of Akers’ work.

For me, what heightens that tactile desire is Akers’ expert handling of color. She does not shy away from the kaleidoscope of colors available to her, nor does she exclude the use of metallic paint, which can sometimes feel kitschy or gimmicky, but absolutely does not in Akers’ work. When she does use the metallic paints, they always feel balanced with the other colors utilized and they never overwhelm the piece. It is as if the artist is the conductor of a choir and she is encouraging all her singers (in this case, her colors) to work in harmony with each other and do they ever!

For more information on the artist Caren Akers and her current show at the Leesburg Center for the Arts, please visit…

https://www.leesburgarts.com/cfagallery

3 thoughts on “Caren Akers at the Leesburg Center for the Arts”

  1. Once again Adrienne gives info on art happenings in Central FL that I should know about, but never heard about before email. I will stop at the Leesburg Center for the Arts when I visit wonderful Leesburg Library to browse for book ideas to read!

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  2. Hi Adrienne, no April issues anywhere of Lake Style magazine…every week at Cooper Library I saw an empty stand where magazines should be, but never there in April.  You may want to tell the Lake Style magazine that the print version was not distributed!

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.