Tom Dowling
(863) 297-1051

Artwork by Award-Winning Polk Artists Featured In Jan. 2-19 In Fine Arts Gallery

12/19/2006: An art exhibit featuring 50 acrylic and watercolor paintings by a trio of award-winning Polk County artists will be on display at Polk Community College Jan. 2-19 in the Fine Arts Gallery, Winter Haven campus.

All art lovers are invited to attend the exhibit showcasing artwork by Susan Aschenbrenner and Diane Lescard, both of Lake Wales, and Leon Gifford of Frostproof. All of these artists have won ribbons and received rave reviews for their work in art shows in Florida and other states.

Aschenbrenner, a retired teacher whose oils, acrylics, mixed media and sculptures have earned her recognition at art shows in many Florida cities, as well as Nebraska and Wyoming, will display a number of her creations depicting people, animals, landscapes and still life at the PCC Fine Arts Gallery.

Over the years, Aschenbrenner’s work has been displayed at a number of Florida venues, including the Frostproof Art Gallery, the Lake Wales Art Show, the Indian River Art Center, the Navy Seal Art Gallery and the Four County Art Show in Fort Pierce. She has been an active artist for more than 60 years and studied art at the University of Hawaii, the University of Colorado and the Florida Institute of Art. She earned her AA degree from Indian River Community College and her BA from Florida Atlantic University.

A protégé of well-known local wildlife artist Tom Freeman, Lescard also is a retired teacher who specializes in painting environmental subjects in acrylics and watercolors. Her artwork has earned her awards at the Florida State Fair, the Lake Placid Arts & Crafts Country Fair and the Osceola Center for the Arts juried show. She will display a number of environmental-themed pieces at PCC.

Perhaps Lescard’s best known and most high profile work of art is a wall mural she created in historic downtown Lake Wales. The mural depicts a local restaurant called “The Barrel” where local people gathered and ate for more than 30 years.

A retired graphic artist and engraver, Gifford has been painting for more than 10 years. His artwork has been displayed locally in the Maxcy Library and Frostproof Gallery in Frostproof, as well as the Lake Wales Municipal Library. Over the years, he has earned numerous first, second, third and best of show ribbons at local art shows. Gifford will exhibit a significant cross section of his work in the PCC Fine Arts Gallery.

The PCC Fine Arts Gallery is open free of charge from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, Monday through Friday. For additional information on the gallery and the January exhibit featuring the artwork of Susan Aschenbrenner, Diane Lescard and Leon Gifford, contact Sharon Bevis at 863-297-1050 or send an e-mail to sbevis@polk.edu