UNF art faculty Sheila Goloborotko selected for Orlando Museum of Art’s Florida Prize in Contemporary Art
Sheila Goloborotko, University of North Florida professor of art and design, is featured in the “Florida Prize in Contemporary Art,” the Orlando Museum of Art’s signature exhibition. The annual exhibit recognizes ten of Florida’s most progressive artists and is on display through Sunday, Aug. 25, at the Orlando Museum of Art.
Goloborotko is a multidisciplinary artist and master printmaker who has exhibited installations, works on paper, sculpture, videos and interactive projects in more than 200 exhibitions in museums and galleries on four continents and yet has remained firmly committed to the Northeast Florida community.
Goloborotko had the unique opportunity to present two distinct series for the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art exhibit, the large-scale installation “Now Our Minds Are One” and the series of cast-iron objects titled “|you| and |me|.” This is the first time a UNF faculty member has been selected to showcase their work in this distinguished venue and exhibition.
Her newest work, Now Our Minds Are One (2024), is a colossal and colorful structure that was unveiled for the first time at The Florida Prize in Contemporary Art. For the making of this piece, the artist embarked on an intensive journey of artistic exploration and academic discovery, employing new techniques and technologies, embracing the use of new materials, and thoroughly researching endangered species sourced from artificial intelligence to the Encyclopedia Britannica. The work is inspired by the holistic concept that “we are one with nature.”
Goloborotko’s |you| + |me| series (2016 - ongoing), originated during a period when she was navigating a tense relationship with her teenage daughter. The break in communication between the two of them evoked the failure to communicate, which leads to discord among families, nations, and across the planet.
Her printshops in Jacksonville, Florida, and rural Pennsylvania are sites of print and poetic activism, empowering first-time printmakers with hands-on workshops and developing the visions of mid-career artists with portfolio production and instruction.
She is also the founder and director of Goloborotko’s Studio since 1989, a center for the production and diffusion of printmaking whose principal goal is to encourage the voice and vision of individual artists in a nurturing environment that supports the creation of works that push the boundaries of printmaking.
Goloborotko’s work serves as a bridge between individual mastery and community activism.