+11 Artist James Amerson
Nestled in a small artist neighborhood in Pensacola is the home and studio of Artist James Amerson. James has been an artist as long as he can remember and has achieved notoriety for his paintings and photography. His most recent work is an exploration of sculpture and 3D art. His current medium has been his favorite thus far and has allowed him to express his artistic creativity in a whole new way. James pulls his inspiration from his extensive travels both abroad and here in the United States. This year he has been selected as one of two emerging new artists for the Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival. This achievement has given him an invitation to display his sculptures at the arts festival which is one of the largest in the state. In preparation for the festival, James has been creating dozens of his sculptures over the last eight months.
James’ sculptures are unique and multifaceted. Each piece has a story inspired by his trips abroad to such places as Paris, Rome, and Puerto Vallarta. A unique feature of many of James’ sculptures is that they have multiple pieces, in which each piece itself can be a single sculpture. One article in his collection looks like a red horned Satyr with luscious red lips atop a very tall torso. When split the body makes a beautiful vase, and the top portion becomes its own bust sculpture. James likes to add this uniqueness to many of his sculptures. Many of his pieces are inspired by the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, others focus on the simplicity and elegance of human form. One piece currently in production is a bride and groom torso set. One wears a top hat, and both adorn beautiful floral patterns.
James is a Pensacola native and growing up in the area has given him a love for living downtown. He has been renovating a historic 167-year-old home. In his renovations, he has created a workspace and outdoor retreat. This gives him the ability to work from home and relax in a downtown atmosphere surrounded by other artists. When James isn’t working from home, he spends time at the First City Arts Center in Pensacola. This facility offers art classes from a wide range of mediums including glass-blowing, pottery, and sculpting. James regularly attends these classes and attributes much of his training to them. Many of the sculptures in the arts festival were created at the center. First City Arts Center is an organization dedicated to building community relationships through art. They cater to local artists by providing a creative space that encourages artistic growth. James believes in their mission passionately and cherishes the relationships created there.
With the invitation to the Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival (Nov 2-4), James has been working feverishly to create close to thirty pieces. The arts festival is a three-day event that showcases artists from all around the gulf coast. Every year they grant scholarships to students and prizes to artists for many types of art. This year is special for James because he was selected as an Emerging Artist. As one of only two selected James will receive special admission as well as a space to display his sculptures. James is eager to present his sculptures and is excited about the future.
