Past Artists

Gerard Pastor


Gerard Pastor utilizes colored pencils to create stunning works of art inspired by the Lucumi religion, which survived the slave trade era. Often mired in secrecy and negative perceptions, the Afro-Caribbean faith serves as a creative force for Pastor who looks to inspire understanding. During his residency at BaCA, Pastor will focus his work on the study of how women participate in religion and how religion is used as a patriarchal tool to elevate men, when historically the innate power of survival has been through women.


Darcy Roberts


Darcy Roberts is mosaic artist who is inspired by color, movement, and nature. Having lived in London, England; Landau, Germany; and Barcelona, Spain, she enjoys experimenting and her art is constantly evolving. Known for her mixed media tile works featured in public spaces, she has been commissioned to create large scale mosaic murals by schools, office buildings, and The Phoenix Children’s Hospital, among others, and has exhibited at the prestigious L.A. Art Show in 2020. Having recently moved to Pompano Beach from Redondo Beach, California, Roberts is looking forward to her residency at BaCA, where she will focus on the labor-intensive process of creating mini mosaics that will be used in a future large-scale mosaic mural.


Shanna Woods


Shanna Woods is a dance artist, choreographer, and creator. She was the choreographer of the award-winning short film Brown Ballerina, and she has performed nationally and internationally with Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theatre, Jubilation Dance Ensemble, and Olujimi Dance Theatre. Woods' extensive dance studies and performances have covered a vast variety of forms including ballet, tap, Afro-Haitian, Salsa, the ring shout dances of the Congo, Senegal, and many other styles. During her residency at BaCA, she will complete the dance work titled, Rituals, which challenges Shanna's thoughts around survival, thriving, rest and joy.

"In the past, I felt like I was always in survival mode out of fear, trying to make it through, and barely sustaining myself and my daughter. Rituals is an exploration of my desire to thrive with the intersections of joy and dream.

Rituals as an exhibit is a journey through the liberation of rest and radical joy. My desire is to create safe spaces for women to rest, reflect, and enjoy the essence of their being; to “sit down somewhere” (as our mothers, grandmothers and aunties told us to when we were restless and “doing too much”). We deserve this!" - Shanna Woods


Kim Ferguson


Kim Ferguson creates sculptural and functional ceramic pieces that reflect her philosophy of eternal optimism in the face of chaos. Her work has been described as whimsical, vibrant, and feminine, and is informed by her life as a child in Jamaica and her immigration experience in South Florida. For her residency project, Ferguson will continue to create work that encourages viewers to examine their perspective on “negative” or “chaotic” circumstances. In addition to her typical studio techniques, she plans to employ molds and glasswork techniques and further explore her sculpted figures (called Divines), and the Plant Mama (sculpted plant pot) series. One piece in particular, Shark Week will be fully realized during the residency and serve as the main 'high art' piece of the collected work.


Manzi Liu


Manzi Liu brings an international flair to her paintings having studied and practiced art in her native China, and later in France and the US. Fascinated with Asian culture, ancient mythology, and her inner world of dreams and memories, her paintings often incorporate these themes and blend styles of Surrealism and Expressionism. During her residency, Liu plans to create a large-scale project of several paintings, entitled The Sign, which will feature feminine figures with Chinese cultural elements. This project will honor Chinese women who are constrained by their culture and society’s bondage in different eras and will explore the women’s different responses to their circumstances.


Gregory Dirr


Gregory Dirr is an interdisciplinary visual artist, compulsively creating work that draws inspiration from fairy tales and the natural environment. Known for his whimsical yet classical paintings and murals, Dirr is often commissioned to create works for the public and private realms. Constantly exploring new ways to create, he is passionate about experimenting with new materials and processes. During his residency, Dirr plans to realize five large scale pieces for his passion works, which are process heavy and innovative. The theme of his planned work is centered around a visual narrative called The Big Book, a story with existential themes.

Learn more about Dirr’s The Big Book exhibition here.


Leonardo Montoya


We kick-off our Artist in Residence program at BaCA with internationally recognized painter Leonardo Montoya. Explore his studio, watch him create live, and shop his retail store, which will feature affordable prints and accessories showcasing his stunning artwork including the ultra-fab Diva Collection.

Leonardo Montoya—October Artist of the Month

Leonardo Montoya is an internationally recognized artist known for portraying the uniqueness of people so viewers can relate, accept, and embrace diversity. Empowering the characters he paints, he highlights each person’s beauty and singularity, giving a voice to those daily life warriors that are often overlooked. Born in Colombia, Montoya recently returned from the UAE where he enjoyed a residency in RAK, Emirates with the Al Qasimi Foundation. For his BaCA residency he looks to expand the size of his artworks and propel his career to a new level.


Andy Ballentine


Visual artist Andy Ballentine is known for his inquisitive approach to painting. His vibrant, figurative, and abstract works have garnered tremendous recognition, leading him to exhibit at the prestigious Art Basel Art Fair in Switzerland and the New York Art Fair. During his residency at BaCA, Ballentine will draw inspiration from his birthplace—Jamaica. For his project, he will be creating an immersive experience that explores the influence and impact of Reggae music. Using impressionist, cubist, and traditional painting styles to interpret the lyrics, Ballentine’s artwork will capture the culture and invite the viewer to continue to strive, dream, hope and love.


Susan Clifton

Susan is originally from Philadelphia and went to the Philadelphia College of Art. From there, she moved to NYC where she worked for many years in advertising as an Art Director. She is currently living in Pompano Beach, Florida. Her works are mostly Mixed Media, Fabric Mosaics. Her latest series, “Grey Matter,” changes the face of figurative art. This high-energy series of graphics, colors, and words paint us the whole picture of the self we strive to become. We’re inspired by each figure’s thought process that deepens our visual experience with a lasting imprint on our psyches.


Andrea Huffman

Fiber artist Andrea Huffman received a Master’s degree in Art Education from Florida International University and taught art in Broward Public Schools for over 30 years. She has exhibited her art throughout Florida and nationally, receiving numerous awards and recognitions, including several grants and a Residency at the prestigious Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood, Florida. Although Ms. Huffman has retired from teaching in the public school system, she continues to share her passion for art teaching classes and workshops in fiber art and mixed media at various art venues and guilds throughout Florida.

www.andreahuffman.com

afhuf24@gmail.com


Sandi Lazar

Sandi recently fully committed herself to the art of pottery, after 30 years in the teaching field. After having discovered the craft ten years ago, the practice changed Sandi’s life and outlook on artistic expression and its priority in her life. Over the last year, Sandi’s functional pieces have gained a dedicated following and she now balances her academic pursuits with commercial sustainability. Sandi continues to experiment and challenge the boundaries of clay, firing and glazes, and is always looking to learn from those well-established artists willing to share their knowledge. In turn, she looks forward to being then able impart her experience as well. Sandi’s work can be found weekly at the Pompano Beach Green Market, here at BaCA, as well as local and regional art fairs.


Samantha McInnis

Samantha McInnis is a native Floridian potter who spends her days creating ocean-inspired functional and sculptural ceramic art. Her artistic inspiration began at a young age during the usual weekend boating trips on the west coast of Florida. Her primary source of inspiration is now the Atlantic Ocean and Florida’s eastern coastline. Her art is characterized by coastal colors, flowing shapes, and fine craftsmanship.

After passing her portfolio review, Samantha was approved for her Bachelor of Fine Art concentrating in Ceramics from Florida Atlantic University. She graduated in 2011 upon completion of the student installation exhibition, Gamut.

Samantha has since been evolving her craft as well as her company The Clay Cache. For the last two years, she has been relentlessly participating in as many art shows and craft fair pop ups as possible. She has shown her work in places such as the West Palm Beach Bridal Expo and the Coral Gables Mad Hatter Festival. Some weekends she has her booth set up at a monthly art walk in Fort Lauderdale and other weekends she can be found at larger events such as the Dania Beach Seafood Festival.

Besides pop up shops, Samantha sells her work online through Etsy and Amazon Handmade. The Clay Cache can also be found in a few boutiques around the area too. Samantha is working to develop a strong brand for The Clay Cache through shows and social media. The Clay Cache is a name that will be sought after not only for its beauty, but also for the precision and craftsmanship behind her handmade work.


Cindy Trezona

Cindy’s artistic process is as integral to her work as the completion of the artwork itself. Accumulating endless materials with which to construct the work can take up to years. The intention of her work can be as simple catching the eye of the viewer with a pleasing surprise of reflective color in a dark palette, or replicating the astounding complexity of a piece that seemingly change with light and angles. Drawing inspiration from nature and its dynamic forces, much of her process is improvisational. Each finished artwork tells a handful of anecdotes, each from a different place and time. Her pieces are a memorial to the personal experiences she’s had- the fragments of stories she places in front of the observer. Cindy’s art reflects her spiritual beliefs, and creating the artwork elevates her consciousness to a higher frequency. It is a therapy that she practices in order to achieve balance and contentment.