In partnership with United Arts of Central Florida, OUC is sponsoring a local stained-glass artist as part of an effort to bring the arts to downtown Orlando.
JoKeeta Savariau’s work and that of four other artists can be seen in the Spark the Arts Gallery and Studio, located on the ground floor of the Bank of America building at 300 S. Orange Ave., Ste. 150. The space is provided by Highwoods Properties, which owns the building.
Savariau, who has won local and national acclaim, is known for works featuring cultural and historic figures like Bob Marley, abolitionist Sojourner Truth, and Prince, among others. She has also drawn inspiration from mission trips to places like Cuba. One of her best-known works is an eight-foot diameter, 200-pound stained-glass window created for Orlando’s St. John Baptist Church.
An aerospace engineer, Savariau uses her background to ensure that her elaborate designs are structurally sound. In support of sustainability, she often reuses glass and other materials from past projects or other sources in her work.
The Spark the Arts Gallery and Studio is open to the public from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, as well as from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. during First Thursdays art events, which occur on the first Thursday of every month. Admission is free.
Savariau and other resident artists take turns hosting visitors in the gallery, which also provides studio space allowing them to work. The pieces on display are for sale.
