2025 Emerging Artists
2025 Emerging Artists
The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival’s Emerging Artist Program was founded in 1977 and encourages new artists to participate in the world of outdoor festivals at no cost to the selectees. Emerging Artists, who are determined through the same juried process as all of the event’s participating artists, will have the opportunity to make sales and get feedback from art patrons and judges. While Emerging Artists are not eligible for prizes, the exposure and the experience is invaluable. This year four artists were chosen for the program.
Sarah Luciano was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Orlando. She began working with clay in 2016 at Valencia Community College and continued to earn her BFA at UCF in 2020. During those years, her body of work consisted of strictly working on the wheel with porcelain and mastering crystalline glaze. Sarah only began hand-building a couple years later when she began to test the limits of clay. From making ceramic cakes to now knots. The idea of making something look deceivingly solid or appear “malleable” with clay fascinates me, and it is something I will continue to expand on.
Stephanie Brown
stephjbee@gmail.com
https://stephaniejeanbrown.com
Booth Number: 212
Stephanie grew up in California and relocated to Pennsylvania in 2021. Originally a watercolor painter who focused on florals and still life, she has recently found a more natural home for herself in soft pastel. She loves its versatility and immediacy and enjoys exploring its many possibilities as a medium. The change of medium also coincided with a more from California to Pennsylvania, which ignited a love for the landscape and a newfound enjoyment of painting plein air.
In September of 2023, Stephanie enrolled in Studio Incamminati’s Advanced Diploma of Fine Arts program. She has achieved Signature status with the Pastel Society of America, the Philadelphia Pastel Society, the Pastel Society of the West Coast, and the Maryland Pastel Society. She is an Associate member of the American Impressionist Society.
Matt Matsudaira, born in 1995, is a self-taught Japanese-American oil painter living in Orlando, Florida. He is passionate about recreating landscapes from impactful real-life moments, but also enjoys painting wildlife and architecture.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Matt Matsudaira enjoyed a rich childhood filled with soccer, Legos, and drawing wildlife encyclopedia books. In 2006, he and his family moved to the United States. He continued to practice drawing, and in high school art class he was introduced to both charcoal and paint. Charcoal came naturally, but Matsudaira was so disappointed in his first painting that he vowed never to pick up a brush again.
10 years later in 2021, Matt Matsudaira was so inspired by the vivid colors of Sedona, Arizona, where he and his wife were married, that he decided to give paint another chance. There was no turning back. Since then, he has created countless paintings and honed his own style that combines the detail of drawing with the depth of color that harkens back to his first inspiration to capture the dramatic beauty of Sedona.
Will, the creative mind behind Will Shotwell Photography, has always had
a passion for creating. From leather working to designing and creating
jewelry, he has a knack for transforming ideas into tangible art.
Photography has been part of Will’s life since an early age—his
parents were professional photographers with their own studio, and their
influence inspired his own love for the craft. In high school, Will
discovered his own passion for capturing moments through the lens. While
studying at Embry-Riddle after high school, Will realized that
photography was his true calling. He decided to turn his passion into a
career and has never looked back.
By day, Will works for a medical equipment sales Company where he specializes in photographing and selling used and/or refurbished medical equipment. In his spare time, he channels his creativity into Will Shotwell Photography, capturing moments and memories that reflect his unique artistic vision. When he’s
not behind the camera, Will enjoys spending time with his fiancée,
Susan, and his two stepsons. He also continues to channel his creativity
into making jewelry and working with leather. Will’s family and artistic pursuits are at the heart of everything he does, bringing a personal touch to every photo he takes.
