'The emotional painter': Award-winning artist Rick Steele to premiere work at FSU Panama City
PANAMA CITY — Florida State University Panama City will soon welcome work from an award-winning local artist to its illumination series.
Tri-state legend Ricky Steele will premier his new artwork at Florida State University Panama City as a part of the "Illumination, Shedding Light on Diversity" series, which highlights diversity, equity and inclusion. Steele will welcome new abstract pieces to his collection, which features his illustrated work that stimulates emotion.
The Illumination event takes place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at FSU Panama City, 4750 Collegiate Drive, in the Holley Academic Center lecture hall. Light refreshments and appetizers will be served. The presentation and reception are free and open to the public.
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Steele has strong roots in Bay County. The Mosley High School graduate attended Gulf Coast Community College before going to Tom P. Haney Technical Center. He graduated in 1981 and became the area's first Black airbrush artist.
"I would love to see everyone come out and support, and it's a great opportunity to connect with the community," Steele said. "It's always good to have people from my home show that they appreciate what I do."
During the event, Steele will discuss challenges he's faced during his more than 40-year artist career and the history behind his artwork. Also known as "the emotional painter," his art tells stories of poverty, race, and social injustice.
As his career progressed, he delved into art forms, including mixed media with acrylics, watercolor and fine art. His artwork ranges from vibrant musical abstracts to children of different races embracing — celebrating the unifying power of the arts.
"All of my work evokes emotion, and most of my art is replicated from images taken by local photographers," Steele said about his inspiration. "I'm a great lover of people, so I always look for that Kodak moment when thinking about my next piece."
Steele has had tremendous success painting Black historical figures, including portraits of the former U.S. Rep. John Lewis, which are displayed at the Panama City City Hall, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., music legend Aretha Franklin, NBA legend Michael Jordan and former U.S. President Barack Obama. Using images as a guide when creating his realistic portraits, Steele captures the signature expressions of his subjects.
Locally, Steele's work has been featured at the Gulf Jazz Society's Jazz by the Bay and the Panama City Center for the Arts. He has won over 100 awards around the U.S. and abroad, including first place in the Arts in the Heart Festival showcasing fine arts in Augusta, Georgia. In addition, Steele was nominated this year as a 2022 tri-state legend, where he showcases his work throughout Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
Steele has used his platform to create a mentor program to assist young artists and publicly speaks at local and national events to give encouragement and motivation. Steele said he carries his legacy with hope and to help change the world with art.
"I hope that my art can be a ministry to someone, and my door is always open for anyone that's interested in moving forward using their gift," Steele said. "My ultimate goal is to leave the world with some images that inspire, change and make a difference."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Artist Ricky Steele to debut new works at FSU Panama City series
