Artist Spotlight: Gary Day
The Naples Art District presents an Artist Spotlight! every week, showcasing member artists. The Artist Spotlight! Series highlights the work and artistic methods of the artists, so the public can learn more about them. The Naples Art District (NAD) artist in the spotlight this week is Gary Day.
Professional artist Gary Day, born in Montana, is a Florida transplant specializing in printmaking, computer-generated imagery, animation, and game design. He has had a variety of jobs along his career path but has always been an artist at heart. Gary was drawn first to printmaking and chose it as the focus of both his undergraduate and graduate studies in college—he holds a BA in Printmaking and Painting and an MFA in Printmaking in Drawing. “My original training was in printmaking because it felt like doing alchemy,” he shares. “I was drawn to the level of craft required and technical processes involved.” As Gary developed his artistic skills and point of view, he moved more towards digitally based work. “I have been primarily computer-based since the 1980s and digital printers have become my medium of choice.”
Gary has had numerous influences through the years. Most recently, he has been following Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, finding inspiration in Eliasson’s works which include a range of sculpture, painting, photography, film, and installation art. Gary has also found inspiration during his travels, while taking opportunities to be a visiting artist across Europe. He enjoys overlapping traditional print mediums and digital technology for an interesting approach to visual art and finds it rewarding to create interactive experiences of his work by including prints and animations in many of his gallery exhibits.
Gary has other passions outside of his art. For instance, people might be surprised to learn that he is a musician who played bass guitar in bands in the 1960s. At this point, however, Gary spends a lot of his free time outside of the studio fly fishing. He says, “Fly fishing has always been an obsession. It was a motivating factor for moving to Naples.” If you would like to learn more about Gary Day and his exciting art, you can view his work online, or visit the artist at his project-based studio and gallery, located at 6249 Shirley Street, Suite 103, Naples in the Naples Art District.
The Naples Art District (NAD) is home to the largest concentration of working artists in Southwest Florida. Professional artists like Gary maintain studios and galleries in the District, from which they share their work and their artistic processes with visitors. NAD artists hold exhibits and special events that allow the public to experience fine art directly and gain a greater appreciation of its value to society. The Artist Spotlight! Series provides an avenue for NAD artists to connect with and inspire people through art. NAD publishes an online calendar of events, classes, and workshops for anyone interested in meeting member artists and learning more. Contact the Naples Art District online or by phone at 239-249-1977 any time to learn more.
Gary Day
smallwalls
6240 Shirley St, Suite 103, Naples, FL
April 19, 2021 – April 23, 2021