THE STATE OF FLORIDA
May 2nd - June 2nd
Janes Art Center 
Bill Gallagher

This work explores the intersection of environment and the human experience. Set within the distinct visual landscape of Florida, we explore paintings depicting everyday moments—forests, coastlines, and ordinary spaces—where subtle tensions emerge between presence and distraction.

 

Figures are often caught in transitional states: engaged yet isolated, connected yet distant. Technology, gesture, and setting combine to create narratives that feel both familiar and quietly dissonant.
 

Using a classical realist approach, Gallagher grounds these contemporary observations, where Florida becomes more than a backdrop—it acts as a psychological stage for examining how people move through, and sometimes disconnect from, the world around them.

 

“My art is about presence. It’s about the way Florida feels, how its light shapes us, and how small we are beneath nature, namely our magnificent Florida skies. I aim to create paintings that draw viewers into a story—one that is familiar, human, and distinctly Floridian.” - Bill Gallagher