Fine Lines

Too often a line is drawn between art that is sometimes considered “low-brow” —illustration—and “high-brow”—fine art. Local designer and illustrator Michael Slayton is working to blur the divide with “Fine Lines,” an exhibit featuring six local visual artists who straddle that rule between illustration and fine art. Slayton has had his hand (and pencil) in all things Jacksonville (you might recognize his giant illustrations lining the walls of the Cummer Museum where he served as the art director). Always working for the greater good of the community, he now designs for Feeding Northeast Florida but has also illustrated for businesses and non-profits like SkatePal, Kathryn’s Wines, Downtown Vision and many more. 

For “Fine Lines,” Slayton gathered his “dream team” of illustrators: Aysha Mishkin, Dusty Nomad, Kiara Sánchez, Dani Simmons and Nick Villava, to help showcase the contemporary art of Jacksonville. Though these names may be unrecognizable to folks not embedded in the design community, their work’s roots run deep. Part of Slayton’s goal is to put faces to the art and create a space for connection in a cohort of the art world that sometimes gets overlooked. Design and illustration is a competitive business in Jacksonville, a city saturated with many great creators, “Fine Lines” will pull artists away from their computers (and iPads and canvases) and give them a chance to shine together. The exhibition opens Oct. 1 at CoRK Arts District. The event is free and all featured work will be available for sale.