Juror: Michelle Stone
Michele Stone is an award-winning American artist, creating and teaching in Tampa, Florida. Her early work consists mainly of impressionistic paintings and small metal sculpture. Eventually, her work lead to painting realistic murals and paintings, designing and creating jewelry, exploring with recycled materials, and finally to mixed media. Michele’s art has a familiar and peaceful, yet vibrant, energy that lends itself to her creative and passionate spirit. Michele is very active in the arts community both locally and nationally. Her work has been shown and sold across the country, including Columbus, Ohio, the Finger Lakes Region of New York, West Virginia, Alabama and the Tampa Bay Area.

Michele also has a background in curating which began in Columbus, Ohio in 2001. Since then she has managed spaces such as the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Performing Art Center, DACCO, The Centre, Centre 4 Girls and the Hillsborough County Children’s Board. As curator for the Gallery at Carrollwood Cultural Center, Michele strives to provide new and innovative opportunities for artists in the Tampa Bay area and throughout Florida.