Florida Artists Group

Artists Bio:

Ellen Pavlakos’ commitment to art originated with classical studies in
Athens, Greece, her place of birth. She grew up where sculpture was very
present in her everyday life and created a profound effect on her awareness
and love of art.

After arriving in Florida in 1964 Ellen became a student of master potter
Mel Casper who had studied in China. Under the instruction of Casper,
she discovered the range of creative three-dimensional forms that were
possible.

Eager to gain more experience, Ellen studied with sculptor Luis Montoya
at the Norton Museum School of Art in West Palm Beach. Later she studied
with Bruno Lucchesi and Ruth Nickelson at the National Academy of
Design in New York. With strong encouragement, Ellen was advised to go
to her studio and work on her own.

Since then, Pavlakos has had work in many statewide and national competitions
starting in 1979 with a national Academic Artists Juried Exhibit in
Springfield, MA. The next year her work was featured in the International
Sculpture Conference’s Exhibit in Washington D.C. and received the Realist
Sculpture Bronze Award. The same year, she received First in Sculpture
in the Brevard Museum Juried Exhibit along with a solo exhibit at the Brevard
Museum in 1981.

Very active years followed with statewide and national competitions, and
solo shows that led to international solo shows in Paris, France and
Athens, Greece.

Pavlakos was invited by the Greek Department of Cultural Affairs for a two
month long solo exhibit. Subsequently, her bronze sculpture “Mother
Earth” and her painting “Interlude” were purchased by the Municipality of
Athens. Other international exhibits included Thessaloniki, Greece, and in
1994, she competed at the Cyprus Symposium in Nicosia, Cyprus, where
she worked next to artists from all parts of the world.

Pavlakos has continued to exhibit on regular basis. Her work can be found
in her home town, Melbourne Florida, at the 5th Avenue Art Gallery.

Artist Statement:

Approaching the human figure and mind, I find it an unending educational
voyage - It never tires or bores me. I look forward to each new piece and
wonder what new secret I will find, what veil will be lifted? What will I
discover this time?
I marvel at the double sides of each face and torsos also.
In portraits I try to read the hieroglyphics, the signs, the differences before
me so that I can capture the essence of that particular person. If caught,
they reveal a lot of themselves… I use my eyes to feel the face, to scan
each minute story.
Human emotions and experiences inspire my work. My goal is to utilize a
creative language to express clearly my encounters with life and the
character of my world.
My greatest Technical problem is my personal struggle, being obsessive
with attention to detail, to simplify all of this information.

Exhibitions:

Selected Exhibits
2017     Derek Gores Gallery - Melbourne, FL
2016    Fifth Avenue Art Gallery - Melbourne, FL
2015    Court House Cultural Center - Stuart, FL
2014    National Juried Exhibition, Cornell Museum of Art and American Culture, -
             Delray Beach, FL
2012    Marietta/ Cobb Museum of Art - Atlanta, GA
2011     Museum of Florida Art - Deland, FL
             Gateway center for the Arts - DeBary, FL
2010    Seminole State College - Sanford, FL
             Gray / Robinson - Melbourne, FL
             Terrace Gallery, Orlando City Hall - Orlando, FL
             BCC/UCF Library - Cocoa, FL
             Seminole State College - Sanford, FL
2009   Tampa International Airport - Tampa, FL
2008   Melbourne International Airport - Melbourne, FL
             Thomas Center Galleries - Gainesville, FL
2007    The Deland Museum of Art - Deland, FL
2006    Turner Center for the Arts - Valdosta, GA
              Albany Museum - Albany, GA
2005    Fish House Gallery - Stuart, FL
             Brevard Museum - Melbourne, FL
             Museum of Florida Art - Avon Park, FL
2004   Lake Wales Art Center - Lake Wales, FL
             Seminole Community College -Sanford, FL
2003   Gadsden Art Center - Quincy, FL
             Brevard Museum of Art - Melbourne, FL
2002    Visual Arts Center- Panama City, FL
             Osceola Art Center- Kissimmee, FL
             Deland Museum of Art - Deland, FL
             Armory Art Center-Competition - West Palm Beach, FL
2001    University of FL Art - Gainesville, FL
             Santa Fee College Gallery - Gainesville, FL
2000    Mount Dora Art Center - Mount Dora, FL
              Louisiana State University - Shreveport, LA
1999     Fifth Ave. Art Gallery - Melbourne, FL
             Alliance of the Arts- Solo - Lee County, Fort Myers, FL
             621 Gallery - Tallahassee, FL
1998    Dunedin Fine Arts Center - Dunedin, FL
              Orlando City Hall Gallery - Orlando, FL
1997     Sculpture 1997 - Thessalonika, Greece
             Le Moyne Center for the visual Arts -Tallahassee, FL
             The Appleton Museum of Art - Juried- Ocala, FL
             The Thomas Center Galleries - Gainesville, FL
             Sarasota Visual Arts Center - Sarasota, FL
1996    Brevard Museum - Melbourne, FL
             Martin County Council of Arts - Stuart, FL
1995    Martin County Council of Arts – Cultural Center – Stuart, FL
1994    Kennedy Space Center - Cape Canaveral, FL
              Symposium, Juried - Chamber of Fine Arts and Ministry of Education and
             Civilization - Nicosia, Cyprus
             Fifth Avenue Art Gallery – Solo Exhibition - Melbourne, FL
1993    Outstanding American Women Artists Invitational, Foster Harmon Galleries -
             Sarasota, FL
             Fifth Avenue Art Gallery, A Visual Dialog - Melbourne, FL
1991     Lighthouse Gallery – Tequesta, FL
1990    Cultural Center of Athens –Solo Exhibition – Athens, Greece
1989    Brevard Performing Art center – Melbourne, FL
1988    The Capitol Gallery – Capitol Building – FL Department of Cultural affairs -
             Tallahassee, FL – Ten Women in Art
             Lighthouse Gallery Tequesta, Celebration of Arts - Tequesta, FL
1987    Center for the Arts – Juried Exhibition – Vero Beach, FL
1986    Center For The Arts - Vero Beach, FL
1985     Foster Harmon Galleries – Major Artists Invitational – Sarasota, FL
             National Juried Exhibition – Enduring Triumph of Realism – Springfield, MA
             Springville Museum of Art, 61st Annual National April Salon, National Juried
             Exhibition - Springville, UT
              Spaceport USA, Space Experience - Cape Canaveral, FL
              Tequesta Gallery Tequesta - Tequesta, FL
              Sampson Gallery, Stetson University - DeLand FL
1984     Edison Community College, Juried Exhibition - Fort Myers, FL
             National Exhibition of Contemporary Realism in Art - Springfield, MA
              Paris exhibition, Le Salon des Nations - Paris, France
1983    Hess Galleries, Solo Exhibition - Allentown, PA
             Major Florida Artists Show, Foster Harmon Galleries - Sarasota, FL
             Muhlenberg College Art Exhibition - Allentown, PA
1982    Open Arts Alliance Juried Exhibition, Brevard Art Gallery and Museum -
             Melbourne, FL
             Major Florida Artists Show, Foster Harmon Galleries - Sarasota, FL
             Lighthouse Gallery Tequesta, Celebration of Arts - Tequesta, FL
1981     Brevard Art Center & Museum – Solo Exhibition - Melbourne, FL
              Museum of Science, Invitational Fine Arts Show - Miami FL
1980     International Sculpture Conference, Realist Sculpture in Bronze Exhibit -
             Washington, DC
1979     National Academic Artists Juried Exhibit - Springfield, MA
              Greek Culture Center - Springfield, MA

Pavlakos Art in Public Places:

• Mother and Child, life-size bronze. Foosaner Art Museum, Melbourne,FL.
• Welcoming Jesus, life-size bronze. Holy Name of Jesus, Catholic
Church, Indialantic, FL.
• The Flame Keeper, hydrostone. Space Education Center, Kennedy Space
Center, FL.
• Stephen Girard Monument, bronze. GirardCollege, Philadelphia, PA.
• Land Aphrodite 94, clay. Chamber of fine Arts, Nicosia, Cyprus
• Florida Waters, 9’H. polyurethane. Satellite Beach Library, FL.
• Mother Earth, bronze. Museum in Athens, Greece.
• Interlude, pastel. Penakotheke, Athens, Greece,
• Knowledge from A to Z. Central Brevard Library, Cocoa, FL.
• Scaling the Charts, life-size, bronze. International Business Park,
Heathrow, FL.
• The Young Scientist, over life-size bust, bronze. Allan Broussard
• Monument,
• The Harry T. Moore Monument, larger than life size bust, bronze. Titusville
Social Service Center, Titusville, FL.
• Mother and Child, cold cast bronze. Holmes Medical Center, Melbourne,
FL.

Membership in Professional Soceties:

Elected Member: National Academic Artists Association
The Chamber of Visual Arts In Greece
Member: The Medallic Sculpture Association
The International Federation of Medal (FIDEM)
The Ten Women in Art (Founding member 1982-Present)