Storytelling as Art

Marco Island Center for the Arts is featuring one of their own! Myrian Kriel’s SYNERGY exhibit is on display now at La Petite Galerie.

 “I love a good book and movie - it’s all about the storytelling and now with this new skill of Photoshop Artistry, I could visually write my own stories and bring my characters to life,” said Kriel, Creative Director for the Art Center. Kriel uses her friends and family as models as well as sourcing from free public domain sites or purchasing elements. Once she gathers everything it is exported into Photoshop and the “painting” part starts. “It’s almost like airbrushing,” Kriel said. “I use the same principles a regular artist would use to complete the image and pull all the pieces together in one coherent story.”

But Kriel’s artistic journey isn’t just on canvas. “My journey with clay started as a little girl when I discovered the beautiful terracotta clay in our backyard,” said the South African native. “After a few years of doing photography/Photoshop artistry, I felt a strong need to combine digital art with something tangible to weave together the threads of visual storytelling, digital creativity and the tactile artistry of ceramics.”

SYNERGY showcases both artistic talents; digital artistry and ceramics. “SYNERGY might be a solo exhibition but it really is a mirror of the ‘creative village’ in which I live and breathe and create,” said Kriel.

"We find tremendous joy in the stories that are created at the Art Center,” said Hyla Crane, Executive Director. “From receptionist to graphic designer to creative manager to exhibiting artist, Myriam’s story fills us all with pride and inspiration. She possesses a magical aesthetic and was truly born to be an artist. It's so captivating. I wish it was a permanent installation."

You can catch Myriam Kriel’s SYNERGY in La Petite Galerie at the Marco Island Center for the Arts through January 30th.

Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Drive. Open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.