Fall Festival of the Arts – DeLand Unveils Official Artwork for This Year’s Event
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2026
Created by Winter Park artist Robert Ross, the vividly colored still life of persimmons and flowers in a vase is in the style of Henri Matisse, one of the significant influences on Ross’ painting.
DELAND, Fla. – The Fall Festival of the Arts – DeLand has unveiled the artwork that will be used for this year’s official poster and T-shirt, the festival’s board of directors has announced.
Created by Winter Park artist Robert Ross, the vividly colored still life of persimmons and flowers in a vase is in the style of Henri Matisse, one of the significant influences on Ross’ painting. The image incorporates the architectural elements that are central to Ross’ work, which currently is on display through Oct. 18 in the exhibition The Architecture of Light at the museum at 100 N. Woodland Blvd.
Ross says he prefers to work in oil paints because they dry more slowly and therefore give him more time to nuance his work. He enjoys the gritty back alleyways of buildings to the fronts. “I don’t live in a meadow of cows and a babbling brook. So I don’t paint the country, I paint the city where I live, that is my landscape.”
Ross began formal training in 2004 at the Crealde School of Art in Winter Park, where he studied drawing, painting and printmaking. He also took master classes from well-known Philadelphia landscape painter Stuart Shils. His initial focus was on plein-air paintings of rural scenes, but over time shifted to more gritty urban landscapes and interiors. Since 2013 he has taught painting at Crealde School.
Ross was awarded Best in Show at the DeLand festival in 2023, as well as numerous awards at other shows throughout Florida. His work has been shown at group and individual shows at museums and galleries across the southeast. His work can also be seen at this year's festival, Nov. 21-22, in booth 47.
Catalina Hoffman, this year’s festival president, said, “We are excited to have an artist of Robert’s reputation and appeal representing the festival as Featured Artist. His art is extraordinary and always popular with the public.”
The artwork was unveiled at an event in late August at The Athens Theater.
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For more information, press only:
Catalina Hoffman, President FFOA
(954) 561-7617
ffoainfo@gmail.com
