November at Arts on Douglas October 15 2026
In the alt_space Gallery:
ROBERT REEDY
San Pedro
On Exhibit: November 7 - December 12, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 7, 4-7 PM
Artist Talk: Friday, December 11, 11 AM - 12 PM
About the Exhibition
San Pedro features a collection of mixed-media assemblages and sculptures inspired by Robert Reedy’s firsthand observations of habitat loss and its effects on Florida wildlife. Over two years, he witnessed the destruction of a 500-acre parcel of undeveloped land near his horse farm to make way for residential development. Once home to more than 15,000 live oak trees, wetlands, native plants, and abundant wildlife, the land’s transformation drove birds to seek refuge on his farm. He suddenly found himself surrounded by everything from hawks to wild turkeys.
Reedy explains, “It has been a thing of beauty to observe this influx of birds, but for all the wrong reasons. The migration was so overwhelming that I decided to reflect on it through a series of mixed-media bird paintings. My birds are not based on illustrative accuracy like Audubon; rather, they are an expression of movement, emotion, and color.”
The resulting works reflect Reedy’s exploration of this theme through layered assemblages that combine painted elements with vintage photographs, printed imagery, and found objects, including measuring tools and barbed wire. These unexpected juxtapositions merge personal and cultural references, creating complex compositions that explore the tension between the natural world and human intervention. Together, these works offer a compelling visual interpretation of the unsettling exodus of local wildlife and the rapid transformation of the natural landscape.
About the Artist
With a career spanning four decades, Reedy has worked in painting, printmaking, mixed-media assemblage, and ceramics. His childhood in rural Mississippi shaped his approach to artmaking through storytelling, family, and faith. These influences continue to inform his exploration of individuality, personal history, and the ways people interpret their surroundings.
Reedy earned his BFA and MFA from the University of Mississippi in Oxford and later studied at Penland School of Craft and Design. Throughout his career, Reedy has served as department chair at the University of Central Florida, Bradley University, Ringling School of Art and Design, and Itawamba Community College. At UCF, he served as a foundation faculty member and taught courses in two- and three-dimensional design and ceramics. He also established several innovative programs, including the Advanced Design Lab, PAVE (Partners in Art for Visual Education), Flying Horse Editions, and CREATe (Creative Research and Education in Art and Technology). His teaching experience also includes an artist-in-residence appointment at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a visiting artist residency at Turo Center for the Arts in Massachusetts, and ceramics instruction at Arrowmont School of Art and Design in Tennessee.
Reedy’s work has been exhibited at or is represented in the collections of the Museum of American Ceramics in Pomona, California; the American Crafts Museum in New York; the Museum of American Art and the Renwick Museum in Washington, D.C.; and the collection of Walter and Joan Mondale at the American Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, among others.