David Acevedo is considered one of southwest Florida’s most prominent artists.

Since his arrival to the area in 2000, he has been crucial to the city of Fort Myers’ cultural growth through his art, proposals, business accomplishments and event coordinating. Acevedo is one of the co-founders of the very popular Fort Myers Art Walk. He is the founder of DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts, which houses over twenty-five local artists and operates as the only cooperative gallery in the city, the Union Artist Studios and most recently, the Arts & Eats Café – two other unique concepts promoting local artists in southwest Florida.

Regarding his artistic profile, his pictorial work is recognizable by the impeccably bold colors, textures, and clever compositions. He has, however, created darker imagery attributed to his silent resistance to conformity and established stereotypes. A notable part of his depictions is the hidden message or symbols in his work, drawing the viewer into each piece and creating intrigue. The work Acevedo produces ranges from vibrant Pop-like, expressionistic, and abstract. Not one to stay within the lines, he mixes mediums and techniques, unconventionally and unapologetically. A recognizable trade for this artist is the symbolic consistence and elements that represent a language. That, plus a beautiful balance of light and dark, plummet the mind into the world he has created. Currently, he is represented by local galleries and his work is collected all over the world. He has exhibited in part of the United States, Spain, and China (Hong Kong).

Acevedo grew up in a house nestled by the mountains and the ocean. As a child, he discovered the world of comic books and for years, he practiced copying the shapes of their bodies and analyzing the details and colors. He developed a keen eye for proportion and color. This influence is noticeable in some of his work today. This, mixed with a vivid imagination and a natural sense of resiliency, prompted the young artist to pursue his passions.

In 1998, Acevedo graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Visual Arts from the prestigious University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. Two years later, David was offered a job in Southwest Florida and moved to the area. Since then, he has established a solid reputation as one of the primary artists in the community, winning the title of Visual Artist of the Year in 2009 and a Gulfshorelife Magazine FACE Award in 2016 for his community work in diversity and inclusion. His first professional artist studio opened in 2006, later transforming into a pioneering art gallery called DAAS. It was after opening the first DAAS Gallery that he co-founded the popular Fort Myers Art Walk (2008), then serving in the core committee until 2012. Acevedo served in the Fort Myers Public Arts Committee from 2011 to 2012 as well. From 2013 to 2020, Acevedo contributed as Arts Editor for TOTI Media INC, publishing numerous articles for their five local and international publications. As part of his artistic endeavors, Acevedo has judged multiple exhibitions with award prizes for the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center, the Fort Myers Alliance for the Arts, and Big Arts on Sanibel, among others. His reach has been extended by numerous featured articles in magazines such as Gulfshorelife, the Fort Myers Magazine, Happenings Magazine, the Fort Myers News-Press, D’Latinos Magazine, and others.

“I am an intuitive artist.

I do not seek to fix the world or criticize governmental institutions through my work; rather learn from myself with every brush stroke and allow my mind to wander the state of sub-consciousness that I fall into during my creative process. My work does not speak about politics or demands you to recall the stresses of everyday living. The color palette I utilize varies from time to time because of an ever-changing mind that dictates it. Never one to follow recipes, I create my own mixture of mediums until I feel content.

My process includes a long stare at a blank canvas, a look around my studio for inspiration and finally a decisive moment of whether to grab a brush and paint or the keys to my car and leave.

The artwork I produce has been described as abstract-expressionist, but I have found that descriptive labels push me to stay within the limits of a movement and that counteracts with my muses. I humbly admit traveling the journey of experimentation and I continue the constant search for individualism within my body of work.

The materials I utilize to create my paintings are usually photographs, magazine cut-outs, acrylic paints, gesso, inks, pencils, dry and oil pastels, oils, enamels, colored markers and pens; applied to cotton rag paper or stretched canvas. A particular painting of mine could have all of these mediums or as little as one; it all depends on my vision at the moment and most importantly, my mood.

I believe that we are all artists in one way or another. It just so happens that some of us are cursed with a constant and overwhelming need for creativity while others find a way to ignore such urge. Talent is not necessarily what makes the artist; passion and perseverance does.”

David Acevedo, acevedostudio.com

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