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Bill Gallagher’s ‘The State of Florida’ Opens at Jane’s Art Center
“Fear of Missing Out,” oil on canvas. Image courtesy of Bill Gallagher.
Jane’s Art Center in New Smyrna Beach is known locally as a ceramics center. Saturday, May 4, Bill Gallagher’s solo show “The State of Florida” opens at Jane’s. Gallagher’s oil paintings may be a slight departure from the usual at Jane’s, but they will be a nice addition to the space.
Gallagher’s work, as the title suggests, chronicles Florida life, especially in a beach town. His paintings are technically solid, but not rigid. They tell stories. The works show how technology, melancholy, and even loneliness play out against the backdrop of what some might consider paradise and its impossible expectations.
The paintings are more relatable to people who have spent much of their lives here.
“Florida contains all of the contradictions that interest me as an artist,” Gallagher said. “It is paradise and absurdity, beauty and excess, intimacy and spectacle — often all at once.”
That statement sums his work up pretty well. I’ve often said that true Florida is impossible to describe to someone who hasn’t really experienced it. Gallagher captures this feeling as well as any artist I know.
A couple of years ago, Gallagher returned to the studio after spending more than a decade working in advertising. The shift was less like a reinvention than a return to something that had been set aside but not abandoned.
Since then, the work has been met with steady recognition, including an Award of Excellence at the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival and a First Place award at the Artists’ Workshop NSB Members Show for his painting “Release.” He has earned awards in 12 of 14 juried exhibitions.
If you are in or near Orlando, take a drive to New Smyrna. Check out Jane’s. It’s a beautiful space. You might be surprised to see what is happening in the arts in New Smyrna.
Opening: Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 4-7 p.m. Bill Gallagher’s artwork will be on display until the end of May.
Jane’s Art Center is located at 199 Downing St, New Smyrna Beach, FL, 32168.
Mike Synan
News | Sports | Politics
- After two decades in news and politics, Mike Synan is returning to his roots to write Sports as “The Sportsaholic”. Mike hosted a talk show for 6 years on WDBO after Magic home games called “Magic Til Midnight”, and spent years working as an in-game correspondent for both ESPN and Fox Sports Radio. His column “Synan Says” has appeared on both www.wdbo.com and www.floridadaily.com. He has a BS in Political Science from Clemson University. You can reach him at msynan@sportsmail.com
