Gainesville is a hotspot for artists.
Something about the town seems to draw in the creatives. From The Repurpose Project to Satchel’s Pizza to the Gainesville Fine Arts Association, there are many resources and homemade museums that allow artists to showcase their work and be a part of Gainesville history.
Samm Wehman Epstein is one Gainesville-based artist whose work can be found scattered across the entire town. She’s a prime example of how artists are able to be seen and enjoyed by the local community.
Epstein, a 36-year-old full-time painter, has been an artist in Gainesville since 2014. Her style is characterized by her bright colors and a focus on animals.
Her work at Satchel’s varies from prints of her paintings to acrylic on canvas. One piece in the exhibit is of a fox with bright orange fur and dark eyes.
Epstein loves being an artist in the Gainesville area and thrives off of seeing the positive, jaw-dropping reactions to her work as it scatters the walls of many different businesses and vendorships. She has always been an artist in some capacity, and going full-time has been a dream come true.
“I think most artists struggle a lot,” she said. “Because putting our art out there is truly an outpouring of our heart and soul, because our art comes from within.”
She’s collaborated with Satchel’s Pizza for the past nine years. The pizza shop’s quirky and unique atmosphere complements Epstein's work, blending them to create a kaleidoscope of originality.
“[Satchel’s has] a very funky, very Gainesvillian vibe with a lot of repurposed stuff all over their whole restaurant,” Epstein said. “It’s pretty much just always a work in progress for Satchel and staff that they’re just adding onto it constantly.”
Driving through Gainesville, whether it be around The Swamp or near the Oaks Mall, you’ll probably see a large bumper sticker with text along the lines of “Satchel would let me merge” or “I’d rather be eating Satchel’s.”
The restaurant is a big staple of Gainesville culture and artistry. It features a rotating selection of artists, where each month features a new artist’s display in the main dining room area. Epstein’s art specifically is typically featured during the summer.
Satchel Raye, the 58-year-old owner of Satchel’s Pizza, is an artist himself. He loves to bring in new artists to his restaurant and show them off as much as possible. From art pieces hanging on the wall to different genres of music lighting up the night, every facet of Satchel’s Pizza is covered in different forms of art.
Epstein is just one of the stand-out artists that adds to the Satchel’s Pizza experience.
“Sam in particular is so prolific,” Raye said. “Usually an artist will come in and show 10 or 15 pieces of paintings or drawings or photography on the wall, and they're all spread out. And Sam comes in and just packs the walls, and you just can't stop looking around.”
Raye knows that he is just one of the people who support artwork in the Gainesville area and that many different spaces uplift artistry.
There’s the Alachua County Farmers Market, the Gainesville Fine Arts Association, the Santa Fe College Art Festival, Dad’s Bar, Satchel’s Pizza, The Top Secret Space, the Artisan's Guild Gallery, and the Black C Art Gallery, just to name a few places that people can attend.
Malia Homus, a 27-year-old Gainesville resident, commissioned Epstein after falling in love with her artwork at the Alachua County Farmers Market and seeing her again at the Santa Fe College Art Festival.
“We walked by the booth, and I had seen her art before, but never really approached her,” she said. “So I finally approached her, and I was like, ‘What can I do to get a personal piece of my beautiful dog?’ And I just loved her art, I was so excited. I got a personal piece done, and I literally love it, and I want a bigger one. I was like ‘I should have went bigger.’”
Epstein is only one of the many talented artists in the Gainesville area. Her art is consistently loved and supported by the community and can be found all around the area as her art makes its way through the eyes and hearts of locals.
Local artistry can be found in many places around Gainesville. Everywhere your eyes can see, your feet can walk, or your car can drive, there is bound to be a local artist's work somewhere hoping to be enjoyed.
Epstein’s artwork will be on display at Satchel’s Pizza until the end of August.
Contact Mackenzie Haas at mhaas@alligator.org
