I was born in Tarpon Springs and raised in Largo. I knew by 5-years old that I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. I attended Ridgecrest Elementary, then Osceola Middle School where I took my first Advanced Art class. From there, I auditioned and was accepted to the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School, where I obtained the BEST visual arts education of my life so far. It was there that I was able to earn the opportunity of having my first professional art exhibition at the Morean Arts Center as part of my senior thesis. For college, I went to the University of South Florida in Tampa (but I much rather wish I could’ve gone to Ringling or the Savannah College of Art and Design. I was accepted to both but the cost was astronomical!) and majored in Fine Art, graduating in 2017. After participating in a handful of shows pre/post-graduation, I am now currently an elementary school art teacher at Skycrest Elementary in Clearwater. I never planned to be a teacher. As Bob Ross would say – it was a happy accident. I’m so thankful that I’m able to work with such amazing students and continue to do what I’ve always loved at the same time.
Gabrielle Ganthier, Board Member
