FSU Art MFA ’22 Christina Szakonyi has received the BoldBrush Award for April 2021 with her painting, “Unbridled”. The BoldBrush Art Contest & Exhibit is an online showcase hosted by FineArtStudioOnline and is open to any artist creating paintings, digital works, fine art photography, mixed media or sculpture. The BoldBrush Award is an award of excellence with artworks judged on drawing, values, edges, composition, color, paint manipulation (brushwork), and subject matter selection. The award has an estimated value of $3,350 and can only be won once in the artist’s lifetime. Artist Daniel Gerhartz judged the April 2021 entries.
Ms. Szakonyi grew up in a rural area of central Florida surrounded by animals that inspired her first drawings. She later studied art in college where she earned an associate degree in graphic design. It wasn’t until 2014 that she sought out more rigorous training in traditional fine arts with in-depth study of oil painting, charcoal drawing, and the figure. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and she was selected as one of 21 Under 31 Young Artists to Watch in 2017 by Southwest Art Magazine. She is currently a Master of Fine Arts Candidate at Florida State University, studying studio art and illuminated manuscripts.