Opening reception planned for Oct. 8
Big Waters Land Trust, which is based in Osprey, will host artist Lauren Marshall and her latest exhibit, The Keystone Connection, beginning with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8, the nonprofit organization has announced.
Featuring a collection of Marshall’s recent works, The Keystone Connection “highlights close relationships between the wildlife and beauty of the Gulf Coast,” a news release notes.
“A Florida-based fine artist inspired by the joy, color, and wild beauty of the coast,” Marshall began her creative career working with brands such as Pottery Barn, Martha Stewart and Williams Sonoma in Silicon Valley; she also worked with many tech companies, the release says. She then returned to Florida “to focus full-time on her art,” it adds.
Marshall “paints daily in her treehouse studio, fueled by sunshine, salt air, and her two little boys,” the release continues. “Through The Keystone Connection,” the release says, she hopes to share the sense of wonder and the connection she feels” among all living things on the Gulf coast. “True keystones” such as mangroves, gopher tortoises and oysters, as well as comeback stories, such as that of the roseate spoonbill, are celebrated in this collection, the release points out.
“Marshall studied the masters’ painting techniques in Paris and Rome, creating master copies inside the Louvre, before graduating from Ringling College of Art + Design,” the release notes. Her work is part of private and corporate collections, such as those of the St. Regis Longboat Key and the National Boat Owners Association, the release adds, and it has been accepted into shows at The Dali Museum of St. Petersburg and Art Center Sarasota, as well as Sarasota and Longboat Key boutiques, the release continues. Further, she is a 2024 MLB Tampa Bay Rays Featured Artist, the release says, and she was featured in the spring 2025 issue of Where Women Create magazine.
Registration for the opening reception is required, the release points out. For more information and to RSVP, visit bigwaterslandtrust.org/laurenmarshall.
“Light refreshments will be served,” and the artist will be on-site to answer questions about her work, the release adds. “Artwork and stationery items will be available for sale,” with Marshall “generously donating a percentage of the proceeds to Big Waters Land Trust, the release notes.
Following the reception, the exhibit will be on display Oct. 9 through Jan. 12, 2026. It may be viewed Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the release adds.
Call Big Waters Land Trust office at 941-918-2100 with questions, to confirm holiday hours, and to schedule an appointment, the release says.