Bess Auer

Bess is a visual artist inspired by Florida’s landscapes, history, and sense of place. Born and raised in Winter Park, she works primarily in oil and acrylic, depicting traditional Florida subjects—from orange groves and seascapes to the disappearing landscapes of Old Florida—through a contemporary lens. Her practice also includes sculptural works created from gourds, transforming the organic forms of this traditional material into imaginative, often whimsical figures.

Solo Exhibitions

• Unpaved Parts: Ghosts of Old Florida — Mills Gallery, Orlando, FL, November 2026

• Gourds & Monsters — Mills Gallery, Orlando, FL, 2024

• Gourd-geous Reflections — Mills Gallery, Orlando FL 2023

Gallery Representation

• George’s Cafe & Art Gallery, Winter Park, FL

Museum, Juried Exhibitions & Residencies

• Selected for Best of the Best, juried exhibition, A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery, Fort Pierce, FL

• Juried exhibitions throughout Florida, including Five Deuces Galleria, St. Petersburg, FL

• International artist residency and exhibition, Chokechaka Artist Residency, Cusco, Peru — November 2025

Community & Regional Relevance

• Fourth-generation Winter Park resident with deep ties to the local community

• Active in local arts, nonprofit, and community initiatives

• Collaborates with regional organizations and exhibitions exploring Florida history, landscape, and cultural identity

Click images of selected works below to enlarge.