We were lucky to catch up with Justin Luper recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Justin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

In my role as the Arts and Marketing Supervisor for the City of Casselberry my ongoing project is the maintenance and expansion of the arts in Lake Concord Park.
Prior to my arrival in 2021, the City had already established a strong foundation for the arts and part of my role is maintaining that foundation. Those who came before me knew how vital arts and culture is to a growing community, how it connects people, and how it fosters economic growth. People want to be where the arts are.
For over twenty years Casselberry has been providing the community with the space to learn and create art starting with the Art House, which has operated as a gallery and classroom space since 2002. We also have a Sculpture Walk with over 40 public sculptures, we display art in our City Hall building and we opened the Sculpture House in 2021 which is a gallery space dedicated to 3D, experimental, and installation art. The Sculpture House has been a space where I have had the opportunity to help grow the arts in Casselberry.
Part of my role with the City is Curator for our gallery spaces. In the Sculpture House I have been successful in bringing in artists who have never shown in Casselberry and whose work is not typical art for a City to showcase. My goal is to broaden the communities understanding and definition of art through dynamic exhibitions and artist engagements. We have artist talks where the community can directly engage with the artists to better understand their practice and their work. I have been extremely fortunate to work with so many incredibly generous and brilliant artists who have worked so hard to transform the space and to give the community memorable experiences. To see people connect through these shared experiences is what feels good.
Our newest addition to Lake Concord Park is the Casselberry Arts Center which opened January of 2024. It is a 3000 sq ft gallery space where we will host three exhibitions a year along with opportunities for theatre, dance, film, and musical performances. Curating and programming this space has been an honor and a fulfilling experience so far. The tremendous effort that went into the inaugural exhibition/grand opening was overwhelming to say the least, but the pay off was seeing the space activated by hundreds of people connecting and enjoying themselves.
The Arts Center is another opportunity to grow the arts in Casselberry by broadening our reach. We plan to display contemporary art from regional, national, and international artists and in turn we hope to reach a larger audience. We will continue to have educational public engagement through artist talks and lectures and this space will provide an opportunity for the community to experience other forms of art including music, theatre, film, and dance.
This project, “the Arts in Casselberry”, is multifaceted and ever changing, making for an exciting career. Having spent the past 15+ years as a visual artist, I have experienced the challenges of trying to find my own unique style, my voice, and my community. My role in this project helps to bring those challenges into perspective by giving me the feeling of being a part of something bigger than myself. I am able to look at those challenges in retrospect with the knowledge that it was all of the success and failures that brought me here and more importantly it is all the people along my journey that have made it all worth it. That’s why this project feels so good. The people.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up in Tampa and ended up graduating from UCF in 2008 with a BA in creative writing. After that I pursued my passion for the arts. I spent years writing and recording music, played in bands, made art and eventually came to focus my time and energy on my visual art practice.
I have always drawn since I was a kid, it is the foundation for my practice. My drawings, photography, and digital work inform my paintings. My practice informs my life and the opposite. I think the concept of a practice is a beautiful thing that should be taught and talked about. It is a simple thing that can help you navigate the world and it wasn’t until I began to take myself serious as an artist that I came to understand what a practice can be. The time I have poured into creating artwork and music and the connections I have made through collaborations and shared experiences has given me a unique perspective in my current role as a curator and arts admin.
I have a deep understanding of what it is to think and work as an artist so, when i approach other artists and creatives to exhibit their work or to participate in something, the way we communicate is different than it might be between an artist and someone who doesn’t make art. There is a common bond, a trust that is formed and it is something that I work hard to maintain and to deliver upon. I always work to uphold my end of this trust and give the artists an experience they feel good about. It is a challenge, being on the administrative side, to maintain a balance between nurturing my relationships with artists and my responsibility/relationship with the community.
I am a public servant. I work for the City of Casselberry and my programming is for the community. While I believe the artist should be free to pursue their purest form of creativity, I have to balance the artists vision with the interest of the community. Often times I am a sort of mediator or liaison between the city and the artists, helping to balance each exhibition in the interest of both parties. My goal is to expand the communities understanding and definition of art through dynamic exhibitions, public artist engagements, and unique experiences that promote connection and education.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Seeing a project, a painting, event, or idea come to fruition. Having the patience and drive to see a project through to the end is essential in life , especially when the timeline extends far into the future.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Each exhibition or event I have participated in as an artist has been a combination of success and failure. Sometimes mostly failure. I think choosing to confront failure over and over again is resilient. It taught me to have faith and trust in myself. I can look back and see how far I have come in my practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Justinluper.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luperluper?igsh=MWZxMWE1MnQ0ZzdjMw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/LuperJustin/
• Soundcloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/sheetfort