FGCU alumni Izzy Baquerizo and Chloe Lewis unveiled their exhibit “Girl Feast” at the Wasmer Art Gallery on Oct. 16. The exhibit is part of the FGCU Art Galleries’ Alumni Series.
The artists used their digital illustrations to explore themes of friendship, community and girlhood. They collaborated on each piece via Procreate, an iPad app used for digital illustration and art. The app allowed the two to work together on this exhibit despite them being 1,100 miles apart.
The Wasmer Art Gallery’s pastel yellow, pink and lavender walls acted as a soft backdrop to the playful artwork encased in eccentric frames. A steady hum of conversation filled the gallery. Attendees enjoyed refreshments, including sweet tea and pie, provided by Pie Shop at Campo de Velasco.
Baquerizo graduated from FGCU in 2019, one year after Lewis. They did not connect until after graduating and coincidentally both moved to New York. Baquerizo reached out to Lewis to meet up, and they soon formed a friendship based on their shared passion for art and community.
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“I remember the first time we met. We went to Prospect Park to have a picnic and chat about our time at FGCU,” Lewis said. “We sort of merged in a way, with our art styles being so similar.”
Baquerizo is Ecuadorian. Lewis is half-Japanese. Their heritages means food and community are a big part of their lives. Baquerizo recounts how their friendship led them to collaborating on the art show.
“This is really how we see life. We get dinner together, we make art, we make new friends,” Baquerizo said. “We wanted to make something really light-hearted and fun for this exhibit.”
To put these art shows together, gallery curator Anica Sturdivant stays connected with school alumni who continue to pursue art after graduation. Sturdivant’s relationship with Lewis began when the artist was working as an assistant at the Wasmer Gallery. After Baquerizo and Lewis had been working together, they decided to reach out to Sturdivant about putting together a show.
“With Chloe and Izzy both being illustrators in New York, it worked out great. I was able to visit them both and talk about this exhibition,” Sturdivant said.
The name for the show comes from a popular online term, “girl dinner” – a meal consisting of snack foods or small bites that don’t require much preparation. The artists combined this term with their expression of community and friendship, turning a dinner into a feast.
This theme is represented by the artists’ use of a communal eating space with a quote on the wall reading, “when you have more than you need, build a longer table not a higher fence.” 
The crowd of approximately 50 people on opening night had three main sections of the gallery to view the artwork. One wall contained a collage of small, framed illustrations. There was an astroturf section with tables and chairs, along with a bowl of fortune cookies to encourage people to interact. The final wall featured large-scale illustrations applied directly to it. This artwork was accompanied by “emoji” decals such as stars, cherries and clouds.
Both artists worked on every piece of art in the exhibit.
“Chloe loves flowers and plants, and I love weird characters, so it was the perfect mix to make a setting for a girl dinner. Or a girl feast as we say,” said Baquerizo.
The exhibit is open in the Wasmer Gallery through Nov. 20. The following show will be the senior project exhibition, where graduating art students will display their final projects.