Arts Advocates Gallery in Sarasota, Florida, is hosting 'Gilded: The New Icons,' a two-person exhibition running Saturdays from December 6 to December 27, 2025. The show features paintings by Alicia Brown and digital works by Elisabeth Trostli, who explore themes of identity, female beauty, and representation through Renaissance, Baroque, and Pre-Raphaelite influences. Brown’s oil paintings reimagine family members with colonial and Caribbean imagery, while Trostli’s AI-enhanced digital collages blend hand-drawn illustrations, photography, and fractal patterns. The exhibition includes weekly talks on painting, gilding, and digital art.
This exhibition matters because it highlights how contemporary artists are reinterpreting historical artistic traditions to address modern questions of identity and representation, particularly for women and diaspora communities. By bringing together traditional oil painting and cutting-edge AI techniques, the show reflects broader conversations in the art world about the role of technology and cultural heritage in shaping visual narratives. It also underscores the importance of local galleries in fostering community engagement with diverse artistic practices.