THE NEXT ORIGINAL
The Kessler Collection’s search for the next great artist.
In November 2022, Kessler issued an open call to emerging artists across the United States. Out of more than 1,800 artists, nine finalists were handpicked by Richard C. Kessler to come to Savannah, Georgia to display their work. Each of the finalists inspired Mr. Kessler in their own unique way. During the Awards Dinner, Mr. Kessler named all nine finalists The Next Original Artists of 2022.
Meet The Next Original Artists 2022
Learn more about the winning artists, explore their work and add a Next Original to your collection.
DEIRDRE BARRETT
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Deirdre Barrett is a Harvard dream researcher, published author, and digital artist whose own dreams inspired her current work. Her digital painting techniques bring a reality to the dreaming world’s fantasies and magical events while exploring the thin boundaries between the inanimate and the sentient of our collective unconscious.
SHANNON “SHAN” FANNIN
Austin, Texas
Born 1969 in California, artist Shannon “Shan” Fannin brings vehicles to life with a combination of photorealism and abstraction. Painting in a unique style using acrylics, hands, and brushes allows her to focus on the vehicle while giving a hint of the abstract surroundings. Fannin travels within the United States and internationally to photograph vehicles, and talk with their owners to enhance her creative process.
OLGA FURMAN
East Brunswick, New Jersey
Olga Furman is a mixed media, contemporary artist. Originally from Russia, she creates modern portraits rich in color and texture. She holds a pedagogical degree in art, and she hosts art classes and collaborative art programs for seasoned and new artists alike.
ALFREDO GONZALEZ
Oxnard, California
A graduate of The Academy of Arts University in San Francisco, the artwork of Alfredo Gonzalez conveys disrupted realism while exploring the nature of human experience and emotion. Gonzalez uses the face, human figure, and his unique painting style to capture portraits of life-altering experiences through quiet moments.
KARIN HOLZER
Long Island, NY
Karin Holzer is a lifelong artist whose work is inspired by her background in architecture and draws inspiration from impressionist era influences. She has a special passion for painting water lilies using a unique three-dimensional luminous effect, bringing to life small details in structure and composition.
HALLIE PACKARD
Brooklyn, New York
Hallie Packard is inspired by miraculous moments in nature that might seem mundane at first glance, but that sparkle with enchantment, seen or unseen. Growing up with the woods as her playground, she felt a kinship with the natural environment and a deep-seated belief in its magic; a recognition of beauty amidst chaos. Packard’s artworks serve as a reminder of the wonder that abounds and the respect and care it deserves.
CHASE PARKER
Tampa, Florida
Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, Chase Parker creates mind-bending illusions using mixed-media art. He works with a variety of materials, from traditional media like painting, paper, and sculpture, and non-traditional media like books, vellum, and bullet shells. He transforms his materials into fantastical two and three-dimensional artworks that explore the idea of personal growth.
LAURA PAWLIK
Denver, Colorado
Laura Pawlik is a visual author of a memoir of dreams. Inspired by the practices of Carl Jung, she began painting her dreams in 2010. Each of her multi-layered paintings is haunting and beautiful, telling stories rich in meaning and exploring the artist’s unconscious life through family ghosts and familiar surroundings.
ELAINE SCHLOSS
Valley Cottage, New York
Elaine Schloss has had a life-long passion for art, singing, and musical theater spanning eight decades. Her love for drama explains the vibrant and bold color and line throughout her work. Ranging from realistic to semi-abstract, her art explores faces, figures, emotion, form, and color rendered in vibrant acrylics.
Inspiration around every corner.
Founded by Richard Kessler in 1984, Kessler Collection® is a visionary hospitality brand curating art, music, cuisine, culture and design throughout each hotel and experience, inspiring guests from around the world.
Richard C. Kessler
Chairman & CEO, The Kessler Collection
Richard C. Kessler is a visionary who has combined his creativity and vast entrepreneurial knowledge to build The Kessler Collection and its many brands. Kessler has been an avid art collector for more than 50 years and is passionate about discovering lesser-known artists, adding their work to his ever-growing eclectic collection. Each of Kessler’s hotel properties feature hundreds of pieces of artwork from his personal collection, adding ambiance and setting the stage for guests to create memorable moments.
