Welcome to The Fen.

 The dual reality held by UF artists speaks to their strength as creators. Unconfined by title, artists across campus may not appear as one expects. Engineers, doctors, writers and scholars are painters, photographers, sculptors and creators. What appears to be “just a swamp” at first blush is a vibrant ecosystem of creativity for those who know where—and how—to look. 

UF’s Gator pool is much like the swamp where it resides. Swamps, also known as fens, are transition zones that mark the messy-but-rich convergence of land, water and the burgeoning ecosystem within. They transcend the confines of land or water—any expectation to be “this or that''— flourishing between a muddy, messy, mixture of the two.

The Fen brings the stories and works of these artists to the surface in a celebration of talent from The Swamp.

Let’s explore.

Stories

Moni Basu Doesn’t Care What You Think of Her Art

One year into paint smears and newspaper clippings, the accomplished writer reflects on her venture into visuals. The audience? Not important.

Mimi Stocker is Going Public—Well, Kind Of

From social media to murals, creating art for public consumption is both boldly brazen and curiously anonymous.

Giuliano De Portu, Keeper of the Light

For the award-winning photojournalist-turned-doctor, art serves an important purpose in history and medicine.

Art in the Service of Others

Sometimes, the most human thing to do for a stranger is to see them. Like, really see them. That’s what these students are doing, one portrait at a time.