Artist
Spotlight
Kim Minichiello
Brett Dault
Kim Minichiello is an internationally exhibited , award winning artist , whose career in art and design has spanned over thirty years . Originally from Indiana , Kim has made her home in Windermere , Florida for the past eighteen years . From an early age Kim has been designing and creating , from painting , drawing and needlework , to landscape design and culinary arts .
As a designer for Walt Disney Imagineering , she designed shops restaurants , and attractions , for Disney theme parks in Paris , Tokyo , California and Florida . Kim traveled the world , doing research for the design concepts for Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom , as well as , lived and designed Disney parks in Paris , France and Hong Kong , China . Kim has been awarded contracts for illustration projects throughout Walt Disney World , and paints plein air with a group of Walt Disney Imagineers weekly at Epcot and Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom .
Early in her career , she was an accomplished Textile Artist , creating one of a kind garments , painted and printed home furnishings shown in various galleries in the U . S ., as well as creating and producing her own line of wearable art for children . In 2000 , her interest in digital media led her to co-found a studio creating digital art for art licensing . In a span of seven years , she worked with over thirty five manufacturers of home and fashion accessories , toys , stationary , and art prints , creating art for a wide variety of products , sold at Target , Stein Mart , and Bed Bath and Beyond , to name a few .
It is her love of travel and interest in art history , and cultures around the world that have brought her focus back to painting . Her work is greatly influenced by her travels and she draws inspiration from the cultural heritage of the people from the places she has lived and visited . “ As I travel the world , whether plein air painting or taking photographs , I find myself relentlessly exploring and studying what makes each new culture unique . I become a cultural anthropologist who participates in everything from daily customs to annual holiday celebrations , where I can witness the
38 | WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2017