The residency, supported by CORE Wealth Advisors and the AGB Director's Circle, marks a strategic evolution for the museum as a teaching institution. Llanes, who already has four pieces in the museum’s permanent collection, will use the two-and-a-half-month tenure to explore themes of identity and human perception. Visitors will be invited to observe his process during open painting sessions, while students at Florida Southern College gain direct access to his creative development.
Reynier Llanes to Launch Inaugural Residency at AGB Museum
Florida’s Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art has tapped acclaimed Cuban-born artist Reynier Llanes for its first-ever Artist-in-Residence program. From September through November 2026, Llanes will transform the museum into a working studio to develop his upcoming portrait series, Transcendentals, while mentoring students and engaging the public.

Dr. Daryl Ward, executive director of the AGB, views the program as a vital bridge between professional practice and community education. The project is set to culminate in a 2027 exhibition, a documentary film, and a dedicated catalogue. For Chuck Foss, president of the AGB Board of Governors, the initiative provides the gift of uninterrupted time for an artist, turning the museum into a collaborative laboratory. Llanes plans to use the face as a lens for examining societal assumptions and surveillance, ensuring that the act of creation remains as visible and impactful as the final portraits themselves.


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