The Osceola County Clerk of Court, Kelvin Soto, Esq., in collaboration with the School District of Osceola County, celebrated its ‘second’ grand opening of the N.E.S.T. Gallery on January 21. The event marked a significant milestone in the promotion of student artistry in the community. Hosted on the 2nd floor of the Jon B. Morgan Courthouse, the N.E.S.T. Gallery—short for Neighborhood for Exceptional Student Talent—showcases the creativity and talent of Osceola County’s young artists in a a public place available to the community at no cost.

The gallery features an impressive array of artworks created by students from various schools across the county. These pieces are exhibited in the second floor of the Clerk & Comptroller Customer Care wings of the courthouse, a space that brings art closer to the public. The initiative to launch the NEST Gallery came from Clerk & Comptroller Soto’s desire to enhance the office’s interaction with the public. This vision led to the transformation of the Customer Care lobbies into a vibrant art exhibition space.

The curation of the gallery is a joint effort with the School District’s Fine & Performing Arts Resource Specialists, Dr. Christopher Burns and Dr. Joseph D’Ambrosi. The artwork is selected on a rotational basis, ensuring diverse representation from county high schools each year. The first installment featured 25 pieces from Tohopekaliga High School. This year, the gallery spotlights works from Horizon and Discovery Middle Schools, as well as Liberty and Poinciana High Schools.

Notable attendees at the opening included Osceola School District Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff, School Board Chair Heather Kahoun, Judges Arendas, Young, Sanders-Morency, Poinciana teacher Mr. Solomon, Clerk staff Diana Rodriguez and Chris Mack, and the Poinciana High School Chorus under the direction of Mx. Citron.

The N.E.S.T. Gallery underlines the importance of art in fostering community growth and positive change. By situating art in public spaces, it broadens access to creative expression, enriching the lives of residents and visitors alike.

Positively Osceola extends heartfelt gratitude to Kelvin Soto and his team for their unwavering support of the arts and the valuable partnership with the school district in nurturing young talent.