Evan Guttormson
Artist-in-Residence
“Good luck out there, pal.”
2026 | Mixed media on canvas
Evan Guttormson is a composer, violist, and visual artist based in Northeast Florida. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Performance for Viola with a minor in Art History from the University of North Florida, where he also studied composition and served as a section leader in the UNF Orchestra. His original compositions have appeared in student films and publications and earned second place in MediaSound Hamburg’s 2022 Young Talent Competition.
Evan and his sister Jaycee created the work from their shared experiences in behavioral health settings, combining their individual practices with pieces given to them by patients they met through AWAHIH.
In His Own Words
What drew you to Art with a Heart in Healthcare?
I became an Artist-in-Residence in 2023. I was drawn to the opportunity to utilize my art and music experience in an environment where people benefit greatly from art experiences.
What are you most drawn to creatively?
I usually work with watercolor, acrylics, and oil pastels, as well as music. My work often centers on creating moods and atmospheres inspired by folklore. My style also draws on quotation and adaptation of historical, art historical, and folkloric materials.
Tell us about the piece you created with Jaycee.
For this exhibition, Jaycee and I collaborated on a painting that would convey our experiences with AWAHIH, centering around our work in both pediatric and adult behavioral health units.
The piece incorporates both of our artistic styles as well as artwork given to us by patients in these units. We wanted to highlight the patients’ work while unifying the image with art of our own, exemplifying the collaboration between artist and patient.
What do you hope viewers take away from the piece?
We hope viewers take away that through art, beauty and creativity can flourish in the seemingly darkest of situations, and that life is a book being continually written.
