City Center for the Arts. The latter was his artistic re-imagining of Edward Sheriff Curtis’s iconic North American photographs into abstract paintings. “Those two events really sparked my new career and gave me name recognition,” notes Shapot. “I am so grateful for everyone who has and continues to encourage and support my art.” As his art evolved, Shapot acquired a few more muses. “Nature really inspires me. I love to paint elements of nature and landscapes,” says Shapot, who is as unassuming as his paintings are bold. “And people inspire me. I love painting just everyday people doing everyday things. I like to shed light on what most people might see as mundane, but is actually quite beautiful.”
Supersized Canvas
While participating in a First Friday Art Walk in 2019, Shapot had the good fortune to meet Felipe and Betty Ann Korzenny, recent retirees to Ocala. “We really liked what we saw in Jordan’s artwork,” says Betty Ann, who has a doctorate in education. “Felipe and I have always loved art of all kinds and Jordan’s work really spoke to us.” Felipe, who has a doctorate in communications and marketing, taught at Florida State University before moving to Ocala, agrees, saying, “We have a very eclectic taste in art, from paintings to Persian rugs to metal art. If we like it, we buy it.” The Korzennys also are very involved in the Ocala arts scene. Working with the Marion Cultural
Alliance, they established the Korzenny Grant Fund for Art Educators. The couple also supports the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s youth programs. At that first meeting with Shapot, the Korzennys, who have owned horses, bought a brightly colored abstract painting of a horse. Not long after, they bought another three-panel abstract painting from Shapot. Soon they would collaborate on a large-scaled art project. “After we moved into our new home in Ocala, every time we sat out on our glassed-in lanai, we felt like