Derick Kurtz

Derick Kurtz, originally from Ft. Collins, Colorado, now resides

in the Tampa Bay area, bringing his fresh acrylic funk style to the gulf coast
of Florida. Derick has been an artist his whole life, although he'll be the
first to tell you that it's taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get
where he is in his art journey today. He's developed a lot over his years as an
artist and has learned from some amazing mentors who have helped him cultivate
his unique style. Derick had the opportunity to learn from Zoey Stevens,
previous Art Director for Disney, in his garage in Cali. Zoey taught him how to
make his own canvas and really pushed him to test his art limits.

Derick has battled type 1 diabetes since early childhood and has gone through
some incredibly frightening experiences as a result. His battle with this
disease has left him spending countless nights in hospitals and requiring him
to have a kidney transplant, with his dad being the donor that saved his life.
In his mid-twenties, Derick went nearly blind due to diabetic retinopathy. As
an artist, losing his eyesight should have been devastating, and although he
struggled just as anyone else would, he never stopped painting. 

Derick turned to bright colors so he could continue creating during this time,
which eventually led him to find his "acrylic funk" style. His family
was instrumental in supporting him and encouraging him to continue with his art
while he underwent numerous surgeries to regain his eyesight. He has a
relentless pursuit of success, and despite all the adversities he's faced, he's
never let it slow him down. Derick created a clothing line called Ant Farm
Industriez several years ago and trademarked his original creation of an ant.
When asked about the name, he says that ants work like an army and can devour
anything in its path when they work as a team; his acknowledgement that success
comes when people work together toward a goal.



Derick has participated in many  art shows and has displayed his work in multiple galleries over the course of
his career, including:

The Mint Fine Art Gallery, Dana Point, CA

Rendition Art Gallery, Ft. Collins, CO

Art Mecca. Charleston, SC

Raw Artists, Boulder, CO - Denver, Co - Tampa, FL

Featured artist in 303 Magazine in Denver, CO & 5280 Magazine in Boulder, Colorado.