Mastermind 2012 Honorable Mention: John Adkins

Miami New Times' Mastermind Awards honors the city's most inspiring creatives. This year, we received more than 150 submissions, which our staff narrowed to an elite group of 30. We'll be profiling our honorable mentions, and eventually the finalists, in the weeks to come. This year's three Mastermind Award winners will be announced March 8 at Artopia, our annual soiree celebrating Miami culture. For tickets and more information, visit the website.

​John Adkins

Sometimes, Grandpa just knows best. Wait, who are we kidding? Grandpa always knows best. John Adkins knows what we're talking about. He's a painter who creates based on the memory of how his blind grandfather "saw." And he's inspired by organization.

"I believe it guides my skills in seeing today," Adkins wrote on his blog. "[My grandfather] was blind, and couldn't place products in their proper visual place. His placement was based more on touch and memory."

Adkins is a Miami man these days, but growing up, he was what we'd call a Southerner. He's been an instructor of painting, drawing and design in Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Illinois. His work has been exhibited in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta.

The work we're showcasing in photos, Southerisms, represent the experiences Adkins had while growing up.

​We won't even try to imagine what butterflies and tidies had to do with his childhood -- we'll let you draw your own conclusions. After all, isn't that what art is supposed to do?

"Several instances of 'standing out' as a young man shaped my creative life," he said. "Airing my dirty laundry and being teased."

Dirty laundry. Ah, that must be it. Good thinking, Adkins.

Honorable Mentions:
Jolt Radio
Regina Jestrow
Yovani Bauta
UOM
Kevin Arrow
Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova
Hialeah Haikus
Jonathan David Kane
Eddy "Earthtone" Vegas
Bannavis Andrew Sribyata
Sarah Kontoff Baker
Jason Snyder
Valeria Yamamoto
Jayme Gershen

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