DAVIE, Fla. - Alexis Mendoza’s abstract paintings are currently hanging on the walls of Bailey Hall, but he creates a different type of art just outside in the garden.

Mendoza, a Cuban-born artist, migrated to the U.S. in 2023 and joined Broward College’s landscaping team. Now, his art is the focus of the “Formas” exhibit on display through the end of the summer semester.

“I like to put my dedication into making something beautiful,” Mendoza said in Spanish, both of his art and landscaping work.

Mendoza said he began penciling around the age of four or five and started working as a professional artist in Havana in 1984, selling art daily. Mendoza brought two paintings with him to the U.S. and started creating new paintings to relax after work. One of Mendoza’s colleagues on the landscaping team approached Scott Miller, dean of the Arts, Humanities & Design academic pathway, and showed him photos of Mendoza’s work. Miller was impressed by what he saw and reached out to Mendoza about staging an exhibit.

“It’s like bringing family into the public view and showing off their talents to the world,” Miller said.

For Mendoza, the same passion that drives his art also goes into his landscaping work across all three campuses. His co-workers are a key part of the experience and he was thankful for their encouragement.

“We are like brothers all working on the same goal,” Mendoza said.

The exhibit can be viewed when Bailey Hall, located on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus in Davie, is open for a performance. To view the exhibit outside of those hours, contact the Visual & Performing Arts Department at 954-201-6840.

-BC-