Scream Time: Featuring Artists Michael V. Santacroce and Pamela Jones, in the Month of October

Fort Myers, FL – In the month of October, DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts presents Scream Time, featuring the artwork of Pamela Jones and Michael V. Santacroce. The exhibition will feature a variety of haunting new works, exclusively created for this exhibition. An opening reception is scheduled for the evening of Friday, October 2, 2026, from 5:30pm to 9:00pm. The exhibition will be on display until November 1, 2026.

Michael V. Santacroce creates boldly expressive art that is both sinister and thought-provoking. He utilizes a stream of consciousness approach when creating, in which his linework becomes automatic and a reflection of his subconscious thoughts. Michael’s lines twist and contort, transforming into unsettling creatures that illustrate his own personal demons representing identity, sexuality, mental health and addiction. “These ink creatures provide me a sense of closure.” – says Santacroce. “It gives me a safe space to move forward from past traumatic experiences within my life.” – adds the artists whose work was previously exhibited in 2023 at the gallery’s former location.

Pamela Jones is a self-taught mixed media artist from St. Louis, Missouri, residing in Punta Gorda, Florida. Her award-winning work consists of carefully detailed assemblages crafted with repurposed objects, thrift store bargains and unique finds. Her series, Bad Clowns, is based on vintage rubber clown heads, depicting the nasty things clowns do and their just rewards for doing them. Bad Clowns expresses Jones’ and others’ coulrophobia or fear and loathing of clowns, as well as universal unease and anxiety about the future. These pieces are designed to provoke discomfort yet demand a closer look.

“It’s misleading to ask when clowns turned bad, for they were never really good. A dark side has always lurked just below their caricatured features and painted smiles,” wrote author and clown scholar Benjamin Radford. Jones’ Bad Clowns perfectly captures Radford’s statement.

DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery is located at 10051 McGregor BLVD, STE 104 in Fort Myers, Florida (Alliance for the Arts campus). The gallery’s business hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 2pm, and first Friday from 5:30pm to 9:00pm. Information about the venue can be found at daascoop.com or by calling 239-955-0422.