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.

Jason Snyder

It's not everyday a farm boy from Pennsylvania makes it down to Speedo-clad Miami. But Jason Snyder did. Studying to be an engineer, he began painting to relieve the stress from his intense math classes, and gradually realized he was on the wrong course. Naturally, when one realizes they're on the wrong course, they come to Miami. That's how we all ended up here, anyway.

Dark, distorted figures come out of his Wynwood art studio. Snyder isn't so keen on painting an entire body. He does, however, paint a lot of hair. Snyder's eerie paintings appear to merge old 18th century portrait lockets with Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven.

Snyder isn't just a painter, though. He also makes toys. But they're not the kind you'd give as a gift to a seven year old. Get your head out of the gutter, they're not the kinky kind of toys, either. They're simply twisted and weird. Now that we think about it, all of Snyder's work is kind of twisted and weird -- perfect conversation pieces.

Human head octopus with no eyes and stitched lips, anyone?

Honorable Mentions:
Valeria Yamamoto
Jayme Gershen

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