Florida Artists Group

Artists Bio

Born in New York, Patricia Rottino Cummins completed her undergraduate studies at City University of New York. Upon graduation she relocated to Miami, Florida, intrigued by its color and light. Her graduate and post graduate studies continued at Florida International University. She has taught art for thirty-six years at Miami-Dade Public Schools, twenty-five at Palmetto Elementary, Pinecrest, Florida. Pat also taught for thirteen years at Barry University as an adjunct professor.
Over the years she has been selected to serve painting residencies at fifteen United States National Park Artist-in-Residence programs. Her work is featured in collections throughout the United States. In 2015, her paintings from Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens and Big Cypress National Preserve traveled to Africa and were exhibited at the American Embassy in Niamey, Niger. Her botanical paintings were included in a National Park Centennial Exhibition, "Flora of the National Parks," at the U.S. Botanical Garden in Washington, D.C. Pat was awarded Elementary Art Educator of the Year in 2015 by the Florida Art Education Association. She is currently painting full-time.

Artist Statement

My goal as an artist is to arrest nature’s motion, involving viewers as deeply as I can. As I make my artwork, I leave behind traces of feelings associated with my experience of each scene; sharing my vision of beauty and grace expressed through color and form. The experiences of life that I find to be of greatest value are those that rest in the basic and seemingly simplistic. Garden fragrances, nature's color and form, all outweigh for me the more contrived and materialistic of our life today.  I paint the landscapes, the feelings and the experiences that they create for me; the perceptions and sensations that collect as a result of a day at the shore, or under the shade of a live oak, or during weeks spent serving a residency at a National Park.  If these sensations communicate with the viewer through my work, their connection and purpose are complete.

Solo Exhibitions:

Hibiscus Gallery, May 2019
Las Vegas Arts CouncilOctober 2017
Epcot Center, Festival of the Arts, 2016-2018
ParkQuest: South Florida ,HistoryMiami, July-February 2017
Environmental Paintings Dade Heritage Trust ,December 2016-February 24, 2017
ParkQuest Retrospective: Eleven National Park Residencies, November 2015 through February 28, 2016
"Big Work at Big Cypress", Big Cypress National Preserve Swamp Welcome Center, November 1,2015 through January 30, 2016
Everglades National Park, Coe Visitor Center AIRIE Gallery, October 2014
Tropical Audubon Society, Doc Thomas House, 2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016
Coral Gables Museum, "Parkscapes", Coral Gables, Florida, July 2011, Island Colors Gallery, Historic Cauley Square, Florida, April 2010
Disney's International  Flower and Garden Festival, Epcot Center, Orlando Fl. March 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
22nd Floor Gallery of the Florida Capitol Florida Department of State,
"International Waters" ,Tallahassee, November 2008,
Homestead City Hall , "Homestead to Hutchinson" August 2008, 2009 ArtSouth, "Four National Parks", Homestead, Florida September 2007
Petrified Forest National Park, "Lecture and AIR Installation", Arizona, August 2007
Wirtz Gallery, South Mia. Fl., "Water and Waves"" June 2007
Deering Estate at Cutler, " Preview Waters" February 2007
ArtSouth  "It's a Long Story" Faculty Gallery, May 2006
Jeb Bush Cabinet Meeting Room,"Biscayne Botanicals at The Capitol"
Tallahassee, Florida,  May 2005
Biscayne National Park, Homestead,  Florida ”Biscayne Botanicals”, July 2004
Art South Gallery,Homestead, Florida,  “From Florida to France", February 2005
ArtSouth Sanctuary,Homestead, Florida “Land and Sea” December 2004
Hollywood City Hall, Florida, 2004

Public and Private Collections:

United States Department of State, Art in the Embassies, 2014-2018, National Park paintings on exhibition through 2018
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana
Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Wyoming
Acadia National Park, Maine
U.S Botanic Garden , Washington D.C.. Flora of the National Parks, 2016
Tallahassee, Fl.http://www.florida-arts.org/programs/dosCollection/displayArtwork.cfm?id=mangrove-island Acadia National Park, Maine
Tropical Audubon Society, South Miami, Florida
http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/art-exhibits.htmBig Cypress National Preserve, Florida
State of Florida, Art in Public Buildings, Revenue Complex, Tallahassee, Florida
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska
The Hermitage Artist Retreat, Manasota Key. Florida
Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, Washington, D.C.
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, California
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, Iowa
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
Grand Canyon National Park, National Training Center
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Florida Department of State Art Collection/
Deering Estate at Old Cutler, Florida

Awards:

Walt Disney World, Epcot Center International Festival of the Arts, 2017-2019 Dade Art Education Association Virtual Exhibition Award , 2016-2019
Florida Art Education Association Virtual Exhibition Sargent Award 2015 Florida Art Education Association Elementary Art Educator of the Year 2015
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Bromeliad Society Best Artist Award, April 2013
Palmetto Elementary School, Pinecrest, Florida, 2013 Teacher of the Year
Miami-Dade Art Educators Association Spring Exhibition,Margorie Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center, Honorable Mention, May 2011
Miami-Dade Art Educators Association Annual Exhibition, Alper JCC, Best in Show, April 2012
Historical  Museum of South Florida, Dade Heritage Trust, Miami, Florida Second Place, April 2011, Best in Show March 2012,
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center, “Seeing Nature”, Honorable Mention, May 2011
Bonnet Museum, "Impressions of Old South Florida"/Honorable Mention,  March 2007,
Marion County Cultural Alliance CIA Poster Competition/First Place, 2006 Hortt 45 Exhibition, Best in Category, Mixed Media, June 2006,
Kennedy Best of Artists Book Series, Florida Edition 2006/Honorable Mention
Cultural Council of Indian River County Art in Public Places , Best in Show, July 2005
Achievement Award, Miami-Dade Art in Public Places Trust,,  Master-Peace Mural Project, 1999
Crayola DreamMakers Award, 1999
Miami-Dade County Mainstream Teacher of the Year 1985
Miami-Dade County Associate Master Teacher, 1984-87

Education:

Florida International University NCTA Scholarship,National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, 2010, 2011, 2012,
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, July 2010
Ringling School of Art and Design, Wildacres, Little Switzerland, North Carolina, Summer 2008
Florida International University, China, France, Belgium , Study Abroad, 2006,05,01,
Maryland Institute College of Art, France, Italy Study Abroad, 2003,04 Florida International University/ 2003 Independent Study with Professor David Chang
University of Miami 2002 Summer Institute, Coral Gables, Florida
Specialist, Art Education, (post graduate studies), 2006, Master of Science in Art Education 1979, Florida International University
Queens College, City University of New York. New York, Bachelor of Arts, Art Education. 1975

Grants, Fellowships and Residencies:

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, Artist-in-Residence, 2019
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana, Artist-in-Residence, 2018
Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico, Artist-in-Residence 2017
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Wyoming, Artist-in-Residence 2016
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska, Artist-in-Residence June 2014
Acadia National Park, Artist-in-Residence, Bar Harbor Maine, June 2013
Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, Washington D.C.,Artist-in-Residence, August 2012
Tyrone Guthrie Centre/, Artist-in-Residence, Ireland, July / August 2012
Big Cypress National Preserve, Artist-in-Residence, December 2011 Hermitage Artist Retreat, Artist-in-Residence. Florida, Summer 2011, July 2014
National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, Florida International University, 2010-2011
National Endowment for the Humanities, Crow Canyon Archaeological
Center August 2010, The American Skyscraper , Alternate 2014
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area,California, Artist-in-Residence, Superintendent Invitational
July 2010
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, Iowa, Artist-in-Residence,October 2009
Hot Springs National Park,, Artist-in-Residence, Arkansas, October 2006  Deering Estate ,Artist-in-Residence, Miami , Florida, April 2007
Voyageurs National Park, Artist-in-Residence, Minnesota, July, 2006
Mesa Verde National Park Artist in Residence, Colorado, September 2008
Garvan Woodland Gardens National, Plein Air Invitational, “Beauty and the Brush” Hot Springs, Arkansas April 2008,
Petrified Forest National Park, Artist in-Residence, 2007
Maryland Institute College of Art,, Artist-in-Residence, Tuscany, June 2007 Voyageurs National Park, Artist-in-Residence, August 2006
National Education Association Foundation Grant,, June 2006
Hot Springs National Park, Artist-in-Residence, Arkansas, October 2006 Florida Div. of Cult. Affairs Artist Enhancement Grant, March 2006, Oct 2006

Professional Organizations and Memberships:

ArtSouth Resident Artist 2003-2013
Palmetto Elementary PTA !990-2014
FSU Museum of Fine Arts, Artist’s League
National Park Volunteer 2003-2018
Friends of ArtSouth 2003-2013
Miami-Dade Art Educators Association
Florida Art Education Association
National Art Education Association
Pastel Society of North Florida