TYRIAN Newtork names Artist of the Year

(Plain Press, December 2009) Patt “Smoki” Witnick, an artist with strong ties to the Near West Side of Cleveland, is the recipient of the TYRIAN Network’s 2009 Artist of the Year Award. The TYRIAN Network selected Witnick as an artist whose work and life are dedicated to the TYRIAN goals of promoting creativity, healing and peace.

“We are pleased to have selected Ms. Patricia “Smoki” Witnick as the winner of TYRIAN’s 2009 Artist of the Year, as she truly represents the mission of TYRIAN,” stated Dagmar Braun Celeste, founder of the organization. The award was presented during a private ceremony at the Buca Di Beppo restaurant.

Witnick, now a resident of Brooklyn, Ohio, spent much of her life in the neighborhood around St. Colman Church where she was a parishioner. Witnick still has strong ties and many friends in the neighborhood.

A self proclaimed “ghetto artist”, Witnick has used art as a means recovering from tragedy and as an outlet of expression for her emotions. Focusing on her art has helped Witnick find an outlet of expression after a fire at her daughter’s house on Hope Avenue in which much of Witnick’s artwork was destroyed during a time period when Witnick had just been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Witnick describes her paintings as abstract and surreal. Artists that have influenced her are Salvador Dali and Peter Maxx. Witnick says feelings that flow inside of her gear her up for her art. She said she would like to work with school children to help them to learn to express themselves and their feelings through artwork.

The memory of her late father, a trained commercial artist, whose family responsibilities didn’t allow him to focus on art, helped her see the need to pursue her artwork, said Witnick. However, her path toward working on art as a career has also taken a number of detours. Having recovered from her breast cancer, Witnick says she now finds herself working as a caretaker for other members of her extended family who are suffering through illness.

Witnick, who uses the nickname “Smoki”, which she adopted during her teenage years, is self-taught, having zero funding for formal art education. She has participated in NOVA, an artists group, and has a strong interest in using art as therapy. Her ultimate goal is to share her story and her gifts as a way to help other women start their own journey of healing through art. A TYRIAN sponsored exhibition of her work is planned for a later date at which time some pieces will be available for purchase. As Artist of the Year “Smoki” also received a plaque, a dinner and a gift card for art supplies.

TYRIAN Network, a 501©(3) nonprofit organization, established in 2000 is dedicated to promoting creativity, healing and peace with the annual Artist of the Year Award. For further information and/or to contribute to this effort, contact 216-513-5825 or 216-407-1341.

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