Mary Ellen Bitner

Mary Ellen Curran Bitner

Born in Quincy, Mass., Mary Ellen, was raised and educated in Westchester County, New York. After graduating from The Ursuline School and The College of New Rochelle, she married her U.S. Military Academy Cadet fiancé’ new Lt. Richard Bitner and began her career as an Air Force pilot’s wife and elementary school teacher. Much of her time was spent raising her two children and teaching school until she retired several years ago.

Although she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, she always had a very strong attraction to creative pursuits. Since childhood, she possessed a inescapeable desire to create beautiful things. Painting on her own, as a self-taught artist for many years, she gained some recognition. When she moved to New Tampa in 1989 and started exhibiting her work in galleries in the Tampa Bay Area, as well as Key West. Her 3D Coral Reefs are hanging in homes nationally, and internationally, as far away as the Red Sea and Kuwait. With retirement from the classroom, and more free time, she went back to college and studied Drawing, Painting, and Design at Hillsborough Community College -Ybor and USF.

Our artist is a founding member and the Vice President and Events Chair. She has been responsible for the many NTAL shows and events that have been appearing around Tampa over the past two years. Recently Mary Ellen has been named the Art Curator for the beautiful new Carrollwood Cultural Center and is presently busy planning the Visual Art side of the Grand Opening Gala set for March the 2nd featuring The Florida Orchestra and many of the Visual artists of Tampa.

Mary Ellen’s work is influenced by her favorite artists, DaVinci, Cezanne, Chagall, O’Keeffe, Kahlo, Joan Mitchell and Jay DeFeo. With her many years dancing the ballet, she has become very conscious of line, form, color, music, and drama which she expresses in her paintings.


Artist Statement: I am passionate about creating paintings that are relevant to the meaning and experience of being alive in this magnificently beautiful world. Trying always to celebrate the beauty of life and all of creation, I endeavor to create art that lifts the spirit and mind to higher realms and raises our consciousness to recognize that beauty and life are meant to be treasured.

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