Artwork copyright Rosemary Pittman. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Rosemary Pittman. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Rosemary Pittman. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Pre-Teens, 1992

Rosemary Pittman
(American, born 1916, died 2005)

Location: Clarkston Heights Elementary, Clarkston

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Pre-Teens is a painting by late artist Rosemary Pittman. It is comprised of a grid of small portraits of young people in various scenes. It is part of the artist's body of paintings based on her own life. She notes, "These personal assemblages, meaningful in an intensely personal way, will hopefully touch some universal human experiences."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Clarkston School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Rosemary Pittman (1916-2005) pursued a second career in art after retiring from a career in nursing in 1984. She attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and painted in a naive, folk-art style. Her artworks have strong narratives that reflect her memories and experiences, including her early life on a farm and scenes from her service during World War II (1939-45).

Pittman grew up in a Midwestern farm community and graduated from the University of Iowa School of Nursing. During the 1940s, she served in the Army Nurse Corps in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. She later earned master's degrees in public health and nursing education. She was Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington School of Nursing in Seattle after teaching from 1964 to 1984 and was also a founder of their Nurse Practitioner program.