Martin Pate

Martin Pate graduated with honors from Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida in 1981. His figurative works won acclaim in the Sarasota area by such notables as Thornton Utz who declared a life drawing by Martin as the best work in the 1981 student show. His love of figurative works has led to many portrait commissions over the last 24 years by clients throughout the Southeast. Recent portraits of South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges’ children hung prominently in the Columbia, SC mansion during his term.

Martin’s ability to paint people has also led to more than 15 years of commissions by the National Park Service. Working with archeologists and the Southeastern Archeological Center, Martin has created paintings of pre-historic Native Americans, Civil War battles, The Battle of the Little Bighorn, Underground Railroad scenes and many others. These images have been used for a variety of educational purposes including books, posters, interpretive panels and CD ROMs.