May 3, 2021 | St. Lucie Cultural Alliance | Member Spotlight – Tom Prestopnik
Contributed by Dorothy Kamm
Member Spotlight – Tom Prestopnik
Tom Prestopnik always drew. In third grade he was considered the best in his class. In fact, Prestopnik’s friends would pay him 10 cents for his cartoon drawings, which were based on the Joe Palooka comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion. “I would fold them in a certain way so that my drawings would stand up on the school desks of my classmates who purchased one of my comic drawings,” says Tom. One could say this was his first gallery showing!
Although Prestopnik took art classes in high school, he did not consider art as a career. After spending five years in the air force, he went into hospital administration but found it didn’t suit him. He decided to focus on teaching art and went to college in his home state of New York, completing a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in art education. While in college, he created silk screen prints that were featured in galleries and shows, but he didn’t pursue this avenue of artistic expression.
Prestopnik moved to Port St. Lucie in 1971. “The population was 700 then,” says Prestopnik. “From Vero Beach south to Stuart, no school was hiring art teachers.” He finally found a job in a construction office, then worked as a draftsman for a survey company. “I loved working as a draftsman because I was able to draw all day,” he says.
A teaching job became available at Jensen Beach Elementary in the fall of 1973. He taught reading and science for a year, then transferred to Murray Middle School when it opened and taught art, reading and English for 10 years.
In 1984, Prestopnik again transferred, this time to South Fork High School, where he taught drafting and art, expanding both programs. Music, another interest and professional pursuit, came into play. “At The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland I attended a course that taught how to incorporate rock & roll lyrics into high school poetry lessons,” says Prestopnik. At South Fork he also taught the history of rock and roll as part of the school’s history program.
Today Prestopnik divides his creative talents between painting and writing. His acrylic paintings and collages are dynamic and visually intriguing. “I like playing with form and pattern,” says Prestopnik. “My abstract art grabs attention with bright colors and intricate images, getting viewers to look more deeply and decode, decipher or interpret the artwork,” he adds.
Prestopnik was influenced by the artist Andy Warhol, who created paintings of repeating images within a grid pattern. Prestopnik, too, uses repeating images within squares, but he rotates each square so it appears tessellated, placed into a pinwheel pattern. His former experience as a draftsman has served him well; his collage squares are razor cut to fit together perfectly. Then he pours liquid paint on the images, letting the paint drip, going where it chooses. “It’s like yin and yang, two complementary principles,” explains Prestopnik. “It’s a balance of controlled images and contours with the organic, free-form quality of flowing paint,” he adds. All his paintings are square, with most measuring from 30-by-30 inches to 40-by-40 inches.
Prestopnik also writes for Goldmine magazine, which caters to music collectors. His first article, published in 2009 featured Carl Gardner, founder of The Coasters and a former neighbor.
Prestopnik joined the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance to foster a greater connection with Fort Pierce. Although he lives in Port St. Lucie, his art connections were in Martin County because he taught in the school system for 31 years. In addition to teaching, Prestopnik connected with other artists in Martin County who wanted a professional organization and in 1976 became one of the founders of an organization known today as The Arts Council of Martin County.
“I never had much connection with the arts in St. Lucie county because the art scene wasn’t very organized,” says Prestopnik. He became friends with Alyona Ushe, Executive Director of the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance and saw the Art Alliance gaining steam and building momentum. “It was the right opportunity to gain a presence in St. Lucie County,” he says.
Prestopnik’s painting Barcelona Is Schilling is on display in the Cultural Alliance’s gallery in the 111 Orange Avenue Building. He will have two additional pieces in The Take Off exhibit, opening this Thursday, May 6 at Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce.
Tom Prestopnik can be reached by email at tjpresto2002@yahoo.com or at 772-398-8097.
To learn more about the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance and the benefits of membership, please visit ArtStLucie.org, email: info@artstlucie.org or call 772-462-2783.