Patricia Zinsmeister Parker's career spans four decades, and her work is best described as narrative abstract expressionism. Her painting methodology is based on a well honed sense of intuition acted upon with random gestures, which eventually suggest the content of the paintings and prints. The subject matter (iconic shapes, symbols and color tonalities) comes together in the ‘’soup’’ of pigment, collage and ideas which evolve with the flow of physical activity.
Parker was an adjunct professor at the University of Akron in the School of Art from 1978-1998, During the same time she was establishing an impressive exhibition schedule. She was the first female painter to exhibit work in the Cleveland Museum’s “The Invitational: Artists of Northeast Ohio,” an exhibition honoring regional artists. “Cleveland Collects Contemporary Art,” a major exhibition at the museum, showcased a large painting “Art” from the collection of the Jones Day law firm. She has had solo shows at major museums and universities throughout Ohio, including a major retrospective at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown. In 2005, the University of Akron hosted a solo exhibition of her paintings, prints and drawings. Cleveland State University held a solo show of paintings in 2007, and in 2010 Parker was invited to participate in the “18th Annual Women’s Invitational” at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. The Canton Museum held an exhibition of her paintings (“Director’s Choice”) in 2011. Other venues include Washington, D.C., Chicago and Xiamen University in southern China and Xian University in central China. Parker’s paintings are included in numerous corporate collections such as Kaiser Permanente, B.P. America, The Ritz Carlton, Forest City Inc., The City Club of Cleveland and the law firm of Baker & Mc Kenzie (Chicago, Illinois). Her work is also represented in the collections of Cleveland law firms Jones Day, Hahn Loeser & Parks, Benesch Friedlander and Squires Sanders and Dempsey.
