Florida Artists Group

David's Bio:

David has been an active member of the Central Florida art community for more than 32 years. In addition
to showing in galleries in the United States and Europe, David participated in creating art for public places since 1980. He was the first artist to receive a commission from the Orlando Percentage for the Arts Program when it was first established in 1984. He has created annual national sports awards for football and basketball  and recently created a linebacker award for the NFL. Cumbie’s work was sent to Tokyo, Japan, where his sculptures were used to represent America in the Interflora World Cup 1989. In Germany he participated in the international sculpture exhibition called the Sculpture Mile. He has participated in four cultural exchange programs:  traveling art exhibitions in Italy from 1999-2002; recently he has been creating mosaic projects in Mexico at the Community Art Center in Cobá, as well as the American Consulate in Merida and is presently designing a mosaic for Mexico City. Since 1996, David has been in charge of creating and curating  the Crealde School of Art Sculpture Garden which has over 60 outdoor sculptures that represent art work created in Central Florida

Artist Statement:

My favorite material has always been clay. I like the plastic feeling in my hands and the speed it allows me
to create. When I sculpt a form that is special to me, I make a mold and create a wax for bronze casting.
Sometimes I use concrete for outdoor works and add metal elements of bronze, aluminum,  and stainless
steel into my composition creating a multi-media piece. I like the adventure of recreating myself with each
new work pushing the edge of what I did on the last sculpture. I have always felt fortunate being a part of
such a great tradition.

Commissions and Awards:

2013          Presently working on a life-size statue of St. Francis of Assisi for St. Richard’s Episcopal Church
                   in Winter Park, Florida
2012          Recipient of the Lee Lasbury Memorial Award for my entry of a Heart - cold cast 
                   bronze 24”X24” in the 62nd Annual Symposium & Exhibition at the Ringling College of Art
                   & Design in Sarasota, Florida
                   Created a bust of Sir Francis Drake for his historical home in Colombia, South Ame
                   Commissioned to create the annual awards  for The Golden Rule Foundation from 2006 until
                   present
                   Created a wall sculpture for the Ronald McDonald House sponsored by Florida Automotive
                   Association
                   Created awards for the United Arts of Central Florida Fourth and Fifth Annual Arts Plus Awards,
                   Orlando
2009          Received a purchase award in the outdoor exhibition in Fort Pierce, Florida for my work called
                  Totem 5 (15 X 2 X 1.5 ft.) This work is now exhibited in the New Court of County Clerks
2008          Commissioned to create 3 national trophies for football through the Dick Butkus Foundation:
                  Annual awards for the NFL, the NCAA and the national High School award                    
2005         Artist Grant United Arts of Central Florida
2004         Award of Distinction, Florida Biennial Exhibition, DeLand FL Museum of Art
2001         Monument Builders, Co-creator of outreach program for at-risk children. Crealde was awarded
                  a $20,000 program grant by the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation. Created four outdoor
                  sculptures with children from underserved communities
                   Change Incorporated, individual grant sponsored by the Robert Rauschenburg Foundation
1999          Purchase Award, Small Works Exhibition, Valencia Community College, Orlando, FL 1986                            Sculpted the Pete Maravich Award trophy for the Nat’l Collegiate Athletic Basketball Ass.
                   for the All Star game.
                    Interflora World Cup, Tokyo, Sculptural Props Designer, placed 4th in the world as
                    US representative  
1986           Grand Prize Trophy Award Central Florida Film and Video Festival 
1985           Art and Artist, a Video Documentary of Central Florida Artists, Small Projects Grant
                    Funded by United Arts
                    Atlanta Arts Festival Winner Big Art Contest
1984            Created a Bronze Bust of L.C. Jones, Callahan Center, City of Orlando, FL
                    (First commission sponsored by the city’s Percentage for the Arts Program)
                    The Holy Family, Figures of Joseph, Mary and Child Jesus, life-size,
                    Church of the Annunciation,  Altamonte  Springs, FL
                    Ceremonial Graduation Mace, University of Central Florida, Orlando
                    United Arts of Central Florida, Winner, Artist Billboard Contest
1980           Bronze Bust of the civic leader Ruby Ball for the Ruby Ball Annex in Winter Park, FL            

Exhibitions, Brief History :
              
2012           Florida Sculpture Guild, Group Exhibition at the Avalon Island Gallery downtown Orlando
                    Winter Park Historical Museum - The Way We Were: Exhibition portraying Winter Park in
                    the 60's and 70's
2011-13     Firehouse Sculpture Center Exhibition and Grand Opening, Curator and participant
2011           Designed the Mosaic for the American Consulate in Merida, Mexico - part of a cultural
                    exchange program between Florida and the Yucatan Peninsula
2010          Participated in the creation of the Mosaic for the Cultural Center in Coba, Mexico as part of a
                   cultural exchange program between Florida and Mexico.
2010          Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden, Figure and Form - Showcase of Florida sculptors
2010-12    Deland Sculpture Walk - Outdoor show of monumental sculptures sponsored by the Museum of
                   Florida Art and the City of Deland
2009          Received a purchase award in the outdoor exhibition in Fort Pierce, Florida, for my work
                    called Totem 5 (15X2X1.5 ft multi-media) . This work is now exhibited in the new
                    Court of County Clerks.
2009           Mennello Museum of American Art, Heroes and Hellions exhibition and auction
2009          Kissimmee Sculpture Walk, Exhibition of monumental sculptures, downtown Kissimmee
2008-09    Art Without Walls 2, Exhibition of 33 artists displaying monumental sculpture in cities of
                    Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, FL. Received purchase award and my Totem 5 was installed at the                     new City Hall
2008          Epcot International Flower and Garden Show. Exhibited Totem 4 in the three-month
                    outdoor exhibition at the Innovation Pavilion
2007           Sculpture: Art in Three Dimensions, Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens
2007           Heads, Hearts, Horses & Helmets, Alliance for the Arts, Fort Meyers
2007           The Maquette: Idea & Process, Alice & William Jenkins Gallery, Crealde School of Art,
                    Winter Park, FL
2006           Southeastern Juried Exhibition,  Mobile Museum of Art, AL
2006           4th International Art Exhibition, Chania, Neoria - Public Exhibition Center on the
                     island of Crete, Greece
2005           Florida Biennial III Deland Museum of Art, Deland, Florida
2005           Things That Whirl and Twirl, Kinetic Sculpture Exhibition,  Albin Polasek Museum
                     and Sculpture Garden
2005           Dynamic Relationships, The Mayor’s Gallery and Terrace at Orlando City Hall
2005           Crealde 30th Anniversary Exhibition, Present/Past Department Directors
2004            Global Peace Film Festival and Art Exhibit, Universal Cineplex, Orlando
2004           Epcot Sculpture Garden Exhibition, Orlando, FL
2004            Florida Biennial Exhibition, DeLand Museum of Art, FL, Award Winner
2003           Artist at Work Orlando Museum of Art, 3-month Exhibit representing the Artist Studio Tour
2002           Orlando Furioso, Gallery Postart, Milan, Italy - part of a cultural exchange program with Orlando
2001            Sculpture Mile, International Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, Stienberger, Germany
2000           The Bronze Exhibit, Studio D’Arts, Arts Foundation of Italy, Milan
1999            Homage to Jacques Cousteau, Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology,                      Milan, Italy
1998            Under Wraps, Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL
1992            Centrifugal Force, University of Georgia, Curator and exhibitor
1986            New Figures In American Art, Bath House Exhibition, Atlanta, GA
1985            Expression, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Miami, FL
1984            New Works, a one-person exhibition at Crealdé School of Art
1984            Juried Exhibition, Orlando Museum of Art
1981            Insight On Site, Valencia College, Orlando, FL, outdoor sculpture show
1980            Crealde Faculty Exhibition, Samson Gallery at Stetson University DeLand, FL