“As I create my art, I put all of the energy from my ancestors, their traditional teachings and their culture into each painting,” Deitz said. “This is my way of keeping the spirit of my ancestors alive. I am honored to share my artwork with the Florida State University campus community.”
Artwork from Seminole Tribe of Florida artist, Erica Deitz, is prominetly displayed in the FSU Student Union. “Osceola’s Vision” has been reproduced to adorn a highly visible 24-foot-high by 16-foot-wide area in one of the busiest buildings on campus.
Deitz describes the artwork commissioned by the FSU Division of Student Affairs as “a representation of Osceola’s vision to see his people to live freely and prosper all under the guidance of his forefathers and medicine men.”
Born on the Winnebago Indian Reservation, Deitz belongs to the Panther Clan on her mother’s side and Winnebago and Ojibway heritage on her father’s side. Her work offers an Indigenous perspective in a variety of art mediums in a way that is accessible to a wide audience.
Deitz’s passion to express herself through art began at the age of three as she painted with an accomplished Native American artist from her extended family. At the age of 10, Deitz entered her first major art contest and received a bronze medal for her work from the International Children’s Art Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. She’s continued to win numerous awards for her artwork throughout her career.
Deitz’s work is showcased in both solo and group exhibitions across the world, including the permanent collection in the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. and in the Lowe Art Museum in Miami. Several pieces of her art have been displayed alongside fellow Seminole Tribal artists in the “Seminole Art Scene from Frontlines,” “Patchwork Mosaic: An Indigenous Gathering of Seminole Masterworks,” and “Circle of Unity.” These exhibitions were a centerpiece of the History Fort Lauderdale Museum’s Native American Heritage Month. In addition, one of Dietz’s original acrylic paintings was selected as cover art for the June 2021 internationally circulated magazine, Indian Gaming Magazine.
