
Phillip Mann in front of his gallery of work
Arguably the World’s Most Interesting Mann, local artist and Barry University leader Dr. Phillip Mann was a featured exhibitor at the opening evening ceremonies for the Pembroke Pines “Florida Bounty” exhibition, located at the Pines City Hall, and running through July 21, 2014. Featuring several artists and photographers, the exhibit features different perspectives on local nature scenes including the Everglades.
Dr. Mann has been an artist virtually his entire life, taking up watercolor at the age of eight, and painting oil on canvas
scenes actively for over 40 years. While his early works included industrial subjects, the bulk of his recent work is nature-oriented with a strong focus on the Everglades. His style evokes a sense of Monet and Van Gogh, and in fact, he’s been described by at least one art critic as the “Van Gogh of the Everglades.”
The eighteen or so works presented at the Florida Bounty exhibition represent a fraction of Mann’s current inventory of 80 or so paintings and he relishes the opportunity to have them on view for the public to enjoy. Having sold hundreds of works over the years at various shows, none of his pieces on display were availa
ble for sale, at least for now. He has turned down offers of up to $5,000 for some of his work, preferring to hold and display them for public enjoyment. Adding to the beauty of his paintings are hand-selected frames, specifically chosen for each painting.
As the Director of the Entrepreneurial Institute at Barry University, Dr. Mann is constantly encouraging students to reach beyond their perceived boundaries to achieve more than they imagined, including community involvement, and a the institute has a focus on addressing the needs of low and moderate income communities and the reduction of economic disparity among communities through business development and job creation. 

R. L. Lewis
Phillip is also a U.S. Navy Veteran and accomplished antiques collector and dealer, with a prominent space at the Cooper City Antique Mall where a large assortment of art glass and figurines are on display and available for sale.
His work, along with other contributing artists, is on display through July 21, at the Pembroke Pines City Hall, 10100 Pines Boulevard at the southwest corner of Pines and Palm Avenue.

Exhibit Entry
The opening reception also featured a live painting demonstration by the Highway Man, R.L. Lewis, with his very colorful and evocative style. He painted the scene shown to the right in front of an appreciative audience.