Steve Lotz, the visionary founding chairman of the University of Central Florida’s Art Department and the painter behind the iconic 'Florida Dream' triptych at Orlando International Airport, passed away on April 24, 2026, at the age of 87.

Born in 1938, Lotz developed an early interest in art that propelled him through formal studies in California and Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in Gainesville. During his formative years, he also spent time studying in Vienna, Austria, according to Appalachian State University. These rigorous academic foundations prepared him for a life of institutional leadership, yet his personal creative life was a radical departure into the mystical. He described his artistic style as 'Organic Imaginative,' a form of mystical realism deeply influenced by Eastern philosophy and the writings of Carl Jung.

In 1968, Lotz joined the charter faculty of Florida Technological University, which later became the University of Central Florida, to establish its Art Department. He navigated the bureaucratic and structural rigors of academia to serve as the first chairman of the department for its initial ten years, from 1968 to 1978. His commitment to building a lasting artistic community extended beyond the classroom. He was a co-founder of Flying Horse Editions, a collaborative research studio and non-profit publisher for visual arts at the university, as noted by the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design. Despite the gravity of his academic authority, his teaching style remained warm and accessible. Former student Tami Puckett recalled his impact, noting, "Steve Lotz was a figure drawing and painting professor of mine. He was friendly, encouraging, and palpably enthusiastic about art. It was inspiring to study with a producing, professional artist."

While he anchored a major public institution, Lotz drifted through the spiritual landscapes of his paintings. He often reflected on this tension between the physical permanence of his public murals and his deeply internal creative process. "I don't consider myself to be a realist; I am an organic inventive. Everything has always come from an unconscious level," he once explained. This philosophy was shared with his wife of over 55 years, sculptor Gretchen Neumann Lotz. The couple frequently exhibited their work together in joint shows. His exploration of the unconscious was further articulated when he stated, "Spiritually everything in the cosmos is closely related to everything else. It's all connected. I still try to paint things that people recognize but they come out of what Carl Jung called the Self."

His ethereal visions materialized in monumental public works. In 1980, he was commissioned to create the 'Florida Dream' triptych, a massive mural that greeted millions of travelers at the Orlando International Airport, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. Another large-scale acrylic painting, 'Wisdom Temple,' became a permanent fixture on the fifth floor of the UCF John C. Hitt Library. He retired from the university in 2003 after 35 years of service and was named Professor Emeritus. His significant contributions to the cultural landscape of the region were formally recognized in 2015 when he was honored as one of the 'Art Legends of Orange County'.

The legacy of Steve Lotz was defined by a striking duality. He was the architect of dreams who laid the concrete foundations of a thriving university art program while simultaneously mapping the boundless territories of the human mind. The physical structures he built at the University of Central Florida continued to foster new generations of creators. Meanwhile, his ethereal dreamscapes remained suspended in public spaces, offering a quiet, mystical greeting to travelers and students alike.