Artists > Mark Yale Harris

Mark Yale Harris has exhibited his work in over 16 museums. He has won numerous awards including First Place, Elisabet Ney Museum Sculpture Show — Austin, Texas. His work is represented internationally by galleries and found in public and private collections throughout the world.

Mark was born in Buffalo, New York and spent hours as a child enthralled in his own artistic world- drawing, painting, doodling. He was honored with awards and scholarships for his art, but was encouraged to pursue a more conventional career, so he received a B.S.S. in 1961 from Ohio State University, and embarked upon a long and successful career in real estate and hotel development. Never abandoning his first love, Mark sold his company in 1996 to fulfill his dream of creating art full-time.

Although Mark had over a half-century of life experience, he was a novice at his craft, so he turned to an artist whose work he had collected and admired for years, Bill Prokopiof (Aleut, 1944-1999). In the spirit the nation's most recognized Native American artist and mentor, sculptor Allan Houser (Chiricahua Apache, 1915-1994), Prokopiof and sculptor Doug Hyde (Nez Perce), took him under their wings, generously sharing with him immense knowledge, talent, and artistic skill. Santa Fe had been home to Houser, Prokopiof, and Hyde, and he made it Marks as well in the late 1990s, splitting his time between Santa Fe and Austin, Texas.

The artistic passion that had existed just beneath the surface of Marks long-established business persona was finally able to present itself in tangible form. Mark used the invaluable experience of their mentorship, along with his own vision, to create an evolving body of work in alabaster, marble, limestone, and bronze, often combining different elements to bring forth a duality in the sculptures.

Artist's Statement
The purpose of my artwork is to invoke an awakening of the sensual. Stimulating a
perceptual, internal, and intellectual response for the viewer: a visual that speaks to
life's experiences. Creating symbols of universal connection underscores the
relationship that one has to another and to nature.
Art conveys my nonverbal view of life. An ongoing portrayal of myself, my behavior,
adventure, exploration, risk taking, and non-acceptance of convention and the
status quo. Constantly in search of the new and different - I am fascinated with the
unconventional. Life has a hard, aggressive side, as does much of my work,
represented by rigid, angular lines. However, the soft side is also apparent, visible
as curves and soft forms. Combining different elements, I bring forth a duality in
the sculptures that I create.
Using the invaluable experience of the mentorship of Bill Prokopiof and Doug Hyde,
along with my own vision, I have created an evolving body of work in alabaster,
marble, limestone, and bronze. I was recently working on a commissioned piece
and, while working, reflected on why I carve stone, a very primitive art form. The
client had sent me a photo and specific dimensions. My process is to first draw it
out dimensionally and then make a small clay model before beginning to sculpt.
Then I start my work, in this case on a block of white marble. I measure and
measure, then cut, then measure and then cut again, then recheck my drawing -
and repeat. Finally, hopefully having made no mistakes, the figure begins to
emerge. It is a great feeling of accomplishment! It is that mental challenge that
inspires me to carve in stone. I thoroughly enjoy the cerebral exertion and
concentration that is crucial to bringing something out of the stone, something that
you really cannot do with clay or any other medium.

EDUCATION
2011 Studio Immersive, with visiting critics: David Humphrey and Charles Long

Anderson Ranch Arts Center - Snowmass Village, Colorado

2006 Building on Ideas: Looking for Source, intensive workshop with Terry Allen

and Jo Harvey
Anderson Ranch Arts Center - Snowmass Village, Colorado
2000 Workshop in creative development with James Surls
Anderson Ranch Arts Center - Snowmass Village, Colorado

1997-2003 Marble/Marble Institute of Colorado
1996 Studied with Doug Hyde, Bill Prokopiof, James Surls, Lincoln Fox, John Forno
1961 Ohio State University BBS
SELECTED SOLO, MUSEUM and UNIVERSITY EXHIBITIONS
2017 Art in the Third Dimension, Cutter and Cutter Fine Art - St. Augustine, Florida
Sensuality in 2D and 3D: John Axton and Mark Yale Harris, Ventana Fine Art -

Santa Fe, New Mexico

2016 Form and Figure: Paige Bradley and Mark Yale Harris, Canyon Fine Art –

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Invitation Only Exhibition, Chloe Gallery - San Francisco, California
First Peek, Southern Utah Museum Of Art - Cedar City, Utah
ArtPrize 2016 - Grand Rapids, Michigan
2016 International Exhibition, Fredric Remington Art Museum –
Ogdensburg, New York
Yellowstone Art Museum, Art Auction 48 - Billings, Montana
Gilcrest Exhibition, Saatchi Art - Los Angeles, California
Selected for the Stanthorpe Art Festival 2016 - Queensland,
Australia, Juror: Ron Ramsey

2015 82nd Annual Awards Exhibition - National Sculpture Society –
Brookgreen Gardens, Pawleys Island, South Carolina
High Desert Museum, Art of the West - Bend, Oregon
Taos Art Museum, Annual Gala Exhibition - Taos, New Mexico
For the Love of Art Gala, Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, Georgia

2014 The Sketchbook Project, Inaugural Exhibition - Brooklyn Art Library,

Brooklyn, New York - Traveling Globally
Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, 133rd Annual Exhibition Belfast, Ireland
Selected for X Florence Biennale 2015 - Florence, Italy
2013 Mark Yale Harris, Rare Fine Art - Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Western Visions, National Museum of Wildlife Art - Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Art - London, United Kingdom
Summer National, Marin MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art –
Novato, California
Monmouth Museum 34th Annual Exhibition, Monmouth Museum –
Lincroft, New Jersey
Turquoise Ball, Millicent Rogers Museum - Taos, New Mexico
2012 Western Visions, National Museum of Wildlife Art - Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Booth Western Art Museum Gala, Booth Western Art Museum -
Cartersville, Georgia
LaGrange Art Museum Biennial XXVII, LaGrange Art Museum –
LaGrange, Georgia
32nd Annual Exhibition, Anderson Ranch Arts Center - Snowmass, Colorado
Mark Yale Harris, Mary Martin Gallery - Charleston, SC
Mark Yale Harris, Muse Gallery - Columbus, OH
2011 Western Visions, National Museum of Wildlife Art - Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Mark Yale Harris Figurative Abstractions, Greenberg Fine Art,
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Turquoise Ball, Millicent Rogers Museum - Taos, New Mexico
Borders: Visible & Invisible, Firehouse Plaza Art Gallery, State University -
Garden City, New York

2010 Recent Works, National Sculpture Society - New York, New York
International Sculpture Exhibition, Artparks International – Guernsey,
England
Western Visions, National Museum of Wildlife Art - Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Mark Yale Harris, Ramey Fine Art – Palm Desert, CA
2009 Mark Yale Harris, Thornwood Gallery - Dallas, Texas
Small Works, The Wildlife Experience Museum - Parker, Colorado
Arts Council of Oklahoma City Sculpture Park - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
International Sculpture Exhibition, Artparks International - Guernsey, England
For the Arts, Dallas Contemporary - Dallas, Texas
Twelfth Annual Peace Arch Park International Sculpture Exhibition,
British Columbia - Canada
Contemporary Sculpture 2009, The Western Colorado Center for the Arts –
Grand Junction, Colorado
Mark Yale Harris, Park Place Gallery - Kansas City, Kansas
Mark Yale Harris, A Muse Gallery - Columbus, Ohio
Mark Yale Harris, Gallery 344 - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Midland Arts Association Show, Museum of the Southwest - Midland, Texas
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Hilton Hotels
State of New Mexico - Ruidoso, New Mexico
The City of Roanoke - Roanoke, Virginia
Four Seasons Hotel - Chicago, Illinois
Booth Western Art Museum - Cartersville, Georgia
Herman Memorial Hospital - Houston, Texas
Thompson Crossing Sculpture Park - Fort Collins, Colorado
Hester Capital Management - Austin, Texas
Resort Condominiums International - Mexico City, Mexico
Sage Land Company - Austin, Texas
American Apartment Communities - San Francisco, California
Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody - Austin, Texas
Ressig Designs - Houston, Texas
ART Collections - West Hills, California
Group Plans Inc. - Phoenix, Arizona
CONDENSED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Mr. Harris’s work has been featured in 112 publications (books, magazines, newspapers)
in the past 10 years. In addition, there have been 3 books published dedicated entirely to
Mr. Harris’s sculpture.
CURRENT GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Amangani Gallery - Jackson Hole, WY
Art Access Gallery - Bexley, Ohio
Artful Home, Nationwide, USA
Artparks International - Guernsey, England, UK
Aspen Art Gallery - Aspen, CO
Beartooth Gallery - Red Lodge, Montana
Fireside Gallery - Bastrop, TX
Gallery 903 - Portland, OR
Greenberg Fine Art - Santa Fe, NM
La Posada de Santa Fe, A Rock Resort - Santa Fe, N
Mary Martin Gallery - Charleston, SC
Northwest By Northwest Gallery - Portland, OR
Ramey Fine Art - Palm Desert, CA
RARE Fine Art - Jackson Hole, WY
Saatchi Gallery online - Chelsea, London, UK
Shaw Gallery - Naples, FL
Thomas R. Riley Galleries - Cleveland, OH
Thornwood Gallery - Houston, TX