Wednesday, October 09, 2013

In the Gallery: Mark Allan Craig



This month’s gallery display in the Mary Bishop gallery features the artwork of Mark Allan Craig. Mark was a Crawfordsville resident who worked in merchandising at Macy’s in Lafayette for many years. Mark’s artistic talents first attracted attention in 1990 while he was a student at Rantoul High School in Illinois, when his artwork was selected to be shown in a gallery at the University of Illinois. His grandfather Fox bought him a drawing table to encourage his talents, and at that time, Mark realized that he wanted to become an illustrator. While Mark was attending Knob Noster High School in Knob Noster, Missouri, he received a ribbon for his pen-and-ink rendering of a falcon. After he graduated from high school, he attended art classes at Central Missouri State University for three years and also at Ivy Tech in Lafayette.
Mark was killed October 1, 2012 in a car crash in Montana, on his way to begin a new life in the state of Washington. Mark was in the process of moving to be near his fiancée, and planned to attend Green Forks Community College to fulfill his dream of becoming a commercial artist.

At this 1st anniversary of Mark’s death, his parents, Roger and Dellie Craig, and his fiancĂ©e Deana, celebrate Mark’s talents with others through his artwork. It is their hope that through this display, children will be encouraged to express themselves through their art.

Mark was a hero to his family. His decision to become an organ and tissue donor has meant that a 9-year-old American girl and a 28-year-old European man can now see. His gift of his organs and tissues will continue into the future, with an estimated 100 people expected to be blessed by his legacy.

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