BIOGRAPHY

Mark Allen Henderson was born in 1963 in Long Beach California and grew up in a small mountain town called Big Bear Lake. The self taught artist painted as a form of self expression throughout his childhood, but put art aside during most of high school. It wasn't until he was a senior, when his father died tragically, that Mark began to paint again.

After graduating cum laude from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1985 with a degree in Psychology, Mark spent half of his working life devoted to children who were developmentally or physically challenged. At the same time, he began gaining recognition as a painter and sculptor. In 1988 he opened a studio gallery in Williamsburg Virginia.

In 1991, Mark followed his soon to be wife to Atlanta Georgia. He fell in love with the city's energy and potential. He began exhibiting throughout the southeast and was voted Best Visual Artist in Atlanta by Creative Loafing in 1998. Featured in Style, Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, Jezebel, and Blue Milk Magazine, Mark has impressed southern collectors and designers with his depth and expression in painting and sculpting. His collectors include Eli Lilly & Company, King and Spalding, Halle Berry, Baron Gordon Collection, Virginia Collectors Group, Cornell Dubilier, and professionals at Turner South and the Cartoon Network. He also completed a commission for ESPN/Disney in Atlanta.

In 2003, Mark and his wife moved to Colorado. A downtown Denver garage served as his studio and play area for his two children. While in Denver, Mark worked on projects for Sundance Partners in Utah, the Pheasant Bistro in Georgia, completed an outdoor sculpture for Evergreen Montessori School in Colorado, and worked as an artist in residence for the Rocky Mountain Academy. His work was also chosen for a year long outdoor public sculpture exhibit called Art For The Mountain Community in Jefferson County. During this time, Mark also began exploring the digital arts and had his work shown at the Royal Collage of Art in London, Kellogg Gallery at CSU and LACDA in Los Angeles.

After seven years in Colorado, Mark and his family moved to the San Francisco bay area. One of his current projects is a collaboration called Chasing the Sublime with Ballet Nouveau Colorado and Artistic Director Garrett Ammon. The project combines visual art and dance, along with a gallery exhibit and performances at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Colorado.

His source of inspiration is as diverse as his artwork. He draws on his experience as a cancer survivor, his background working with children, and his affection for humanity. The result is best described by Pamela Shepherd of the Virginia Gazette. "He seems to have an innate ability to understand with great compassion human hopes, humor and fear, then express these emotions in his artwork."

PUBLISHED MATERIAL AND ARTICLES