ABOUT THE ARTIST

Craig Thomas Marks is an internationally exhibited contemporary artist, conservationist, Rock & Roll enthusiast, cigar lover, and Pikuni (Blackfeet) descendant. He currently resides in the Tampa Bay area with his wife and six children.

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A lifelong visual artist, Craig credits his evolution as an artist to being open to criticism, and the close friendships he has developed through the years with other artists. These relationships provided the opportunity to learn and exchange techniques firsthand from masters, without the distractions of a classroom setting. 

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The influence of Blackfeet culture is evident throughout Craig’s portfolio. His close relationships in Indian Country have taught him the tremendous power of storytelling, and have inspired him to pursue the traditional practice of ledger art in addition to his contemporary paintings.

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“As an artist I am, first and foremost, a storyteller,” he says. “Storytelling is critically important. Our stories create our identities as individuals, as families, communities, and as a culture. Some storytellers use words and others use music, sculpture, or performance. As a visual artist I get to tell stories with colors, light, and composition.”

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Selected Artist Highlights

2020 Represented by Red Cloud Indian Arts, St. Petersburg FL

2020 Arts+Causes, Tampa, FL

2021 "The Art of Luxury" Tampa, FL

2021 Community Arts Project, Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Browning, MT

2022 Grounded Gallery, Gulfport, FL

2022 "Opus" Tampa, FL

2022 "Opus Inside" Tampa, FL

2022 "Spirit of the Lynx" Kunsträume Grenzenlos Gallerie, Bayerisch Eisenstein, Germany

2022 "Peace Love Art: The Indigenous Collective," Tampa, FL 

2022 "Native American Heritage Hillsborough County" Tampa, FL"

2022 "Justified + Ancient" Halo Arts Project + MARA Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2023 "All things Accounted For: The Art of the Ledger" Red Cloud Indian Arts, St. Pete, FL

2023 Halo Arts Project Fellowship Award, Sarasota, FL

2023 "She/Her/Hers" MARA Studio + Gallery, Sarasota, FL

2023 "Oki Language Project" Tampa, FL 2022

2023 "A Heritage that Endures" Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL

 

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