Mark Yale Harris


Mark Yale Harris is an American sculptor. He works in stone and bronze. He lives and works in the Roaring Fork Valley region of Colorado. Beginning his professional life in the business sector, in 1972 Harris co-founded and was Executive Vice President of Red Roof Inns. In 1991, he founded AmeriSuites Hotels where he served as CEO.

Early life

Harris was born in Buffalo, New York in 1936. With an interest in pursuing art, he supported himself as he attended the business program at The Ohio State University, earning a B.S.S. in 1961.

Business career

Harris worked for more than 30 years in hospitality/urban development. In 1972, he partnered with Jim Trueman, also an OSU alumnus to co-found Red Roof Inn in Columbus, Ohio. The company opened over 300 properties primarily in the Midwest, South, and Eastern United States.
In 1991, Harris founded Amerisuites. Within a short time, the company opened approximately 100 locations throughout the United States. In the late ‘90s, he sold this business to Blackstone.
Based in Austin, Texas at the time, Harris chaired the Urban Land Institute, Austin District council 1998-2000, which led to his chairmanship of the 2nd Annual Smart Growth Conference, also in Austin, in 1999.

Artistic life

Discovering stonework

While Harris sold his main business in 1996, he continued with business projects while learning to carve stone. This became a passion after taking an alabaster carving class in Austin.

Native-American mentors

Harris then sought out a mentor in Aleut sculptor Bill Prokopiof, whose work he had long admired and collected. The artist invited Harris to work alongside him in his studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Nez Perce sculptor Doug Hyde took him under his wing. Both sculptors had been among the protégés of Native American sculptor Allan Houser. Houser was known for his willingness to share his knowledge and Prokopiof and Hyde followed his lead, taking Harris under their wings. Harris began spending considerable time in Santa Fe.

Education

While beginning to find a measure of recognition for his work, Harris continued to challenge himself and expand his creative development. Several intensive workshops, including studies with Terry Allen, Jo Harvey, James Surls, Lincoln Fox and John Forno at the Anderson Ranch Arts Institute and the Marble/marble Institute of Colorado, contributed to his process and skill.

Works

Stone

He began to work in alabaster, marble, and limestone. Regarding his work, Harris said, “The motivation for me is to try and interpret an emotion, be it human or animal, within my media. In my case, attempting to blend form, figure, emotion and gesture often result in a figurative abstraction.” Of his intentions, he stated, “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. My evolving body of work evokes this duality.”

Monumental bronze

In 2006, the artist enlarged a tabletop-sized maquette into monumental proportions. He found that some pieces work best on an intimate scale, while others require sheer size. He formed large works that lent themselves more to bronze.

Animal sculpture

Though known for his figurative works, Harris also has a significant portfolio of animal sculptures. The psychological overtones of his figurative works give way to moments in time and the whimsy of nature. Harris captures the lumbering bear’s walk, the graceful leap of fish from the water, the lazy heaviness of cattle.

Selected exhibitions

Harris' art is represented by over twenty galleries in the US and UK. He has appeared in solo, museum and international exhibitions, including the Royal Academy of London, Marin MOCA, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, the Royal Scottish Academy, National Sculpture Society, Millicent Rodgers Museum, The Wildlife Experience Museum, Peace Arch Park International, Museum of the Southwest, Palm Springs Art Museum, and the Austin Museum of Art.

Collections

Current works can be found in many permanent public collections, including:
State of New Mexico - Western New Mexico University - Silver City, New Mexico; Hilton Hotels; Permanent Collection: Brooklyn Art Library - Brooklyn, New York; State of New Mexico - Ruidoso, New Mexico; the Open Air Museum - Ube, Japan ; Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art - Biloxi, Mississippi; The Village Green Sculpture Park - Cashiers, North Carolina; The City of Roanoke - Roanoke, Virginia ; Four Seasons Hotel - Chicago, Illinois ; La Posada Hotel and Resort, Santa Fe, New Mexico; 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.

Recognition