Stories Behind the Artists

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Friday
Printmaking and Assemblage Faculty

 

My first interaction with the Art Students League of Denver happened around 1992 when ASLD purchased the old Sherman Elementary school at 2nd and Grant, where I had a studio and taught screen printing classes. The building was full of artists who all had to look elsewhere for studio space. 

The first great interaction with ASLD occurred in 1997 when I shared a booth at the Summer Art Market. I have a participated in every one since then, and have found SAM to be a great value to me as an exhibiting artist. It’s a fun event, a great chance to meet people, and an opportunity  to receive very useful feedback about your work.

In the Spring of 2000, I started teaching screen printing at ASLD and have been on the faculty since then, also teaching assemblage sculpture since 2011.  Teaching at ASLD for the past 20 years has enabled me to interact with a great number of artists of all levels from beginning to established.  It has been a joy and a privilege to help artists achieve some small degree of success with their art endeavors and at the same time I benefit from the interaction.

Since art making is generally a solitary experience, it is great to have a facility like ASLD where an art community exists.  Over the years, I have gotten to know, and become friends with students, faculty, and staff members.

The piece included was in a 2014 faculty exhibit at ASLD.  I had first created the piece for a large exhibit of assemblage Sculpture  at the Republic Plaza called Scrounge.  I can’t recall the title I used for the piece, but will title it Kiosk for now.  The structure contains various objects and images and a variety of media, all inspired by artist, Robert Rauschenberg.