PART II: BERNARD MARKS’S ART
Bernie as Artist in Residence at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah, 2019
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE,
GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA,
SEPTEMBER 2019
In the summer of 2019, Bernie received an unsolicited invitation to spend two or three weeks as Artist in Residence at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. He was thrilled to have the opportunity, especially since the invitation served as public recognition of how well he was known for his many fine paintings of the national parks.
That September, at age 80, Bernie drove by himself to southern Utah. He chose to spend two weeks there, because he suspected that more than that might be too much for his energy level.
He had a great time getting to know the park staff and visitors and loved exploring the area in greater depth than we had done during a brief visit ten years earlier.
In the end, he produced two finished paintings that were meant to remain at the park. The one shown here was his favorite.
For me, simply looking at these happy photos of Bernie and the park superintendent who had invited him—and of course that beautiful painting—makes me happy, too.
Those two weeks turned out to be one of the final highlights of Bernie’s painting career. He appreciated and deserved the recognition he received.