Short Biography
Mark Harmon was born and raised in Heidelberg, Germany. Uprooted at age fourteen
when his family moved to the United States, he suffered through boredom and tedium in high school. He received a BFA in painting from Truman State University, returning to Europe for a time to study art history and icon painting at the National Academy of Fine Arts, Bratislava, Slovakia. Back in the United States Mark lived in a former Schoolhouse, enjoying the huge and dilapidated space and painting constantly.

After a one year adventure as the village potter of Dreamtime Village, WI, a back to the land project, he finally found a home in Madison, WI, where he settled after earning an MFA from the University of Wisconsin.

In Madison Mark co founded Artbeat Gallery and Studios, made functional pottery, organized a few shows and taught classes. To refocus his energies he moved to "a project space" in 2004 his storefront served as base for projects ranging from politically motivated installations and performances to painting and drawing. In 2003 and again winter of 2004, Mark went on a two month long landscape painting expeditions to Central America, mounting a shows called "travel log" upon his return. Gripped with the travel bug, he soon embarked on "the Great adventure" to escape Wisconsin's harsh winters and to paint plein aire in the tropics.

After a few months with an increasingly heavy pack, he settled in San Christobal de las Casas in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Galeria Arte Real located in a lovely courtyard a block from the towns main square now serves as his studio and exhibition space.