David F. Mack, "The ClayMacker", was born in Baltimore City, MD, and graduated from Frederick Douglass HS. David earned a B.S. from Morgan State University, M.F.A. from The Maryland Institute College of Art, and an Advanced Diploma from The U.S. Army, Command and General Staff College.
David has dedicated more than forty years exhibiting his artwork in juried art festivals, shows, museums, galleries, and conducting workshops. He is a retired: public school art teacher, Lieutenant Colonel (USAR), former Adjunct College Professor-Ceramics at Essex Community College, in Baltimore. MD, and St. Petersburg College, Clearwater Campus. An active exhibition ceramic artist, David and wife, Linda, reside in Spring Hill, FL. Linda is a former elementary school teacher, currently with the Tampa VA Hospital, and she holds a masters from Coppin State University. David and Linda’s daughter, Lisa Mack, is a performing artist and finalist on Star Search. Lisa is currently performing in the musical “Menopause” at the Luxor Casino in Las Vegas.
David Mack’s work reflects the emotion, power, and life long experience encountered through his special relationship with CLAY. His work combines thrown functional vessels, with sculptural forms of historical African-American pioneers: inventors, engineers, scientist, educators, athletes, and civil rights activist, such as, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Madame CJ Walker, Dr. Charles Drew, Edmonia Lewis, Jack Johnson, Lena Horn, Booker T. Washington, and Wilma Rudolph just to name a few. His vessel creations with emphasis on design, texture, line, shape, space, size, and detail is this ClayMacker's signature trademark. David continues to raise the bar in capturing the natural qualities in clay, and incorporating those properties into his work. David’s philosophy advocates a visual arts world that develops the “Whole Child”…able and disable.
David Mack has been honored with a one-man show at Bethune Cookman University, and St. Petersburg College, and a special showing at The Tampa Museum-Art After Dark Event. David has conducted ceramic workshops for Baltimore City Art Teachers, Pinellas County Florida Art Teachers, and Morgan State University.
Recent awards include: 2010 Miami Beach Festival of the Arts First place-ceramics, The Brandon Rotary 86 Art Festival, First place- Excellence Award, and Temple Terrace Fourth Place Award. The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) has accepted David F. Mack’s Program Proposal to bring a master potter and staff coordinator from The Art Center at HANA, Nara City, Japan to address the 2011 Tampa/St. Pete conference concerning The Positive Power of Clay’s Affects on People with Disabilities.
You can view additional images of David F. Mack’s work on: Facebook.com, YouTube.com, & Flickr.com
Art must be elevated in our school district to a level equal to “the core disciplines”, English, math, history, science, etc. The conclusions are obvious: cuneiform letters on clay tablets, Egyptian Shabti figures, Roman Aqua ducts, ceramic tiles used by NASA, and pencil-graphite are just a few clay contributions
David F. Mack -The ClayMacker.
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