Born on the Navajo Reservation in 1954, Mark Silversmith comes from a family of
silversmiths. His father and grandfather were silversmiths.
Even as a young child, Silversmith would draw and doodle on any bit of paper he found, and
usually the topic was images he saw from the environment around him.
Silversmith painted the natural setting of the high country during the summertime, or when he
would be in the valley grazing cattle during the winter.
After graduating from Southwestern Oklahoma State at Weathorford, OK, Mark taught art
and industrial art classes to elementary and middle school students at the BIA school,
Dzilth-na-o-dith-hle, south of Bloomfield, NM.
He followed this with a B.A. degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and taught
junior high school for seven years. He then turned professional artist and in 1982 married
Barbara, who is also now his agent.
Silversmith studies all North American Indian tribes for their culture and traditions in
preparation for his paintings. Since the different tribes traded among each other sometimes
the subjects in his paintings may be dressed in the breastplate of one tribe and wearing
another article of clothing or beads from another tribe. It is Mark Silversmith's belief that
all tribes have a common bond.
Watercolor painting is his expertise but he is also skillful in pastels, acrylics, and sculpture.
Mark's originals, limited edition prints, and posters are found in hundreds of galleries and
private collections world wide.
Mark was honored as the Indian Arts and Crafts Association Native Artist of 1986.
At the 1997 Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, Inc. (SWAIA), Mark Silversmith was
awarded First Place in Transparent Watercolor, and Second Place in Opaque Water-Based
Paint.
silversmiths. His father and grandfather were silversmiths.
Even as a young child, Silversmith would draw and doodle on any bit of paper he found, and
usually the topic was images he saw from the environment around him.
Silversmith painted the natural setting of the high country during the summertime, or when he
would be in the valley grazing cattle during the winter.
After graduating from Southwestern Oklahoma State at Weathorford, OK, Mark taught art
and industrial art classes to elementary and middle school students at the BIA school,
Dzilth-na-o-dith-hle, south of Bloomfield, NM.
He followed this with a B.A. degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and taught
junior high school for seven years. He then turned professional artist and in 1982 married
Barbara, who is also now his agent.
Silversmith studies all North American Indian tribes for their culture and traditions in
preparation for his paintings. Since the different tribes traded among each other sometimes
the subjects in his paintings may be dressed in the breastplate of one tribe and wearing
another article of clothing or beads from another tribe. It is Mark Silversmith's belief that
all tribes have a common bond.
Watercolor painting is his expertise but he is also skillful in pastels, acrylics, and sculpture.
Mark's originals, limited edition prints, and posters are found in hundreds of galleries and
private collections world wide.
Mark was honored as the Indian Arts and Crafts Association Native Artist of 1986.
At the 1997 Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, Inc. (SWAIA), Mark Silversmith was
awarded First Place in Transparent Watercolor, and Second Place in Opaque Water-Based
Paint.
Mark Silversmith, Navajo Painter
