Artbeat of America: Chevrolet Dealer Realizes Artistic Bent Through Painting
arts, culture, kirk clark, mcallen,
Charles Clark Chevrolet President and CEO Kirk Clark knows Monet and Michelangelo just as well as his Monte Carlos and Malibus.
The son of two artists, Clark was given a paint set when he was 10 years old. Now, more than 50 years later, his works are on display in galleries throughout Texas and New Mexico.
A 1969 graduate of the University of New Mexico College of Fine Arts, Clark has successfully balanced his business with his artistic leanings and education to experience the best of both worlds.
“Yes, I am at the dealership every day, then I go home to paint every night,” Clark says. “I really only paint part-time, but I’m still able to complete 300 paintings a year. It is truly a passion.”
Clark says since his parents were artists and collectors, he would travel as a young child with them to meet renowned artists, gallery operators and museum curators across the country.
“Meeting those talented individuals and seeing their incredible works must have stimulated me, because the fire within me hasn’t died down,” he says. “It remains a lot of fun for me each day.”
Clark owns a small gallery, plus many of his works can be viewed at his Web site, www.kirkclark.com.
As for mentors, he credits several people over the years and wants to return the favor to young artists at this point in his career.
“I am pleased that the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and McAllen city officials have the wisdom to begin encouraging arts in our community, and this movement is just starting to scratch the surface,” he says. “This city could easily become a destination for artistic talent, and I certainly want to be a mentor and a force to help that happen.”
The chamber recently recognized Clark with its Eagle Award for the Arts, which honors significant financial and in-kind contributions to the arts in the McAllen area.
“I am impressed with the quality of talent in the Rio Grande Valley, which is a great natural environment for young, new and talented artists,” he says. “The chamber has an incubator program for artists that is going very well, and I want to encourage city leaders to keep alive this entire artistic initiative in McAllen.”
Clark is a religious man, and every dollar from the many pieces of art he has sold over the years has been donated to charity. As for these days, he is painting many of his works in acrylics, while several other paintings are in oils.
By the way, the International Museum of Art and Science in McAllen is one of the many places where his finished pieces are on display.
“I also do sketch drawings, dabble in sculpture, make original jewelry and enjoy writing poetry in the ancient Chinese style of Bagua,” he says. “I have always loved the arts – just like so many other residents of McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley.”
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Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Jesse Knish
