In Memoriam: Mark Planisek, 1959–2009

On June 24, 2009, the National Portrait Gallery lost one of its sons. Mark Planisek succumbed to injuries he suffered after being struck by an automobile in Arlington, Virginia, on the night of Friday, June 19. Mark had been a museum technician and art handler at NPG since 1999.

“Everyone who knew Mark admired his enormous talent, warmth, and kindness,” said NPG Director Marty Sullivan. “We all feel devastated by this terrible tragedy. We share the grief of Mark’s family and the large circle of friends he treasured.”

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1959, Mark Planisek devoted his life to art. As a member of the National Portrait Gallery’s installation team, Mark was one of those personally responsible for the magnificently successful reopening of the Donald W. Reynolds Center in 2006.

Away from work, Mark had an international presence in the art world; his work has been exhibited in China, India, Germany, Canada, and throughout the United States. In 2006, Mark’s work was a juried choice admitted into the prestigious biennial in Florence, Italy. His awards were numerous, and his art was widely appreciated. A sampling of Mark's work can be viewed here and here.           

Since 2001, Mark had also been part of the local and national movements among American artists to develop portrait projects honoring the sacrifice of American servicemen and women killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. During the winter of 2004–5, he joined a number of local artists who were creating small paintings based on photographs of American service personnel killed since October 2001.

The project, called “Faces of the Fallen,” featured more than 1,300 portraits by hundreds of artists. Mark created thirteen paintings, all eight by six inches, in acrylic and mixed media on canvas. For all of this work, he and the other artists involved put aside any personal feelings about the war and concentrated on creating a meaningful memorial for the families. As Mark said, “I wanted to do this for the families. What began as a protest became a form of honor for these soldiers. Putting a face with a name has so much more impact than seeing a name by itself.”

All of the artists who participated in “Faces of the Fallen” gave the portraits to the families. In 2007, Mark created two more paintings, which became part of a permanent memorial at the naval amphibious base in Coronado, California, to honor two Navy SEALS who died in Iraq in 2006.

Mark leaves behind many friends among his colleagues. Molly Grimsley, NPG registrar, said yesterday, “Mark was a very gentle, kind soul, who brought me happiness and encouragement whenever I saw him. I’ll miss him greatly.”

Read more memories of Mark on the DC Arts Center website and the Art and Art Handling blog.