NAME: Craig Cheply
BIRTH PLACE: Earth (some people disagree)
BIRTH DATE: 3.13.55
BIOGRAPHY
Craig Cheply is both a commercial (Artist Environs LLC) and fine artist. His Contemporary Realism paintings are inspired by observations of the certain elements pertaining to the lighting, colors and textures of the Southwest environment and other travels. Craig’s focus on southwestern skies, landscapes and flora captures his vision while also addressing social, political and environmental issues related to the dramatic population growth in the region and beyond. Permanent solo mural and scenic work can be viewed at the Arizona Museum of Natural history, formally Mesa Southwest Museum. . In 2003 he put on the largest solo documented museum exhibit (in scope and scale) of any kind in Az.’s state history utilizing his 8 commissioned murals (now 10) plus 27 of his Contemporary Realism paintings for the theme of the show. The “Dawn to Dawn-Past, Present, Possible Futures” exhibit not only visually and verbally represented the murals and fine art showing the different subject matters and times during the 24 hour day, but also the “dawning” of natural and un-natural evolutions that have taken place in history and are still in flux.The murals are "American Lion", "Desert Walk", "Dinosaur Mountain", "Triassic Forest", "Mosasaur", "Metoposaur", “Kenyata”, “Tropical Deciduous Forest”, “Hands on Discovery Center”, Mesa Grande Ruins, collaborative work in the "Paleoseas" Diorama. He was one of two muralists chosen out of 35 Az. applicants to work with the New York City based Evergreen Painting Studios team to paint 10,000 square feet of murals on the west side entrance in the Bank One Ballpark in 1998 now known as Chase Field. Educated at F.I.T. (A.A.S.) and Pratt Institute in New York, he received his B.F.A. in Interior Design from Arizona State University in 1980. He has done set design, scenic and special effect painting for the theatrical, motion picture and television industries (member of I.A.T.S.E. local #485). Craig has worked on scenic teams for the features "Middle Men" , S.I.S.”, “Kids In America”, “ "Hidden Palms", The Kingdom”, "Three Kings", "Buffalo Soldiers", "Beastmaster II and III", "Four Eyes and Six Guns", and "Harley-Davidson and the Marlboro Man” plus others. His paintings have been exhibited widely across the U.S. with inclusion into national and international shows in New York jurored by Robert Rosenblum (Guggenheim Museum), Tina Kukielski (Whitney Museum), and Charlotta Kotik (Brooklyn Museum). He continues to create his visual journalistic contemporary realism fine art, custom murals, trompe l'oeil, faux effects for the institutional, commercial and residential environments along with having self published limited ed. prints of some of his fine art available for purchasing. Studio visit by appointment only. 2007 Arizona Governors Arts Awards Nominee.
Permanent Collections: Private, Arizona Museum of Natural History, -10 murals + fine art, Burton Barr Central Library-Phoenix, Az., City of Glendale, Az. City of Chandler, Az.
