Craig Marshal Wilson was born in Georgia in 1973 and was raised in Cumming, a small rural town 50 miles north of Atlanta, where the foothills of the mountains gradually dissolve into Piedmont. His earliest experiences were spent combing the beaches of a nearby lake for driftwood and exploring the mountains for animal bones and arrowheads. It was during these formative years that he began his life-long fascination with the flora and fauna, folkways and faith that infuse Southern Appalachia with its dynamic and conflicting character. This was the environment that led Craig to become an artist, using painting, sculpture and narrative to create his own brand of visual storytelling. He tells tales that expresses the Holy Scripture, the gift of Grace and the rich tapestry of landscapes, animals and people that populate God’s creation.

 

In 1997, Mr. Wilson moved to Athens, Georgia to study at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Drawing from the University of Georgia in 1999. It was here that he met and studied with artist and ethnomusicologist Art Rosenbaum, who inspired Craig to further pursue his love of Appalachian art and music. He then moved to Washington D.C. in 2000 to pursue his masters degree. He studied at the University of Maryland, College Park, graduating in 2002. It was in Maryland that he began teaching, instructing students at various colleges, universities and charter schools in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

 

Mr. Wilson now resides in Dahlonega, Ga, and teaches Drawing and Painting at the University of North Georgia. He exhibits his art on the national level as well as curating and jurying exhibitions. He is also actively involved in the local community’s music scene, plays banjo at his church, and is a board member for the Georgia Pick & Bow School of Traditional Music, which teaches music to the region’s young people.