The National Sculpture Society (NSS) presents the 2024 Sisko Memorial Medal to Mark Edward Adams for service to the Society.

In 2013, Adams exhibited with the NSS in its 80th Annual Awards Exhibition at Brookgreen Gardens and the Tampa Museum of Art. During the exhibition reception, Adams made himself known to then NSS president, Michel Langlais. Adams expressed a desire to have more support for sculptors at a local level. With the backing of Michel Langlais, and the National Sculpture Society, Adams launched the first NSS Ambassador Community in Southern California, creating an exemplary model for the NSS Communities that followed and establishing Ambassador Communities as one of the Society’s now most active programs. With Adam’s leadership, the NSS SoCal Community planned and executed two gallery exhibitions, incorporating educational programs on site, and selling work by local sculptors whose work was included in the shows. To date, he has organized several meetings of artists in his part of the country and a MAJOR sculpture exhibition of works by NSS California Community members at the Bonita Museum in California. The Southern California Community heightened awareness of the NSS and attracted sculptors who are now Associate members.

As an NSS Board member, Mark reported on the progress of this new initiative at every board meeting. He set the standard for what is possible and illustrated the potential benefits of NSS Communities around the country. NSS Board member, Anne W. Brown, says “Mark’s innate creativity is equal to his passion for the medium.” Michel Langlais adds that “As an artist, passionate since childhood in his native Arizona, Mark Edward Adams always tries to infuse his animal sculptures with the spirituality of nature. As a human being, Mark has always been available to volunteer when it is time to help and to give back. He was our first NSS Community Ambassador in Southern California, patiently building the template model for what is now one of our important and successful programs…. a talented and devoted NSS member!”

In 2016, Adams became an Elected Sculptor Member of the National Sculpture Society, advancing to Fellow in 2021. He has exhibited with the Salmagundi Club, receiving its Philip Isenberg Memorial Award for Sculpture in 2017 and 2024, and with the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, receiving its Peter Filerup Award and Barron Collier II Award for Sculpture. Adams is also an elected member of the California Art Club and the Salmagundi Club. Fine Art Connoisseur, American Art Collector, and Western Art and Architecture have featured his work. He is represented by well-known galleries in the west, including Turner Fine Art in Jackson, WY; Beartooth Gallery in Red Lodge, MT and FoR Fine Art in Whitefish and Bigfork, MT.

The Sisko Memorial Medal is a uniface medallion created by John Sisko, engraved on the reverse side with the name of the award recipient. Sisko is fondly remembered for his service as Chairman of Sculpture Review’s Editorial Board and as a Board member. The medal will be presented on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at the Honors and Awards Dinner. The event is part of the Sculpture Celebration which is taking place in Indianapolis, IN. For additional information, contact the NSS office at news@nationalsculpture.org or 212-764-5645 x 102.