Mark Yale Harris

In 2006, the artist enlarged a tabletop-sized maquette into monumental proportions. He found that some pieces work best on an intimate scale, while others require sheer size. He formed large works that lent themselves more to bronze. Recent instruction at CREATE Center for the Arts introduced Harris to the use of the virtual reality program Oculus as an adjunct to his existing practice of drawing preliminary sketches before working directly with the stone. He sponsored a lecture and demonstration series, Untapped Potential, VR for Artists, at Carbondale Arts and The Art Base.

Based in Austin, Texas at the time, Harris chaired the Urban Land Institute, Austin District council 1998 to 2000, which led to his chairmanship of the 2nd Annual Smart Growth Conference, also in Austin, in 1999.

While Harris sold his main business in 1996, he continued with business projects while learning to carve stone. This became a passion after taking an alabaster carving class in Austin, Texas.

Harris worked for more than 30 years in hospitality/urban development. In 1972, he partnered with Jim Trueman, also an OSU alumnus, to co-found Red Roof Inn in Columbus, Ohio. The company opened over 300 properties primarily in the Midwest, South, and Eastern United States. In 1991, Harris founded Amerisuites. Within a short time, the company opened approximately 100 locations throughout the United States. In the late ‘90s, he sold this business to The Blackstone Group.

Mark Yale Harris (born 1936) is an American sculptor, and a former businessperson. He working primarily in stone and bronze for his art. Beginning his professional life in the business sector, in 1972 Harris co-founded and was Executive Vice President of Red Roof Inns. In 1991, he founded AmeriSuites Hotels, where he served as CEO. He lives and works in the Roaring Fork Valley region of Colorado.

Harris was born in Buffalo, New York in 1936. He attended the business program at Ohio State University (OSU), earning a B.S.S. degree in 1961.