Remembering Jesse Mark

 JESSE MARK,  Co-founder of CREATE
​ 1929 – 2020

With this exhibit, we honor and celebrate the life of Jesse Mark.  
 
I first met Jesse back in 2015 or 2016. Around that time, he had discovered the field of arts in health and it piqued his interest. Jesse lived a long life, and as such, he had a wealth of knowledge and varied experiences under his belt by the time I met him. He was a well-educated man of faith and spent a good portion of his career working in healthcare. After retiring, Jesse became much more involved in the arts. He spent seven years teaching oil painting at UK’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, served on the board and was president of the Lexington Art League and spent time as the director of the Christ Church Cathedral art program. 

Having worked in healthcare and spending much of his retirement engaged by and immersed in the arts, it made perfect sense that Jesse’s interests would coalesce around the field of arts in health. As he sought to learn more, he began contacting individuals and organizations in Lexington involved or working in the field of arts in health. As fate would have it, Jesse found his way to me. He expressed great interest in the work I was doing in my role as manager for the UK Arts in HealthCare program. He wondered if we could team up with other organizations and professionals in the community to build a greater awareness of the health and wellness benefits of engaging in and with the arts. Never one to shy away from an opportunity to engage my community and promote the work I do, I said, “let’s do it.”

From that first meeting with Jesse, CREATE was ultimately born. Local music therapist and owner of Edge Music Therapy, Austin Robinson later joined our efforts and became our third Co-founder. Together, along with an everchanging cast of committed organizations and individuals, we were able to put on a number of visual arts exhibits that were coupled with the performing arts and educational components centered on themes related to arts in health and wellness.

Beyond our work together with CREATE, Jesse became a dear friend and a man that I admired. 
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In honor of Jesse Mark, a human being of the highest caliber, CREATE continues our mission. Though Jesse’s spirit now soars across realms unimaginable, he is with us as we continue on this Unprecedented Journey.

                                                                                                                                             - Jason Akhtarekhavari