Carl Eugene Sparkman Jr.

Carl Sparkman Jr.

Carl Eugene "Gene" Sparkman Jr., 69, of Crownsville, died suddenly at his home June 13, 2010.

Born Feb. 19, 1941, in Kansas City, Kan., he was the son of the late Carl Eugene Sparkman Sr. and Nettie Marie Mack. Gene grew up in Great Bend, Kan., and graduated from Great Bend High School.

After high school he attended college briefly before enlisting in the Navy for six years. He served in the Vietnam War and after his discharge, continued his college education. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angles, Calif. He moved to Connecticut where he would make his mark as artist and teacher.

His lifelong passion for art and the teaching of it was recognized by all who knew and loved him. Mr. Sparkman predominantly taught drawing and painting the figure, and illustration. Some of the schools he taught at include the Art Students League of New York, NYC for 10 years; Western Connecticut State University, Conn.; Sacred Heart University, Conn.; University of Bridgeport, Conn.; Pratt Institute, N.Y.; Fashion Institute of Technology, N.Y., and briefly at Silvermine Art Guild, Conn. Gene Sparkman holds his MFA in Visual Arts from Vermont College, Montpelier, Vt., and a BFA in Illustration from the Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles, Calif. He is currently represented by the Geary Gallery in Darien, Conn., and the Whitehall Gallery in Annapolis.

Gene Sparkman's work is in many private, corporate and permanent public museum collections world-wide, such as the Butler Institute of American Art, Franklin Library and the Smithsonian, among others. He was a former Board Member of the Pastel Society of America and elected Master Pastelist in 1984.

Exhibitions and major awards in Salmagundi Club, NYC; Allied Artists of America, NYC; Pastel Society of America, NYC; Manchester Institute of the Arts, N.H.; Canton Art Institute, Ohio; Butler Institute of American Art, Ohio; New Britain Museum of American Art, Conn.; Society of Illustrators, NYC; Society of Illustrators, Calif.; Rameau Palais, Paris, France, etc. He studied with such formidable masters of their genre as Joseph Henniger (California), Harry Carmean (California), John Asaro (California) and Rudolf Baranik (NYC).

He is listed in Marquis' Who's Who in American Art (1986) under his full name Carl Eugene Sparkman Jr.

He is survived by his longtime partner, Sher Sparkman of West Haven, Conn.; his daughter, Gretchen A. Sparkman of Huntingtown, Md.; his brother, Dean Sparkman of Plymouth, Minn.; two granddaughters, Heidi and Aine Sparkman; stepmother, Laura Louise Sparkman of Hutchinson, Kan.; and a niece and nephew.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 14, in Great Bend, Kan. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be be sent to Maryland Pastel Society, PO Box 54, Riderwood, MD 21139.

For online condolences see www.fhnfuneralhome.com

Arrangements where provided by Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, 814 Bestgate Road, Annapolis.