Born in Shanghai, China in 1933, Mark di Suvero emigrated to the U.S. in 1941. Raised in San Francisco, he attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1956 with a B.A. in Philosophy. His sculpture, generally classified as Abstract Expressionist, has been shown in galleries and museums in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia since the 1960's. Outdoor exhibitions have taken place in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and a number of cities in the U.S. citywide shows include Paris, France; Venice, Italy; and New York City. In the U.S., cities with permanent installations of di Suvero's sculpture include Baltimore, Dallas, Grand Rapids, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Francisco, South Bend, and Toledo. In New York, di Suvero's work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Storm King Art Center (Mountainville, NY). In 1977, di Suvero created the Athena Fountain to assist artists; composer Philip Glass and sculptor Ursula von Rydingsvard were early grant recipients. Di Suvero founded Socrates Sculpture Park (SSP) in 1985, and continues to serve as chairman of its board of trustees. The Park, located on city-owned property and affiliated with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, has received numerous awards including the Doris Freedman Award, a special citation from the American Institute of Architects (New York Chapter), and the New York State Governor's Arts Award.