Story by Lizzie Niehaus

Art teacher Mark Benesh is a very creative, passionate, and influential artist. Ever since he was a child he had a passion for art.

After graduating Mount Vernon High School in 1983, Benesh moved on to Iowa State University for Art and worked in Graphic Design for a few years. He was then inspired to become an art teacher and attended Mount Mercy University for teaching.

Now, Benesh has been selflessly teaching art at Mount Vernon Middle School for the past ten years. He also gives back to the community by sharing his art. Before Benesh started painting murals around the town of Mount Vernon, he worked on selling his paintings at local galleries.

Some of Benesh’s most notable paintings include the American Gothic barn on Highway 30, which took him about a week to complete; the Statue of Liberty barn at the apple orchard; the Sing-A-Long Bar and Grill mural, and the Mount Vernon mural on the Skillet Cafe.