About the Artist
Craig Freeman the Artist
"My intention as an artist is to uplift the human spirit."
Craig Freeman was born in the California Bay Area and became interested in art and music very early on. At age five, he started piano and still plays for enjoyment and relaxation. His high school art teacher, Winifred Lane, took a special interest in Craig, supplying him with encouragement, extra painting supplies for the summer, and organizing shows of his work. Coming home after summer vacation, he found a check for the purchase of ten paintings he had done that year - a defining moment.
Freeman, at age 17, was selected from hundreds of competing Bay Area students applying for a full-ride scholarship from NASA to study space biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and he was selected as one of only ten scholarships awarded. After just one semester at UC Berkeley, it was clear that science was not his heart's passion, yet another defining moment.
While pursuing studies in art and science at East Bay University, California, he was divided - Art or Science. But over coffee with a biology professor, he was asked, "Craig, I saw your art displayed here on campus - nice work. What are you doing in Biology ?" Another defining moment... Craig completed a BA in Art, left for Europe and traveled 14 countries in 4 months, stood facing works of the great masters Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Monet, and so many more, and decided he needed to continue his art studies. Freeman graduated from art school, earning a MA in Fine Art from San Jose State University with a major in painting. While working on his MA in Fine Art, Craig noticed he loved helping and encouraging others.
A career including art instruction was born with a busy schedule balancing college teaching at three colleges in the South Bay, maintaining an active painting studio, running a small gallery in Mountain View, California, and exhibiting his paintings in national & international competitions occupied his time. Craig has received numerous awards, exhibited in galleries and museums from the East to the West Coast. His art is in private collections in Central Europe, Japan, Canada, Croatia, Finland, and throughout the US.
Craig lived on Kauai for eight years to connect with his Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian roots, who emigrated from St. Michael's in the Azorean chain and settled on Oahu, where all 8 aunts and uncles were born. Freeman founded Palms Gallery in Kauai, Hawaii, from 2013- 2018, then moved to Santa Fe, NM, and rebranded Palms Gallery to Freeman Gallery, now on Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM.
Freeman founded Northwest College of Art & Design ( NCAD ) in 1982 in Poulsbo, Washington. NCAD now has a seven-story NEW CAMPUS at 1126 Pacific Ave, downtown Tacoma, Washington, very close to the Tacoma Museum of Art, including world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. Freeman, as president of NCAD, still oversees his private, degree-granting, accredited institution celebrating 44 years of art education, offering BFA degree double-concentration options including Illustration, Graphic Design, Motion Design, Media Arts, Animation, and (UX) User Experience, and an MFA, Master of Fine Arts in Innovative Design
The NCAD philosophy is - ART IS A BUSINESS, where students earn a BFA degree in 36 months or an MFA degree in 24 months and can work anywhere in the world, remotely or on-site.
Craig Freeman became a national speaker and lectured on art advocacy, art careers, and as a motivational speaker for over 25 years, dedicated to inspiring emerging artists and anyone to follow their creative passions. NCAD website at www.ncad.edu
Craig founded the Cultural Arts Foundation Northwest in the 80s - a nonprofit organization supporting the arts in the Northwest, and is co-founder of West Sound Academy in Poulsbo - a private not for profit High School / Junior High with an emphasis on the arts on their own 20-acre campus. He has served on the board of directors for Washington State Vocational Education, was elected twice as President of ICDS - International Council of Design Schools, and was an advisor to IMC-Island Music Center on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Freeman's three children, Minna, Matti, and Mikko, have all followed art and art education careers. Mr Freeman now lives in Santa Fe, NM, keeping a full art studio schedule. Matti Freeman is Manager of FREEMANGALLERYSANTAFE.COM in Santa Fe on Canyon Road; Mikko Freeman is a Professor of Art and Curriculum Development at NCAD.EDU. Minna Freeman lives in Kauai and is passionate about Education, Painting, and Inspiring Others. Craig travels throughout the US, Hawaii, and Europe, always in search of inspiration for painting. As president of NCAD, he continues overseeing his unique award-winning college of art, leading it to the next level with new art programs supporting current market demands. At his home and studio in Santa Fe, NM, you will usually find Craig out in the studio or field painting water genre, landscapes, and abstracts, as he sees little difference in creating both representational and abstract works of nature. Favorite painting spots are Santa Fe, the Southwest, Keystone, CO, Hawaii, the Northwest, California, Spain, Lake Como, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Florence, Italy, the Turquoise Coast in Turkey, Greece, and Croatia.
Craig is the founder and owner of their permanent, newly remodeled FREEMAN GALLERY /website is freemangallerysantafe.com in Santa FE on Canyon Road, perhaps the most famous road of art galleries in the world. Craig is a prolific painter producing powerful images with vivid colors and strong use of light that are his signature elements in his paintings. Freeman Gallery represents over twenty artists, currently including Paintings, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Glass, photography, canvas giclées, and metal infusion prints. Freeman Gallery also represents his two sons, Matti Freeman / Gallery Manager / Studied at NCAD, Self-taught Mixed Media Artist and Mikko Freeman/ Artist/ Painter who studied at NCAD, Florence Academy in Florence, Italy, and Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. Mikko is an NCAD Professor as well as curriculum coordinator.
Craig Freeman's life intentions are to create art that is a "Journey of color and light to lift the human spirit " and " to live life on purpose for a purpose"
