To Whom it May Concern:

This letter of reference is for Mark Pilato. When I first saw Rwandan Piata at the Central Pennsylvania Arts Festival I stood speechless for some minutes. The sculpture is of a Rwandan mother holding a starving/dying child in her arms. I had just recently returned from a trip to southern Sudan where I had seen refugee camps with tens of thousands of starving children. I had seen the hopeless look of mothers who could do nothing to avert the disaster all around them. Mark's sculpture conveyed powerfully all that I had seen in the Sudan but not been able to put words to. I purchased the piece and it has been in my office since, serving as a daily reminder to me of the human tragedy in world hunger.

I've known Mark for a number of years and affirm the depth of his artistic vision and his integrity both as a person and as an artist. With gratitude for Mark's ongoing creative work,


Glenn Mitchell




September 4, 2005

To Whom it May Concern:

The Delaware Co. ARC serves people with disabilities throughout Delaware County. Over the last two years it has had the good, make that great, fortune to benefit from the remarkable talent and insights of Mark Pilato.

Of all the people served by the organization, those with profound mental retardation or multiple disabilities, especially those who also have minimal communication skills, are our toughest challenge. A challenge with which our entire field of community based rehabilitation agencies continually struggle.

When Mark first visited our organization, he was introduced to individuals with varying degrees of disability, but it was those with the most profound challenges to whom he was drawn. When he told me it was these folks he would like to know, I was quite taken.

These individuals are the ones that need attention, caring and friends most of all. Yet the severity of their disabilities, which often includes aggressive behavior, turns most volunteers off. I still recall as if it were yesterday Mark's response when we talked about these very needy individuals. "They are where I want to be", he said. Staggered, I found this response to be almost incomprehensible. "Tell me more", I said. But Mark did better than that.

Over the next weeks and months through his remarkable talent and loving nature he developed unique relationships with people who to this point were withdrawn, barely communicative and in some cases extremely resistant. As great as his accomplishments with these folks were, I believe his greatest impact has been on the staff who serve these folks. They learned new ways to reach the people to whom they are so committed and new ways to help them relate to the world. It is satisfying to teach new employees basic skills but it is phenomenal to witness extremely committed and talented veteran staff, including myself, developing new insights and finding new directions for the people about whom they care so deeply.

If you mention the name Mark Pilato at the Delaware Co. ARC, everyone, including both consumers and staff, take notice. Some smile. Some perk to attention. Some wonder what they will do or learn but they all ask the same question: "When is he coming back?" What better compliment could anyone receive.

Thank you very much for this opportunity to reflect on our experience with Mark. It has truly been our great fortune.

Sincerely,
George Suess,
Chief Executive Officer, Delaware Co. ARC





“She’s Alive in My Mind”
(Reflection of the Mark Pilato Statue)
by Wendy Snetsinger
October 2, 2005


Mark Pilato created the beautiful and heart-stirring sculpture “She’s Alive in My Mind” to honor the memory my daughter Clare Snetsinger, who was his friend and former schoolmate. Clare had died at age 17 after a three and a half year battle against cancer. Mark’s grief over Clare’s death propelled his outpouring of emotional and artistic energy. He pondered the best way to lay expression to his feelings. Clare had been a delightful and talented young lady, whose engaging personality and positive attitude helped to lift everyone’s spirit. Ultimately Mark designed the statue as two interwoven abstract figures. The first figure represents Clare reclining and earth-bound. The second figure, rising from the first in an upright position, represents Clare still vibrant, forever vital, her soul ascending to a higher plane. Mark’s statue captures her essence.

Clare, Mark, and two of Mark’s siblings all attended the same small Alternative Program school in State College, Pennsylvania from grade seven through twelve. They were part of a group of gifted, enthusiastic students who participated in the visual arts (painting, pottery and sculpture) and theatre. They were also active in social justice causes, such as anti-apartheid, a movement striving for racial equality in South Africa, which was reaching a crescendo of involvement across the country at the time.

The young people liked to hang out together, to laugh, and cry, and to support each other in many ways. They were zany and liked to wear nontraditional clothes and don unusual haircuts. Clare was unquestionably the most stylish. She wore beautiful, flowing clothes gleaned from thrift stores. She glamorized her baldness by wearing fashionable hats, scarves and Egyptian style head-pieces.

Clare was a frequent visitor at the Pilato home and was welcomed as a family member. Mark, his twin brother Mike, his sister Natalia, and an assortment of other friends, also came to our home. They visited Clare both at our local hospital, where she received some of her care, and traveled to Philadelphia to be with her when she stayed at the Ronald McDonald House during outpatient treatments at Children’s Hospital.

I observed the compassion and concern all the young people had for one another. I also observed their creative talents. At their school, I served as substitute art teacher one semester. Mark’s imagination and talent in sculpture amazed me. It was obvious that he could and would go far as an artist.

Several years later, while Mark was working on “She’s Alive in My Mind”, he would have me come to his studio to see how the sculpture was progressing. He also would describe the way in which he felt Clare’s spirit “spoke” to him. It was as if he and Clare were creating the monument together.

Since 1995 the statue resides outside the entrance to Centre Medical Sciences Building in State College, Pennsylvania. It serves not only as a wonderful tribute to Clare; it inspires the public with its beauty and message of courage and hope. Even people who never knew Clare have been affected by Clare’s positive influence as embodied in Mark’s work.

One such person is a local businessman, Craig Avedesian, who was so impressed by the sculpture and Clare’s story that he initiated The Clare Fund. This fund provides wonderful scholarships to high school students in eleventh and twelfth grades who are talented in the visual and/or performing arts. The Clare Fund has been in existence since 1997 and has awarded scholarships from $250 to $1,500 to over 40 students so far. This achievement alone demonstrates the incredible power that one statue, Mark’s statue “She’s Alive in My Mind”, has had on the community.



24 November 2003


To Whom It May Concern

Minitab, Inc ( http://www.minitab.com ) commissioned Mark Pilato to create a sculpture for the Santa Rosa Labyrinth ( http://www.srlabyrinthfoundation.com/ ) on the grounds of our new world headquarters.

Mark was a true joy to work with through all phases of development of the sculpture: from our initial conversation, through contract negotiations, design, construction, and installation.  All deadlines were met, and Mark kept us informed through regular emails, photos, and videos as to his progress. He carefully listened to our ideas and concerns, offered incredibly thoughtful and insightful suggestions and included all our "must haves" into this absolutely beautiful piece of art. 

I highly and without reservation recommend Mark Pilato to you.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or desire more in-depth information.

Sincerely,

Yvette Rauff

Yvette L. Rauff, DVM
Executive Vice President & Assistant to the President
Minitab Inc.
Quality Plaza
1829 Pine Hall Road
State College, PA 16801-3008

To Whom It May Concern:

I just do not have the words at this time to adequately convey how pleased I am with what you have brought to the labyrinth. What you have brought with all the dimensions of this artwork, feels to me, as if it is something that has been waiting forever to be spoken.

Lea Goode-Harris, Ph.D.
The Santa Rosa Labyrinth Foundation
www.srlabyrinthfoundation.com
1011 Benton Street
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-575-7570













10800 Main Street, Suite 200
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

October 15, 2000

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is to serve as a very sincere reference for Mark and Alyssum Pilato.

In 1997 we purchased the CBS Radio Building located at 10800 Main Street, Fairfax, Virginia. Our group decided on a major building renovation with the main focus being on the 2nd floor lobby, which our company was to share with the executive offices of CBS Radio (G. Gordon Liddy, Don & Mike Show, Sports Junkies, as well as other Nationally syndicated radio talk show hosts). In another business venture we had purchased three large bronze sculptures from Mark, two of which we had commissioned, all of which were delivered ahead of schedule and all of which "Blew Us Away". We decided to have Mark come down and give us his thoughts on a major focal point of our 2nd floor lobby. He came up with some excellent ideas, which he sent back to us in prompt fashion, and we decided to have him design and construct a six-foot bronze fountain. The building renovation time frame did not allow Mark very much time for this monumental task but he managed to produce an absolutely stunning piece right on schedule. It is difficult for anyone to walk by this statue without stopping to stare in awe at its beauty.

We have been so pleased with his efforts that we have given him many referrals, all of which have thanked us for our recommendations. We are very grateful to Mark for his diligent efforts and would give him the highest recommendations in all walks of life. Whatever ventures you shall embark upon with Mark Pilato we can assure that you will not be disappointed.

Robert G. Seeley
CO-owner CBS Radio Building