Mark Shumake recently earned his MFA degree from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, where he received the 2007 Carey G. Orness Award in Sculpture. His works are currently on display in an exhibit called "Contemplating Change" at the Mad Art Gallery in St. Louis. Regarding this exhibit, the Gallery's website states, "You need to see Shumake's work to appreciate the magnificent scale and eloquent movement of each piece. Shumake gains inspiration from everything around him, from techniques used in boat-building to the pattern on his soap dish. Shumake reinterprets natural phenomenons into mechanical sculptures. Through it all, his work lends order and clarity to his diverse inspiration and materials."