Cover | Mark Ulriksen

Alcatraz, (egg tempera on board). Mark Ulriksen is an internationally acclaimed artist based in San Francisco who lives, according to his website, in a Haight-Ashbury Victorian producing whimsically edgy portraits and figurative images in a tiny 150-square-foot studio. A former graphic designer and magazine art director who traded that in for a career as a freelance illustrator and artist, Ulriksen got serious about editorial illustration work in the 1990s and today is known for his popular New Yorker magazine covers, of which he has produced 45 to date, including one recently similar to this one, which was originally created for the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Art on Market Street Program. His interests are as varied as politics, dogs, people, and sports, and Ulriksen is a prolific muralist. Bay Area fans might see his dog prints in Kaiser Permanente hospitals or on posters for the San Francisco Jazz Festival. He is also a children’s book illustrator; the recipient of numerous awards, including gold and silver medals from the NY Society of Illustrators; and his work is in the permanent collection of The Smithsonian and the Library of Congress. Ulriksen is represented by Modernism Inc., 685 Market St., Ste. 290, San Francisco, ModernismInc.com.

NEXT MONTH: Head back to school in September with guidance from The Monthly’s annual pullout education section that takes on student testing, menu planning, and immersive studies while also sharing the results of our annual student cover art contest and showcasing the winning artwork on the cover. Repast heads to Berkeley’s Tamon Tea with Japanophile Anneli Rufus leading the foray into mochi and kushi dango. Meanwhile, Paul Kilduff talks sciences with author and OKCupid founder Christian Rudder before an Impact Hub Oakland appearance.