Mark Cline is an American

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

and entertainer. Inspired by monster and science fiction films. He produces foam and fiberglass figures and fantasy characters for attractions and cities. Cline has described ''

Foamhenge ''Foamhenge'' is a full-scale styrofoam replica of Stonehenge, which was originally located in Natural Bridge, Virginia. It was conceived and built by artist Mark Cline as a roadside attraction, and opened on April 1, 2004. In 2017, ''Foamhenge' ...

'' as his greatest achievement.Carlson, Peter (2006-04-24)
"Jurassic Lark"
The Washington Post. He later designed and built

Bamahenge Bamahenge is a full-scale fiberglass replica of England's prehistoric Stonehenge monument, located on the grounds of Barber Marina near Josephine, Alabama. It was designed and built by artist Mark Cline, at the request of marina owner George W. Ba ...

, a full-size fiberglass replica of Stonehenge, in

Baldwin County, Alabama Baldwin County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama, on the Gulf coast. It is one of only two counties in Alabama that border the Gulf of Mexico, along with Mobile County. As of the 2020 census, the populat ...

. Cline has also built hundreds of dinosaur statues, including thirty for his own Dinosaur Kingdom and nineteen for Dinosaur Land in

White Post, Virginia White Post is an unincorporated community in Clarke County, Virginia. White Post is located at the crossroads of White Post Road and Berrys Ferry Road off Lord Fairfax Highway ( U.S. Route 340). In the 1730s, Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Ca ...

, the park that inspired him to sculpt. Cline's work appears in attractions across Virginia, including a concentration of works in and around

Natural Bridge A natural arch, natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, coastal cliffs, fins or stacks are subject to erosion fr ...

, where he works out of Enchanted Castle Studios. His studio appears in the book ''Weird Virginia'' and the

Roadside America Roadside America was an indoor miniature village and railway covering . Created by Laurence Gieringer in 1935, it was first displayed to the public in his Hamburg, Pennsylvania, home. The miniature village's popularity increased after stories wer ...

books and website. He often displays creations on

April Fools' Day April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may ...

. For example, ''Foamhenge'' was unveiled on April Fools' Day 2004. Cline was born in 1961 in

Waynesboro, Virginia Waynesboro (formerly Flack) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a principal city of the Staunton-Waynesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area. Waynesboro is located in the Shenandoah Valley and is surrounded by Augusta Cou ...

, where in 1987 he unsuccessfully lobbied city council to erect a bust of

"Mad" Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mil ...

atop the city's capped landfill. Cline was often featured in ''

The News Virginian ''The News Virginian'' is a newspaper owned by Lee Enterprises. The paper serves residents in the cities of Waynesboro and Staunton, Virginia, as well as Augusta and Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 fi ...

''. He completed a mural just outside city limits on a train bridge over

U.S. Route 250 U.S. Route 250 (US 250) is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Richmond, Virginia to Sandusky, Ohio. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. ...

. In 2001 & 2012, a fire destroyed much of Cline's studio. Foamhenge was moved to the Cox Farm and Dinosaur Kingdom II across from the Natural Bridge Zoo.

References

External links

Mark Cline's website

Profile by The News Virginian

NBC29 April Fools' Day coverage
American artists People from Waynesboro, Virginia Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-artist-stub