Washington Commanders Front Office | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

Mark McAlister lives just outside the District of Columbia boundary in Kensington, MD with his wife and 3 Sons. Mark is a musician, songwriter, author, illustrator, and all around creative. Mark re-kindled his love for painting during the Covid epidemic and hasn't looked back. As a lifelong Washington Football fan himself, this is by far one of the most exciting, and rewarding, projects he has ever been involved in.

DESCRIBE YOUR ARTWORK:

My artwork is both "kinetic" in my opinion, and layered with deep meaning, or at least deep thought, intention, and effort. I always feel when I am painting, that I am telling a story, or writing a letter, in a language that can't be spoken. I can paint in that language, and my real hope is that the viewer can translate it – and uncover the meaning behind the message in the painting. I try to honor authenticity over anything else, and I hope that comes across in all of my art.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PIECES:

"Was/Always" – This piece is about the beginning of a new chapter, not the ending of a story. That was something I had to wrestle with as a life long commanders fan when the team decided to re-brand and change the name. I had so many emotional connections to the old name of the team, so many memories, and didn't know how to process it. After time, I realized that Washington Football still stood for the same things it always did – marching on the path to victory, fighting for 'ole DC, a proudly dinning the burgundy and the gold. So, "Was/Always" is a painting about my journey as a fan from disappointment in the perceived end of a story, to the excitement of realizing we were just beginning a new chapter". Hopefully fans that view the work will see what I've done, and it will tell their story too.

"New Nostalgia" – This piece is about the passing down of Washington Football lore, legend, and fan hood from one generation to the next. How nostalgia is the combination of memories, emotions, and attachment to certain objects, icons, etc. It's about How my Dad taught me and my brother to be Football fans, and told us all the players he cheered for as a kid. As he continued to us all the current players in the late 80's and early 90's, those became the stories, and lore – my nostalgia - that I passed down to my three boys as I now teach them to be fans of the Washington Football team. However this season – 2022 – THIS will be the players, the moments, the memories, that will become _their _Nostalgia. So this season, as a Dad, as a Fan, we are ready for some "New Nostalgia"