Craig Slaff is an artist known for his depiction of themes in aviation. National museums that have displayed Slaff's works include: the

National Museum of Naval Aviation The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1962 and moved to its curr ...

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

, the Canada Aviation Museum in Ottawa, the U.S. Air Force Museum in

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, and the

Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is a non-profit organization with a museum facility located in Pooler, Georgia, in the western suburbs of Savannah. It educates visitors through the use of exhibits, artifacts, archival materials, ...

Pooler, Georgia Pooler is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. According to the official 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 25,711, up 34.3% from the 2010 population of 19,140. Pooler is located northwest of Savannah along Interstates 95 and 16 ...

The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...

, the Coast Guard's Art Program, and several corporations have also displayed his work.

Early life and education

Slaff graduated from Morristown-Beard School in Morristown, NJ in 1978. He presented the Lehman Lecture on "Painting Stories" at the school in 2012. Slaff received his Bachelor of Arts degree in

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

from Hartwick College in

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in 1982. In 2010, his daughter Deena received Hartwick College's Alumni Association Scholarship.

Artist studio

Slaff worked as a

heavy equipment Heavy equipment or heavy machinery refers to heavy-duty vehicles specially designed to execute construction tasks, most frequently involving earthwork operations or other large construction tasks. ''Heavy equipment'' usually comprises five e ...

operator for the

International Union of Operating Engineers The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) is a trade union within the United States-based AFL–CIO representing primarily construction workers who work as heavy equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, and stationary engineers (also ...

' Local 825 group in NJ/NY for 16 years. He participated in the construction of the Monksville Dam in Monksville, New Jersey and the building of Interstate 287. This helped fund the construction of Slaff's

artist studio A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial d ...

and home in Northern NJ.

Professional recognition

The National Museum of Naval Aviation has awarded Slaff two Merit Awards (2003, 2007), a Director's Choice Award (2005), and an Honorable Mention (2004). The Skylands Arts and Music Festival has awarded Slaff their George Morville Sr. Memorial Award (2001) and their People's Choice Award (2004). Slaff's work has also received honorable mentions in awards competitions by

Aviation Week and Space Technology ''Aviation Week & Space Technology'', often abbreviated ''Aviation Week'' or ''AW&ST'', is the flagship magazine of the Aviation Week Network. The weekly magazine is available in print and online, reporting on the aerospace, defense and aviati ...

(2002–2004) and the

Canadian Museum of Flight The Canadian Museum of Flight (formally the Canadian Museum of Flight Association since 1998) is an aviation museum at the Langley Regional Airport in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. The museum has over 25 civilian and military jets, pisto ...

(2001).

Family

Craig Slaff married Carol Goodwin. They have three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slaff, Craig Aviation artists American artists Hartwick College alumni Living people Morristown-Beard School alumni Year of birth missing (living people)