Ben Fortunado Marcune spent his early years in Brooklyn, New York and in Southern California. He attended UCLA and earned a Masters Degree in Human Factors Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Ben is also a Fellow of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
     After serving in the United States Army in Korea, Ben enjoyed a successful career as a biomedical engineer and industrial designer. He holds several patents for surgical and orthopedic devices. Ben's creative drive and his ability to draw were instrumental in his work in the sciences.
     In mid-career, Ben moved to Pennsylvania. He studied with Arthur DeCosta, Ben Kamihira and Will Barnet at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He continued his work as a biomedical engineer and industrial designer. He taught at Lehigh University. Painting and sculpture commissions began to take more and more of his time.
     Eventually, Ben decided to devote all his time to painting and sculpture. He now maintains three studios, two in Northampton County and one in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

     Ben maintains a studio in Bucks County and in the Lehigh Valley and is known for his plein air paintings of Historic Bethlehem and Bucks County.
These oil paintings are in the tradition of the Pennsylvania Impressionists. Ben is also known for his portraits. His most recent portrait commissions include Joseph Daddonna, Mayor of Allentown, Mayors Ken Smith and Don Cunningham of Bethlehem, Rusty Martin, President of Moravian College, Arthur Rothkopf, President of Lafayette College, Hank Barnette, President of Bethlehem Steel, and Fred Jaindl.
     He has created portraits of performing artists, including soprano Denyce Graves, Maestro Diane Wittrey and Maestro Donald Spieth. Ben's sculptures include Three Children at the Bethlehem Municipal Plaza, The Steelworkers Memorial in Bethlehem, the Workers Memorial at the Bethlehem Rose Garden, Our Lady of Deliverance at DeSales University and the Korean Vietnam Memorial at the United States Armed Forces Plaza.

Marcune Studios
ArtsQuest
25 West 3rd St.
Bethlehem, PA 18015
610-694-9219 (FAX)
ben@marcune.com