Wayne D. King Bio

Author, writer, artist, businessman, outdoorsman, Iroquois, Abenaki, activist, musician and, recovering politician; all of these describe Wayne King. 

King began his work life as a Mountain Guide, a life that connected him intimately with the natural world. A former State Senator; 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor; founder of The Electronic Community - social entrepreneurs working to bring the Internet to West Africa’s Civil Society community; Publisher of Heart of New Hampshire Magazine; and, most recently, CEO and President of MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc., King’s experiences and expertise runs a broad gamut of the communications industry, as well as public policy, economic and community development. 

Wayne King is also an accomplished photographer. His work can be found in the collections of a broad range of people including Livingston Taylor, (the late) Koko Taylor, Richard Merritt, Bill Bradley, Bruce Babbitt, Bill Clinton, Adhiambo Odaga, Bill Russell, Valerie Jarrett, and others.  His images are a celebration of life. . .  of culture in the moment,  blending the real and the surreal to achieve a sense of place or time that reaches beyond the moment into what he calls "a dreamlike quintessentialism" designed to spark an emotional response. Using digital enhancement, handcrafting, painting, and sometimes even straight photography, King takes the viewer to a place that is beyond simple truth to where truth meets passion, hope and dreams.

 King studied photography under Richard Merritt at the University of New Hampshire. UNH had only a few photography classes but in those heady days Richard Merritt worked with a small and dedicated group of photographers who would become some of today's finest photographers: Edward Acker III, Steve Bliss, Christopher Polydoroff, Casey MacNamara, Hannah Stutz and others.

As a freshman at UNH, King borrowed a camera from his roommate in order to have a camera when he applied for a job as a photographer at The New Hampshire, the UNH student newspaper. He had never used a camera but he needed the money so he talked a good game and was hired, prompting him to quickly learn how to develop film and print images. Within a few days he was hooked and he went on to work for the New Hampshire for the next four years competing fiercely for front page images with his roommate and good friend Edward G. Acker  III. 

In 1984 King met Alice Vartanian, a former Executive Director of the National Center for Juvenile Justice appointed by President Jimmy Carter and then a consultant to the US Department of Justice. While meeting with Claire Ebel, director of the New Hampshire Civil liberties Union Ebel introduced him to Alice and King was - in his words - smitten. For the next year the two of them carried on a long distance relationship each driving two hours between Portsmouth and Rumney to spend time together. On December 21, 1985 King and Vartanian were married in a civil ceremony beside the Stinson Brook in Rumney where they would build their home the following spring. 

On February 11, 1991 their only child, a son, Zachary Douglas King was born to the couple, delivered by King in a Concord Hospital midwifery center with a midwife looking on to assure the safety of the child..

King and Vartanian remained happily married until Alice’s death in 2018. Throughout the years the two would refer to one another as “my boyfriend” and “my girlfriend”.

King holds a BS Degree in Environmental Conservation and a Masters Degree in Earth and Space Science Education from the University of New Hampshire, Durham. 

A three term former State Senator from New Hampshire, Wayne King was the 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. King was also the founder of The Electronic Community, a group of social entrepreneurs working on social and development issues in Africa. 

King has published a total of six books to date. The first, “Creating Electronic Communities - A Guide to accessing and utilizing the Internet” Written in collaboration with Philip “Kip” Bates III, and Dr. Chidi Nwachukwu the other two members of the Electronic Community Team’s core; Four different books of his photographic work: “Washday”, Asquamchumaukee - Place of Mountain Waters; and  “A Spot on the Porch” celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the town of Rumney, NH; and “New Hampshire - A Love Story”. His debut novel, "Sacred Trust",is an environmental thriller pitting an unlikely team of citizens fighting to stop a powerline proposed bisecting one of the most beautiful states in the country and mirroring the issues behind the legendary battle over Northern Pass in New Hampshire.

Notes and Links

On-line Galleries and Sites

www.WayneDKing.com

Mindscapes Website: www.WayneDKing.com 

Red Bubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/waynedking/portfolio

Fine Art America:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/wayne-king.html

RedBubble.com

Merchandise and Open Edition Prints, Cards and Poster

Articles, Books and Publications

Books:

1998 - Author of "Creating Electronic Communities, A Guide to Accessing and Utilizing the Internet"

Authors: Wayne D. King, Chidi Nwachukwu, Philip Bates IIII (Out of Print)

2011 Washday - An Homage to an American Tradition;  available from Amazon.com

2015, Asquamchumaukee - Place of Mountain Waters;  available from Amazon.com

2017 A Spot on the Porch, Rumney and the Baker Valley;  available from Amazon.com

2017 Sacred Trust (Novel)  available from Amazon.com

2021 “New Hampshire - A Love Story”;  available from Amazon.com and Blurb.com

1988-2018 - Over one hundred editorial and political articles published in Christian Science Monitor, NH Union Leader, Concord Monitor, Boston Globe, NY Times, Keene Sentinel and a host of smaller publications.

2004-2018 - Over one hundred articles published in lifestyle and living publications.

2017 Joined The NH Center for Public Interest Journalism (InDepthNH.org) as columnist and podcaster (current)

2019 Recipient of New England Newspaper and Press award, 3rd place, for Political Columns.

2021 

Fine Art Awards, Honors, Shows

1980 Boston Globe Annual Photography Contest, Honorable Mention - Michigan Washline

1982 New Hampshire Arts Association Juried Exposition: On the Vineyard

1995 Fisher Gallery, Plymouth, NH One Man Show “The World I See”

1997 The Artist's Showcase, Tilton, NH Invitational Show of Five Artists

2001 One Man Show - Society for the Protection of NH Forests (Forest Society) Concord, NH

2013 Selected for Conservation Artist Award

2014 Visiting Artist - Artistic Roots Gallery, Plymouth, NH

2014 “Coming About”, International Exhibition; CHANCERY ART GALLERY, Bracebridge, ON, CANADA; Images: Mallet’s Bay Panorama, Sailors Return

2014 Third Coast Annual National Art Competition, K Space Contemporary Gallery, Corpus Christie, TX; 

2014 Best of Show, Bronze award, NH Arts Association Juried Show, Sunapee

2015 Juried Show, National, “Food For Thought” Dehn Gallery, Manchester, CT 06040; Image: Painted Fungus image

2015 Juried Show, National, Linus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2015 Juried Show, Regional, “Healing with Art”: Friends of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Manchester & Lebanon, NH; Images: Raining Umbrellas, Joy in the Splash Zone.

2016 One Man Show, "Motion, Moments, Movements & Mindscapes - Gathering Around the Hearth of Our Lives", Regional, Dartmouth Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, 

2016 Juried Show, Regional, "Focus on the Figure" North River Arts Society, Marshfield, MA, Best in Show "Facing the Island"

2016 Juried Show, Abstracts, National, UrbanRiche Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Finalist (1 of 5), "Chevy on the Rez"

2017 New Hampshire Art's Association Invitational Exhibit, Regional, Eastman Community Center, Eastman NH

2017 Juried Show, Regional, "Focus on the Figure" North River Arts Society, Marshfield, MA, Honorable Mention "The Vineyard", "Into the Mist"

2017 One Planet One Home Invitational Show, Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven, CT

2017 One Person Show, Lincoln NH Public Library

2017 One Person Show; Byron G. Merrill Library, Rumney, NH

2018 Mixed Media Images and Poetry on Climate Change: The Fictional Cafe

2018 1st Place in Still Life Competition Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery - "Spring's Dance of Form"

2018 3rd Place All Colors Competition -  Contemporary Art Gallery Online - Annapolis MD,   "The Rising Too"  

2018 5th Place, Figurative and Portrait Competition -  Contemporary Art Gallery Online - Annapolis MD,  "The Shoulder of Africa" 

2019 8th Place All Colors Competition -  Contemporary Art Gallery Online - Annapolis MD,   "Speak to the Sky" 

2020 Three pieces chosen in 37th Artavita international competition for inclusion in San Diego Show: Aspenglow on the Roaring Fork River, Home Before the Storm, Esheheman's Breath.

2020  Group Exhibition, "Dreamscapes and Visions" Photoplace Gallery, Middlebury, VT;  Aspenglow on the Roaring Fork River; Aspen, Colorado

2020 Light, Space and Time Gallery, 10th annual International Figurative Competition. 623 entries were received from 27 different countries from around the world, as well as from 30 different states and the District of Columbia. Two of King’s images were selected for recognition: "The Shoulder of Africa", and Ghost Dance.  

2020 CAGO Gallery International Abstract Competition, Second Place, Cry Like the Rain, Howl Like the Wind.

2020 July: Third Coast Biennial Exhibition International competition, K Space Contemporary

415D Starr Street, Corpus Christi, TX 78403. Image: Home Before the Storm

2022 

Civic & Political Awards and Honors

1996 - 2008 International Men of Achievement,

1995 - 2008  Who's Who in the World

1994 - 2008 Who's Who in America

1988 - 2008 Who’s Who in American Politics

1994  Hero for Children Award,  New Hampshire Children's Alliance

1994 Meritorious Service Award, New Hampshire Women's Lobby

1991  American Council of Young Political Leaders,  Japan Exchange:  

Selected, as one of eleven individuals nationwide, for special trip to Japan to meet with Governmental and private sector leaders, including: The President of the Bank of Tokyo; The Director of  MITI; The Director of International Operations, Kobe Steel Corporation;  LDP Secretary General, Keizo Obuchi; The Publisher of the Japan Times; The President of Sony Corporation; The President of Sumitomo Corporation and many others.  Continue to maintain contacts with many Japanese leaders in government , industry and the media.

1991  Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of New Hampshire

1991  New Hampshire Nursing Association, Legislator of the Year Award

2004 Honorary Chair, International Chamber for Economic Development Conference on ICT, Accra, Ghana

2018 Great Africa Shine Award of the Greater Tomorrow Africa Initiative, Valencia, Spain, for his work in Africa.

2018 Runner Up New England Press and Publishers Association Political Column Award “The View from Rattlesnake Ridge”

2019 Winner NH Press Association Podcast of the Year Award - New Hampshire Secrets, Legends & Lore.

King’s most recent book, “Sacred Trust”, A vicarious, high voltage adventure to stop a private powerline has been published on Amazon.com as an ebook with the paper edition due soon. Chosen by the Tilton School as their “Summer Read” 2019.

Described by one reader as "The Monkey Wrench Gang Meets the Third Industrial Revolution" the book is a fictional account of a fight to stop a powerline proposed by a private consortium, employing creative civil disobedience in the traditions of Alinsky, Thoreau and King. 

In the book, Sasha Brandt, an Iroquois woman from Canada who travels with her companion, a white wolf named Cochise, meets Daniel Roy, a guide and outdoorsman while hiking the Mahoosuc Range of the Appalachian Trail. The two find themselves unexpectedly camping together on Lake Umbagog with a group of unlikely compatriots including a former olympic paddler, a deer farmer, a retired spook who was the first US victim of Lyme disease and an iconoclast named Thomas (just Thomas) who lives in multiple backwoods abodes in the Great North Woods and rides a moose named Metallak. The campsite itself is said to have been frequented by the Indian medicine woman Moll Ockett in the early days of the American Republic. 

They find, in short order, that they have one very important thing in common - a deep concern about a proposed private power transmission line proposed to transport electricity from Canada to the toney suburbs of Boston, New York, Connecticut, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. 

King holds a BS Degree in Environmental Conservation and a Masters Degree in Earth and Space Science Education from the University of New Hampshire, Durham.