DENALI SCHMIDT - SHORT BIO

Denali was born to his mother Joanne (Munisteri) Schmidt and his father, Martin Walter Schmidt in Macksville, Australia on April 27, 1988. 

Even before he started school Denali began drawing at two years old (see photos) skiing at four years old and climbing at six years old on our home made climbing wall and on rocks and boulders outside. Since he was a child, Denali loved the outdoors for play, for sports, for gardening or just for observing. He always had a love for animals, too. 

Denali expressed his deepest thoughts in art throughout his life, whether by drawing, painting, sculpture or multimedia. He was an introspective and reflective child and young man. His spiritual life was very important to him.

Denali attended Waldorf/Steiner schools in New Zealand, Australia, Texas and his junior high school year in Bremen, Germany. His interest in art, history, science, music, literature, different cultures and sports continued throughout his schooling and his short life.

After graduating from Taikura Steiner School in Hastings, New Zealand he completed a course in Ski Patrol and Search and Rescue in the South Island of New Zealand at Tai Poutini Polytech in Wanaka.

Denali then worked on ski patrol teams in Australia (Snowy mountains) and the USA (Bear Valley, California) before doing his first year of college in 2009, at Santa Cruz Community College in California, (see photo of Denali and me with his home made bike on his first day at SCC), then transferring for his next three years to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Design at California College of the Arts. He graduated with "Distinction" and Honors at the top of his class in May, 2013.

On June 3, 2013-Denali left for Pakistan to help his father prepare for and climb K2, in the Karakorum mountain range. They both summited Broad Peak first, then assisted in a search and rescue for stranded climbers from Iran. Unfortunately, all three young Iranian climbers died.

Next they attempted to climb K2 in July 2013. Although other guides and sherpas advised against the climb due to the weather and snow conditions, and the third member of their small team, Australian Chris Warner, turned back; Marty persisted. Denali would not let his father go up alone. They both perished sometime between July 27 and July 28, 2013. Their bodies have never been found.

I describe in more detail, those and other events in our family life in my two non-fiction books, Traveling Off the X and Traveler Between Worlds *(see the "Books" portal) but I wanted to remember Denali here since there are few photos of him in my book or in any other mediums. If you go to the "Family, Events, Places" portal - you will see more photos of all our family over time. 

Be aware most of what is written on the net or shown in short AI constructed videos is spin, inaccurate, and not posted by me or anyone who truly knew Denali.

Posted above are a few photos of Denali's life and work as an individual.

The pictures start from when Denali was a child in New Zealand. He drew in colored pencils or chalk, painted and built drama sets for his Waldorf School productions. Denali drew the whole chalk background for his Class One play at seven years old in the Chrysalis Steiner School in Australia. He designed and painted sets at the Waldorf schools he attended in Texas, Colorado, and New Zealand. Denali also liked knitting, sewing and building. 

Denali designed his own wool caps, scarves, climbing pants, and gear. Denali wore his creations. He was fascinated by machines and how things worked. He invented a "painting machine" during his time at CCA.

Denali started sketching during his travels in Armenia. I was able to bring him over to Yerevan when I was working there (2008-2010). He was inspired by the country, its history, and by meeting and spending time with young artist/sculptor Arman Hambardzumyan (also born in 1988), and Armenian/Syrian artist Vrej Kassouny at his studio in Yerevan. It was after this trip Denali decided to seriously pursue a career in art and devote more study to refine his talent and skills.

Denali's first gallery show was of portrait sketches he did during his first semester at CCA in Oakland, at the CCA cafe (see photo he took with me sitting beneath his drawings) in 2010.

Denali loved painting and creating for his courses at California College of the Arts and for his independent gallery works. He started his own business making frames for canvases, individual and family portraits, and paintings for public spaces including park benches with designs he created.He also worked part-time in a gallery to understand more about installations and to be around contemporary artists.

Denali had just started experimenting with video and made a short promo film for his father before they died. Here is the link to watch "Alaskan Adventures". Most of the narration is done by his father, Marty. He is wearing an orange knit cap made by Denali. Denali has the lower voice and wears his hand knit white and orange cap when he's skiing. 

Denali enjoyed skiing more than alpine climbing. There is one short video of just Denali skiing the Hotlum Wintun Ridge route on Mt. Shasta in 2010. 

You can read his book, "Zen and the Art of Skiing" for his reasons why. He wrote it when he was in his senior year of high school while undertaking his first serious study of meditation and qigong.

We often talked about Denali's plans to be a teacher for both the arts, and outdoor adventures. He had tremendous pushback against choosing art as a career from both sides of his family. I was the only one who financially supported Denali's education and life goals. It was a tremendous joy to me to see Denali progress in his chosen profession and as a fine human being.

We were able to see each other in California, over his last five years of life, whenever I had some time off from working in the States or overseas. I know how important it is to have support when you are starting off in a profession in the arts. Denali stated he didn't prioritize making money. He wanted to be "a good person, doing good in the world" as his guiding principle. His vision was to combine art, sport, adventure and education.

Denali prophetically painted his death in three paintings, two of which have photos on this site: Buried-painted in 2010, and K2 painted in early 2013, with six smiley faces above and on the mountain. Can you find them in purple? Six climbers died on K2 that season from July-August 2013.

The last two photos are of Denali in the Karakorum mountain range in Pakistan where he died in July, 2013.

By law all rights to all Denali's work is my sole property. Please contact me if you wish to use or reprint any of Denali's work for any reason.

Denali was never about flash or popularity. He was a strong supporter of Waldorf education and classical art over contemporary post modernist styles. He had a singular view of the world and a genuine spiritual connection to his work and his mission(s) in life. He was also a seeker of truth. 

I feel even after his death Denali is still teaching me. My son has always and will always be in my heart and prayers, though the pain of his untimely death never ceases. As happens for most mothers and parents whose child dies before them.

I believe Denali would want us all to continue to live with purpose, find healthy means of expression and cherish life in all its forms while we are still on Earth. And so I do. 

And I hope you will.

Titles of Denali Schmidt's paintings from the top: 

Mountains

Portrait of Jay Z

Buried

Between Falling and Flying

Clash

Zion

Untitled I

Larissa Minerva

Untitled II

Reunion

K2

*One last note. Although originally I was on the board and part of the Denali Foundation at its inception and mission of supporting independent Waldorf Schools and providing a scholarship to a male art/design student at CCA in Denali's name, the foundation has strayed far from it's original mission statements. I am no longer on the board and very few people who actually knew our family are part of that foundation now. 

I do not support what the Denali foundation is giving money to and was excluded from their events and not included in decision making. I hope this may change and the foundation re-directs its endeavors and includes me especially in decision making regarding education projects and artists fellowships given in my son's name. We shall see.