Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Steinman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Lakewood New Jersey a small town south of New York always have a passion for art. I received my B.F.A. from Rhode Island School of Design. I also hold Master’s degrees from both the Rhode Island School of Design and Pratt Institute in New York, where I taught before moving to Atlanta. I later received my doctorate in Education from Capella University.
After undergraduate school, I moved to New York to do my graduate work and to grow as an artist. I felt if you could make it New York you can make it anywhere. Living and working in New York City gave me the opportunity to learn the business of being an artist. It was a defining growth experience. When I moved to Atlanta I became involved with a newly formed art organization known as Nexus Contemporary Arts Center (now The Contemporary). I had my studio there and later was invited to sit on the Board of Directors.
I created and ran the Sculpture Center, a small art foundry at Nexus. This was a fulfilling experience which lasted for about fifteen years. I also worked thirty-three years as Dean of the School of Design for the American InterContinental University. As a result of my work with AIU and Nexus, I was able to meet all the major players in the Atlanta art scene. This opened the door for working with a diverse range of clients and organizations.
A result this led to several major connections. I was commissioned to design and created the art for the Buckhead MARTA station. My work is also featured in Woodruff Park, where I created a monument to Slain Police Officers and sculpture for Northside Hospital.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have been fortunate. Although experiencing triumphs and minor setbacks I found that as long as I persisted the road for success would stay open. My love for the art kept me focused and allowed me to move forward in my career.
Please tell us about Steve Steinman Fine Art.
As an artist, I specialize in public works. I also do sculpture for corporations, create work for private collectors. and show in galleries and museums. My work stands out because I’m concerned with using my art as a voice to address and educate people to important social issues. Rather than make just aesthetically pleasing art I address the importance of recycling discarded materials which are polluting and damaging our planet.
As a disposable society, it is easier to throw things out than to fix them. Recycling is a positive way to offset the damage. My work focuses on the art of reuse, renewal and recycling to reinforce this message. Constructing art from discarded metal materials speaks to the negative impact humans have left on the environment. It allows me to educate and create an awareness on the need to recycle debris and reduce pollution.
Using individual shapes made from an industrial machine and automotive parts, as well as all manner of junkyard scraps, my work investigates the importance of repurposing in today’s society. By reclaiming rusted and discarded metal scraps and sculpting them into a statement of beauty, each piece is a metaphor on the need for a renewal by society to embrace a more efficient way to live.
All of the metals used are reclaimed, each with a history despite being discarded and ending up in a landfill.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood art memory was in third-grade art class. We had an art teacher come to school once a month and do art projects with us. One time the art teacher ask us to draw a road going off into the distance. I felt I could do it.
Unfortunately, it was a failure. I had no idea how to do it. After trying the teacher taught us one point perspective. A light bulb went off in my head. I remember saying to myself, I need to remember this for when I need it later on. How true it was. The next month we went on a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see Michelangelo’s masterpiece the Pieta.
This was the first time the sculpture had left Rome and was traveling around the world. It was also the first time I had been to a major art museum. When I saw the sculpture and toured the museum I knew I wanted to become an artist.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1178 Zonolight Road NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30306 - Website: stevesteinmanfinart.com
- Phone: 404 808 3343
- Email: artzone234@yahoo.com
- Instagram: stevesteinman1948
- Facebook: Steve Steinman
Image Credit:
Jay Kaufman
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