About Steve Carpenter
Steve Carpenter has followed his passion for painting and teaching from the United States to Europe and back over the past four decades. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Steve moved to Rochester, N.Y., in the late '90s after a successful 30-year career in Monaco. Since 2002, he has operated the Steve Carpenter Gallery and Art Center, a school and gallery modeled on the European "l'atelier de peintre," in a renovated industrial building on Anderson Avenue in Rochester's Neighborhood of the Arts.
Steve studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles. He began his career as an illustrator for Walt Disney before heading to Europe in the early '60s to pursue his dream of devoting his life to art. While painting, he also worked at an important Paris ad agency and as a freelance illustrator before moving to Monte Carlo in the late '60s to teach, paint, and run his gallery.
In addition to his painting career, Steve was requested to create the Official Poster of the Principality of Monaco and the poster for the 1971 Grand Prix as well as being commissioned to create the artwork for a commemorative series of postage stamps honoring Prince Rainier and the history of Monaco. His many patrons have included Princess Grace and Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Steve's works have been shown in 12 countries. His most-recent major international exhibition was at the Bell tree Tower in Zurich, Switzerland.
Steve returned to the United States in 1998, settling in Rochester, primarily because of his familiarity with the Rochester Zen Center.
Steve and his wife, Judy, a children's librarian, live in Brighton, NY.
Education
1960 Gold Key award, Scholarship to Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, Chicago, IL1961-1962 Scholarship winner to Art Center School of Design, Los Angeles, CA
1965 La Grande Chaumiere, Paris, France
1965 Studied extensively in European museums, focusing on paintings of Old Masters
Teaching and Work Experience
1961 Teacher at Art Center School of Design, Los Angeles, CA1962 Illustrator for Walt Disney (television, motion pictures), Burbank, CA
1963-1968 Freelance illustrator in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, England, Switzerland, and Belgium
1969 Teacher at Ecole des Beaux Arts, Monte Carlo, Teacher at American School, Monte Carlo, Official Poster of the Principality of Monaco
1972-1982 Private studio classes, Monte Carlo
1996-1998 Commissioned to create postage stamps for the Principaute de Monaco
1999-2002 Teacher at Memorial Art Gallery Creative Workshop, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
2002 Present Steve Carpenter Gallery and Art Center, Rochester, NY
One Man Shows
1974 Anzere, Switzerland. Gallery Zodiaque1975 Monte Carlo. Casino Atrium. Paris, France. Le Procope. Lyon, France. Berangere Gallery
1980 Luxembourg. Gallery Municipale d'Esch/ Alzette
1982 Lausanne, Switzerland. Musee des Beaux Arts: "Rencontre avec Steve Carpenter Bern, Switzerland. Bruno Bussard Gallery"
1983 Zurich, Switzerland. Gallery Maisons Miroirs
1984 Monte Carlo. Multi-media "Words and Sounds on Steve Carpenter" (Poetry and music inspired from the paintings)
1987 Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. Cagnes-sur-Mer Museum
1988 Nice, France. Two large paintings commissioned by the banking group BPCA
1991 Cannes, France. Estero Gallery
1993 New York City, NY. Art 54 Gallery: "An Interart Cultural Exchange Event" Venice, Italy. Palazzo Correr, Instituto Romeno di Cultura e Ricera Umanistica
1994 Callian, France. Abbey de Callian
2002 Rochester, NY. Dyer Arts Center: "Return to the New World". Geneseo, NY. Lockhardt Gallery, Bertha Lederer Gallery
2006 Rochester, NY, Steve Carpenter Gallery and Art Center; "New Works"
2009 Zurich, Switzerland, Bell Tree Tower
2009 Rochester, NY, Steve Carpenter Gallery and Art Center, " Zurich to the Cosmos"
Group Shows
1973 Monte Carlo. Grand Prix des Arts Contemporains Nice, France. Worldwide Congress, J.C.I.1974 Monte Carlo. Gallery des Art Contemporains
1975 Menton, France. Exhibition for the benefit of Sahel
1976 Paris, France. Salon de l'Automne Monte Carlo. Grand Prix des Art Contemporains
1977 Denmark. Veje Kunst Museum
1979 Nice, France. Nice University, International symposium: "Corps-Poesie-Peinture" Munich, Germany. Emil Ruff Gallery Monte Carlo. Forum Art Gallery
1981 Japan. Kobe Museum
1982 Nice, France. U.M.A.M.
1985 New Orleans, LA. International House
1986 Andorra. Museum of Andorra
1987 Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. Cagnes-sur-Mer Museum: "XVIIIe International Painting Festival" Menton, France. Palais de l'Europe: "La Femme a la Plage"
1988 Baden-Baden, Germany
1989 Paris, France. FIAC
1991 Andorra. Museum of Andorra: "Confluencies"
1994 Beirut, Lebanon. Museum Sursock: "Leading European Artists for Lebanon"
Articles, Reviews, Films, and Television
1980 Rive Azureene. "Preludes, fugues, et contrepoints"d'un peintre nomme' Steve Carpenter"1983 "Special People, Special Place" for IBM International with J. Cousteau, B. Borg, M. Besobrasova, R. Patterson
1984 "Rhythms and Visions", multi-media produced in San Diego by S. Keith, G. Morgan (poetry), L. Clutterham (music)
1985 Gazette Monaco Cote D'Azur. "Un evenement l'exposition Steve Carpenter."
1986 Mesclun Artistica. "Steve Carpenter life systems."
1987 "Life/Systems," produced by Mediane; D. Fisbach and C. de Buzon, text by C. Loubet
1987 Monte Carlo Cote D'Azur. "A corps perdus, Steve Carpenter."
1994 "60 Minutes" interviewed for special on Monte Carlo Publications
1994 Town and Country. "Celebrate Monaco." (with his Highness Prince Albert, Mats Wilander, and Alain Ducasse)
1997 International Review d'Art. "Steve Carpenter-Un homme de la Renaissance en marche vers l'an 2000."
2001 Lake Affect Magazine. "A Carpenter building a canvas."
2006 Rochester Magazine. "Art Values"
2009 H. Werner Stolz-Loliger, Art Expert. "Steve Carpenter, The Search for the Eternal Being," by Richard
2010 Metropolitan Magazine. "The Importance of Influence, Steve Carpenter and Adam Frank," by Sarah Lentini
2014 WXXI Public Television : Need to Know Rochester - Artist Steve Carpenter's 4 Seasons Mural Zitrin
Local Collaboration
2000 BOA Editions book cover: "Book of My Nights," by Li Young Lee2001 BOA Editions book cover: "Walking Light," by Stephen Dunn
2004 BOA Editions book cover: "Before and After the Fall," by Sandor Csoori
2008 BOA Editions book cover: " Voices," by Lucille Clifton
2008 BOA Editions Book cover: " The Hymns of Job and Other Poems," by Maya Bejerano