Stephen Cefalo, 1976 | Symbolist / Baroque style painter

Stephen Cefalo is an American artist in the traditions of Symbolism and the Baroque.

He was born in the hometown of Albrecht Durer (Nurnberg, Germany) on the birthday of his heroes, Winslow Homer, Charles Le Brun and Franz Von Stuck, and felt a calling from early childhood to become a painter.

Stephen and his two sisters were raised in Newburgh, Indiana by a single mother who worked full-time at a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant.

His aunt Marilyn gave him oil painting lessons at twelve, and his mother bought him books on figure drawing and supplies when she found them.

During his undergraduate studies at the former Savannah Campus of the School of Visual Arts, Cefalo found mentors in Jeff Markowsky and Anthony Palliser.

When SVA Savannah closed its doors in 1997, he was already married with his first child, and moved to the main campus in New York.

There he studied with one of his heroes, Steven Assael, and Max Ginsburg.

After graduation Stephen continued to study privately with Assael, and completed his graduate studies in Painting in 2004 at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Formerly an instructor at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Stephen currently paints full-time in New York City.

Education

2004 MFA, Indiana University • Bloomington, IN;

1999-2001 Independent Study with Steven Assael, New York, NY;

1999-2000 Studio Assistant, Jeff Koons, New York, NY;

2004 MFA, Indiana University • Bloomington, IN.

Awards

2013 - Arkansas Times Best of Arkansas, "Best Artist", Little Rock, AR;

2012 - Weekend With the Masters Scholarship, San Diego, CA;

2012 - Finalist, International 2011-2012 Art Renewal Center Salon;

2006-2009 - Artist-In-Residence Grant, University of Arkansas at Little Rock;

2003-2004 - Indian University Grant in-aid-of research award;

2003-2004 - Indiana University Arts and Science Scholarship;

2003 - Dr. Harriet McNeil Award of Distinction • Swope Art Museum • Terre Haute, IN.