The Life and Art of Jay Steensma
Jay Steensma was an American painter born in Moscow, United States. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1962, he studied with Morris Graves and befriended artists such as Mark Tobey and Guy Anderson. His career included a brief period working at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City before he returned to Seattle in 1965, where he taught at the Cornish College of the Arts.
Steensma was known for a prolific output and the use of unusual media, such as latex house paint on brown paper shopping bags. His frequent subjects included:
His work has been included in exhibitions at the Seattle Art Museum, the Whatcom Museum of History and Art, the Cheney Cowles Museum, and Mia Gallery in Seattle, as well as galleries in Chicago, San Diego, and Portland, Oregon. His artwork is held in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution and various major art museums in the Pacific Northwest.
Later Years and Legacy
Following a period of erratic behavior and institutionalization in the mid-1970s, Steensma had a significant comeback in 1985 with an exhibition at Seattle's Jackson Street Gallery. He lived in Seattle's Greenlake neighborhood with his close friend and fellow artist Ree Brown. He died in Seattle at the age of 52. A memorial exhibition was held at the Henry Art Gallery in 1995, and a major retrospective was held at Seattle's Center on Contemporary Art in 1997.
Questions & Answers
Where are Jay Steensma's artworks grouped by keywords?
The By Keywords page of Jay Steensma groups the artist's artworks by their keywords.
How do I find all works by Jay Steensma in a given medium?
Jay Steensma's works can be browsed by medium on the artist's All Medium page.
How did Jay Steensma's art evolve over time?
Jay Steensma's career unfolds period by period on the artist's Chronicle page: a horizontal timeline of the artworks, grouped into career-period chapters.
Where can I see Jay Steensma's artworks in a 3D gallery?
Jay Steensma's artworks can be seen in a 3D gallery on the artist's 3D Museum page.
