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Stephen
Gjertson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1949. He
was one of the first students at Atelier Lack, a
studio-school of fine arts established by artist Richard
Lack. He studied there from 1971 to 1975. He taught at
that school from 1973 to 1988.
Gjertson paints commissioned portraits, still lifes, and
landscapes. He also paints works dealing with
contemporary issues and biblical themes.
Gjertson’s work has won several awards, and he received
three grants from the Elizabeth T. Greenshields Memorial
Foundation in Montreal, Canada. His portrait of Governor
Arne H. Carlson hangs in the Minnesota State Capitol. He
has organized and participated in over sixty exhibitions
featuring the work of contemporary realists.
Gjertson was president of The American Society of
Classical Realism and a founding member of its Guild of
Artists. He was an editorial advisor to the Classical
Realism Quarterly and the Classical Realism
Journal and was editor of the Classical Realism
Newsletter.
He has
published extensively in those and other publications
such as The American Arts Quarterly and the
Salon America Journal. He is the author of
Richard F. Lack: An American Master and co-author of
For Glory and For Beauty: Practical Perspectives on
Christianity and the Visual Arts. The October 1983
issue of American Artist magazine profiled
Gjertson in a cover story. His work has appeared on the
cover of numerous books and periodicals, including
Realism in Revolution: The Art of the Boston School,
A Christian View of Men and Things, First
Corinthians, the Artists Magazine, The
Recorder Magazine and the Christian Life
Quarterly. He is also featured in Painting Faces
and Figures published by Watson-Guptill. His work
appeared in The Best of Flower Painting and
The Best of Portrait Painting published by North
Light Books.
He is
listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who
in American Art. In 1993 The American Society of
Classical Realism published Timeless Treasure:
The Art of Stephen Gjertson.
He is
currently a member of TRIAD: Three American Painters.
Much of Gjertson’s work and writing may be accessed on
his two websites. He is married and has four
children and one grandchild, all of whom have been
featured in his art. |
