VVFA Modern | Artists | Edward John Stevens, Jr. (American, 1923 - 1988)

Edward John Stevens, Jr. was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on February 4, 1923. He was known primarily as a Painter and Educator. He received his B.A. in art at the New Jersey State Teachers College in 1943 and a M.A. at Columbia University Teachers College in 1944. Between the years 1944 and 1947, Stevens also studied at The Art Extension with Henry Varnum Poor and George Picken.

A wide range of cultures, artists, and artistic movements influenced Stevens’ work such as African primitive, Byzantine, Mayan, Cubism, and Chagall to name a few. He often painted imaginary and fantastic scenes of ancient cultures, primitive symbols, flowers, animals, and landscapes.

He was a member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Club, and the Audubon Artist. Steven was named Artist of the Year by the Hudson Artists in 1954 and won a bronze medal at the New Jersey Tercentenary in 1964. Stevens passed away on November 15, 1988.

Selected Exhibitions
1968 the National Academy of Design (Henry Ward Ranger Fund Purchase Prize), NY
1964 The Newark Museum of Art Triennial, NJ
1963 The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, PA
1955 The International Watercolor Exhibition, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, NY
1954 The Whitney Museum of American Art Annual, NY
1947, 1949 The Art Institute of Chicago, IL
1947 The Honolulu Academy of Arts, HI
1946 The Pasadena Institute of Art, CA
The Whitney Museum of American Art, NY
The Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, FL
The Philadelphia Art Alliance, PA
1945, 1946 The Brooklyn Museum of Art, NY
1945, 1951 The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Annual, PA
1944-1971 The Weyhe Gallery (22 Solo Exhibitions), ME

Collections
The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
The New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ
The Art Institute of Chicago, IL
The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
The Honolulu Academy of Arts, HI


© Michael Perez, June 2006