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 organized by color?
Jay Steensma's works can be explored by color on the artist's Spectral Index page.
Where are Jay Steensma's artworks grouped by keywords?
Jay Steensma's works can be explored by keyword on the artist's By Keywords page. Each keyword groups the related artworks.
Where can I see all artworks by Jay Steensma?
Every work by Jay Steensma on this website can be browsed from the artist's All Artworks page.
What colors did Jay Steensma use most often?
The Palette Genome of Jay Steensma is a page that presents the color profile of the artist's body of work.
