Sharon Steuer

For more than three decades, artist and author Sharon has explored the merging of traditional and digital painting, drawing, printmaking and collage. In her ongoing “Letters from her Father” series, she creates imaginary worlds of childhood from adult chaos. Her “For Our Own Good” series images pose taboo questions about medical privacy and genetic surveillance.

Sharon’s artwork appears in many books and magazines, and has been exhibited widely. Her art has received the national Faber Birren Color Award, a Windsor Newton Painting award, and a Connecticut Commission on the Arts Fellowship Grant. Until mid-August when her studio of nine years will be closing (displacing the 20 remaining artists), Sharon’s painting studio is in San Francisco’s Mission district. If you ride public transit you may spot her secretly drawing portraits of fellow commuters.

Sharon is also the author of numerous books and articles about creating art with digital tools, including the fourteen editions of the best-selling Adobe Illustrator WOW! Books series (which received three Benjamin Franklin awards for “best computer book”), Creative Thinking in Photoshop. Her Artistic Painting courses are available at lynda.com, and you can read her Digital Art Studio column for CreativePro.com.

Sharon lives in San Francisco with her husband (SF State professor of sound and radio), Jeff Jacoby, who is also author of sound-for-video courses on lynda.com. To keep up to date with Sharon’s postings about art and life, please find her @ SharonSteuer on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. If you wish to collaborate with Sharon on ways to ensure that cities prioritize community and cultural spaces, please ask her about the Cultural Space Coalition.

Art is activism. And although much of my work is highly personal and introspective, there are times when current events necessitate a more public.

“Rise Up!” was painted at one of the StoreFrontLab open houses where artists were invited to create posters for the Women’s Marches in January. Using acrylics on poster board I painted the image as an homage to the “Hang on in there baby…” posters of my youth. Placed into a plastic sleeve provided by the workshop, with blue tape I formed the words “Rise Up!” on the back, where I also affixed an inverted paper cup near the top. During the San Francisco march I inserted the pointy end of my umbrella into the cup to hold the sign. To create the prints I digitized and retouched the original poster.

Education 

1986 MFA Studies/Painting Vermont Studio Center, VT

1986–1987 MA Studies/Computer Graphics New York Institute of Technology, NY

1983–1988 Special Student Yale University Art School, New Haven, CT

1982–1983 Special Student Maine College of Art, Portland, ME

1981 BA, Fine Art and Linguistics Hampshire College, Amherst, MA

Author 

The Digital Art Studio, ongoing column on CreativePro.com (online magazine for graphic professionals)

Artistic Painting In Illustrator, online video training courses at lynda.com (lynda.com/SharonSteuer)

The Adobe Illustrator WOW! Book, fourteen editions, 1994–2015, Peachpit Press

Creative Thinking in Photoshop: A New Approach to Digital Art, 2002, New Riders Publishing

Awards 

2006 Artist Fellowship Grant (Connecticut Commission on the Arts)

2003 1% for Art Finalist, Cultural Affairs Deptartment, City of New Haven, CT

2001 Benjamin Franklin Award (Best Computer Book), Publishers Marketing Association

2000 Benjamin Franklin Award (Best Computer Book), Publishers Marketing Association)

1998 Windsor Newton Painting Award, New Britain Museum of American Art, CT Juror: Judy Chicago (Artist) 

1997 Benjamin Franklin Award (Best Computer Book), Publishers Marketing Association

1994 Faber Birren Color Show Award, National, Stamford Art Association Juror: Clare Bell (Guggenheim) 

Permanent Public Collections 

Yale University, New Haven, CT

University of California, San Diego, CA

Museum of the Americas, Leon, Nicaragua

Yale University’s Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life, New Haven, CT (commission)

Teaching/Lecturing 

2016 CreativePro Photoshop & Illustrator Conference, Minneapolis, MN

2010–2014 Adobe (Public Presentations), San Francisco, CA

2013 VMA Conference, Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francsico, CA

2004–2005 Art Institute of Boston MFA program (Artist Mentor), Boston, MA

2004 Featured Guest for three episodes on ScreenSavers/TechTV National Broadcast, San Francsico, CA

2003 Central Connecticut State University (Art@Central), New Britain, CT

1997 Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY

1996 RISD CE, Providence, RI

1992–1995 Apple Computer/United Digital Artists, New York, NY

Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, CT

1991–1993 Kodak Center for Creative Imaging, Camden, ME

1987–1991 Dynamic Graphics Foundation, Peoria, IL, Electronic Directions, New York City, NY New York Institute of Technology (TA Computer Graphics MA/BA students), NYC, NY

Selected Juried & Invitational Exhibitions 

2007–2017 “Open Studios” (semi-annually spring & fall) Workspace Limited/SOMAarts gallery, San Francisco, CA

2017 “Mission Artists Selections” Back to the Picture Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Juror: Miles Epstein 

2016 “ArtSpan Juried Auction” SOMArts gallery, San Francisco, CA “Tiny” STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA

“MAU Now” Back to the Picture Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Juror: Miles Epstein 

2015 “Altered Books” SIGGRAPH Digital Arts Community (International Premiere online exhibit) “Explore This!” Colored Pencil Society of America (National online exhibit) “Tiny” STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2014 “Falsework” (supporting artwork) Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco, CA “Art from Within” Inclusions Gallery, San Francisco, CA “Delicious” STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA “Tiny” STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2013 Two-person exhibition: “Letters From My Father” (collages) Cafe St. Jorge, San Francisco, CA “Delicious” STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA “Tiny” STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2012 “Delicious” STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA “Tiny” STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2011 “Analogue is the New DIgital” SIGGRAPH Digital Arts Community (Premiere online exhibit) Juror: Andrea Zapp 

“MAU: Juried Open Studios Preview” Flax Art & Design, San Francisco, CA Jurors: Mina Dresden (Mina Dresden Gallery), Piero Spadar (HangArt Gallery), Maria Medua (SFMoMA ArtistsGallery) “Tiny” STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2010 “Open Studios: Selected works” Workspace Gallery, San Francisco, CA Juror: Nathan Larramendy (Catherine Clark Gallery) “The Alumni Art Exhibit” Hampshire College Art Gallery, Amherst, MA

2009 “8.5 x 11 Project” Lisa Coscino Gallery, Pacific Grove, CA “Open Studios: Selected works” Workspace Gallery, San Francisco, CA Juror: Sharon Reaves (Reaves Gallery) 

2007 “Structures” Haskins Laboratory Gallery, New Haven, CT

2006 Solo exhibition: “Illuminations” Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale, New Haven, CT “Pixel Pops” City Gallery, New Haven, CT “Multi” ALL Gallery, New Haven, CT

2005 “Opening Act” As FreedomFries Art Collective Open Studios/ARTSPACE, Erector Square, New Haven, CT “In the Round” Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT

2004 “Digital Masters” Jewish Communtiy Center Gallery, Woodbridge, CT “Oil Drum Art” (various venues) International Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven, CT “Women, Art and Memory” ALL Gallery, New Haven, CT

2002 “Prevailing Human Spirit” 9/11 Responses Society of Illustrators, Museum of Illustration, NYC, NY

2000 “Vital Signs: Drawing As Inquiry” Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT Juror: Robert Reed (Yale School of Art) “Digital Smart” University of Bridgeport Gallery, CT Jurors: Bruce Wands, Ben Ortiz, Pattie Belle Hastings 

1999 “New Art Annual ‘99” Stamford Museum, CT Juror: Cynthia Roznoy (Whitney Museum, NYC) 

1998 “69th Annual CT Women Artist” New Britain Museum of American Art, CT *Juror: Judy Chicago 

1996 “Digital Dialects” Creiger-Dane Gallery, Boston, MA “The Electronic Muse” Arthur B. Mazmanian Gallery, Framingham, MA “Digital Artî” Giftcenter Pavilion, San Francisco, CA “67th Annual CT Women Artists” Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT Juror: Linda Ayres (National Endowment for the Arts) 

1995 Solo exhibitions: “Saint Martin” Installations of a sculptural portrait of a homeless man (donations made to the Community Soup Kitchen) Sponsored by City Spirit Artists, Eight Connecticut towns

1994 “14th Faber Birren Color Award Show” (Recipient of the Award) Stamford Art Association, CT *Juror: Clare Bell (Guggenheim Museum) “4th Annual Prints and the Paper” San Diego Arts Institute, San Diego, CA Juror: Terry Sultan (Corcoran Gallery, Washington, DC) 

1993 “7th Annual Women in the Visual Arts” Erector Square Gallery, New Haven, CT Juror: Susana Viola Jacobson (Professor, Yale Art School) 

1992 “Computer Art” Cyber Arts Gallery, Pasadena Conference Center Gallery, CA

1991 “Allied American Artists” Artists’ Building Gallery, NYC, NY “31st Annual Barnum Exhibition” Discovery Museum, Bridgeport, CT Jurors: William Zimmer (Art Critic, The New York Times), Ann Smith (Mattatuck Museum) 

1990 “Hard Copy” University of California Gallery, San Diego, CA “Alumni, Hampshire College 20th” Hampshire College Gallery, Amherst, MA

1989 “Imagine Tokyo ‘89” Sogetsu Gallery, Tokyo, JAPAN “Hudson Valley ‘89” Mid-Hudson Arts Center, Poughkeepsie, NY Juror: Frank Goodyear (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts) “Cows” Mark Gruber Gallery, New Paltz, NY Solo exhibition: “Prisoners of Childhood” Small Space Gallery, New Haven, CT “Works Not on Paper” SCAN Conference, Philadelphia, PA “National Smallworks” Schoharie County Arts Council, Cobleskill, NY Juror: Dita Amory (National Academy of Design) 

1988 Solo exhibition: “Paintings & Drawings” Hampshire College Art Gallery, Amherst, MA “Smallworks” ARTSPACE, New Haven, CT Solo exhibition: “Stolen Portraits” New Haven Foundation, CT “Imagine” Boston Computer Museum, MA

*Juror Award

Selected Bibliography 

2010 Photoshop CS3/CS4 WOW! Book, by Linnea Dayton and Cristen Gillespie Adobe Illustrator CS5 WOW! Book, by Sharon Steuer

2009 Adobe Illustrator CS4 WOW! Book, by Sharon Steuer

2008 Adobe: 25 Years of Magic, Adobe Press

2007 Adobe Illustrator CS3 WOW! Book, by Sharon Steuer

2006 Photoshop CS & CS2 Wow! Book, by Linnea Dayton

2005 Painter IX Wow! Book, by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis

2004 Painter 8 Wow! Book, by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis

2003 SBS Digital Design Magazine, February Issue

2001 Photoshop 6 Effects Magic, by Rhoda Grossman and Sherry London

2000 Photoshop 6 Wow! Book, by Linnea Dayton and Jack Davis

1998 Photoshop Masters, Edited by Agosto (Japan) Painter 5 Wow! Book, by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis Photoshop 5 Wow! Book, by Linnea Dayton and Jack Davis

1996 Painter 4 Wow! Book, by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis

1995 Fundamental Photoshop, by Adele Droblas-Greenberg and Seth Greenberg, Bantam Official Adobe Photoshop Handbook, (2nd ed), by Mark Siprut, McGraw Hill The Painter Wow! Book, by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis Create Magazine, Artist Interview (by the Editors), Summer issue

1994 Computer Graphics World Magazine, September, December issues

1993 Getting Starting in Computer Graphics (2nd edition), by Gary Olsen, North Light Books Computer Artist Magazine, Fall issue Computer Graphics World Magazine, March, May, June, September issues

1992 IEEE Computer Graphics & Applications, November issue Computer Graphics World Magazine, October issue National Association of Desktop Publisher’s Journal, September issue Computer Graphics World Magazine, August issue National Association of Desktop Publisher’s Journal, February issue

1991 The Gray Book, by Michael Gosney, Gary Odom and Jim Benson, Ventana Press Computer Graphics World Magazine, November issue Resolution Magazine, Summer issue Macworld Magazine, March issue Computer Graphics World Magazine, June issue Macworld Calendar (Award-Winning Image)

1990 Verbum Book of Digital Painting (Biographical Chapter), by Gosney, Dayton, and Goethel, M&T Books Verbum Book of Scanned Imagery (Biographical Chapter), by Gosney, Dayton, and Goethel, M&T Books Getting Starting in Computer Graphics, Gary Olsen, F&W Publishing American Artist, by Laurie Hurwitz, Nine-page Biographical Feature, October issue Publish, December issue MacWeek, April 10, May 8 issues Step-by-Step Electronic Design, Cover story, March issue

1989 Computer Graphics World Magazine, June issue Verbum Magazine, April issue

What critics say… 

Clare Bell, Curator, The Guggenheim Museum: 

“There was a particularly poignancy in Sharon Steuer’s work, “Indian Puppet & Doll,” achieved through a dramatic command of color and light and the dreamlike arrangement of figure and void where memory, childhood nostalgia, and the realities of adulthood collide. Carefully constructed, yet uniquely unspecified in its sense of time and place, Steuer’s painting takes us on a stirring journey and reveals the transitory forms of experience that shape our sense of being.” 

William Zimmer, The New York Times: 

“…Less context is provided for the woman who stands at the center of “Me in Hat and Rubber Gloves,” by Sharon Steuer. The woman’s odd costume arouses curiosity, which might not happen if the figure weren’t so well drawn.” 

Laurie Hurwitz, American Artist: 

“…In using the computer, Sharon Steuer has truly learned to integrate her heart with her head. Through her inventiveness and sensitivity, she uses what many consider to be an impersonal system and shapes it to create the personal imagery she desires.” 

Judith Christensen, Artweek: 

“The tendency to utilize a pre-computer conceptual framework is most evident in the freehand-drawn images. Sharon Steuer’s “Old Woman”… could be a pen and ink portrait drawn with small, dots. Steuer handles the medium well…”