About the Artist
Born July 27,1944 Cheyenne, Wyoming
“In art, practicality is not practical. Practicality can choke creativity.” — Steven DeLair.
From a young age I would spend hours alone drawing, building model airplanes, ships and cars. I began painting in oils at age 14. This was my escape into the world of the creative process which gave me a sense of purpose and satisfaction.
In 1967 I graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and the inability to envision myself living as an independent artist. The need for an income intrudes on many dreams and desires.
I left Nebraska in 1967 and served 3 years as an officer in the Marine Corps and 10 years in the insurance business in California and Arizona. In February of 1981 the allure of the world I dreamed of, with the freedom and time to create with minimal constraints, became a reality. It was time to sink or swim.
Steven DeLair on right with art collector Michael Rivers on left.
DeLair was the featured artist at the Pageant of the Masters, Laguna Beach, California 2004. They are standing in front of a reproduction (detail) of the featured DeLair painting. (“In the Gallery” copyright 2004 The Festival of Arts. All rights reserved.)
Between 1981 and 2007 my approach to painting, with few exceptions, remained fairly consistent. I was represented by 15 galleries at various times in Arizona, California, Texas and Florida. As the years passed I increasingly felt the need to explore new ways of working.
I returned to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1997. In 2008 I began a new journey exploring new methods, materials and concepts. The CURRENT PAINTINGS on this website show some of these changes. New paintings will be added when they become available.
STEVEN DELAIR
Exhibitions, Awards and Publications
Scottsdale Artists League State Show, Scottsdale, Arizona (Best of Show)
Arizona Artists Guild Fall Membership Show
Fall Art Fete, North Platte Valley Artist Guild National Juried Show, Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Glendale Festival of the Arts, Glendale, Arizona (Bronze Award; Two Purchase Awards)
Scottsdale Artists League Membership Show (Ann Schreiner Memorial Award; Merit Awards)
1981
Dimensions West ’81, Tenth Regional Fine Arts Competitive Exhibition, Phoenix, Arizona
Arizona Artists Guild Spring Show, Phoenix, Arizona (Best of Show)
Fifth World Congress of Poets Benefit Invitational Exhibition, Scottsdale, Arizona
Abilene 37″ Annual Painting Competition, Abilene Fine Arts Museum, Abilene, Texas
1982-83
Selected for the Roster of Art in Public Places, Arizona Commission on the Arts
1983
Arizona Artists Guild Spring Show, Phoenix, Arizona Honorable Mention
Scottsdale Artists League 22nd State Show, Scottsdale, Arizona (Best of Show; Merit Award)
American Aid to Poland Invitational Spring Benefit and Concert, Scottsdale Center for the Arts, Scottsdale, Arizona
Two Flags Festival of the Arts National Show; Douglas, Arizona (Merit Award)
63rd Annual National Exhibition of Paintings, The Ogunquit Art Center, Ogunquit, Maine
Art Annual Four, Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Arizona Artists Guild Fall Membership Juried Exhibition; Phoenix, Arizona (Best of Show)
Glendale Festival of the Arts, 22nd Annual Open Juried Show; Glendale, Arizona (Best of Show)
Scottsdale Artists League Fall Membership Show; Scottsdale, Arizona
1984
Art for Life ’84, Arizona Kidney Foundation Women’s Board, Scottsdale Center for the Arts; Scottsdale, Arizona
Arizona Artists Guild Spring Juried Show, Valley Bank Center, Phoenix, Arizona (Purchase Award)
Queen of Hearts Guild of Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Festival of Arts Benefit Exhibition; Newport Beach, California
Associated Artists of Southport, 4th Annual National Exhibition, Franklin Square Gallery; Southport, North Carolina (Winsor Newton Honor Award)
23rd Annual Glendale Festival of the Arts; Glendale, Arizona (Best of Show and Gold Award for Painting, Best of Show and Gold Award for Graphics)
Arizona Artists Guild Fall Membership Juried Exhibition; Phoenix, Arizona (Best of Show – Juror’s Choice Purchase Award; Merit Award)
1985
Une Soiree D’Art lnvitational Benefit Exhibition and Auction, Newport Harbor Auxiliary, The Newporter, Newport Beach, California
1986
Arizona Artists Guild Winter Membership Show; Scottsdale, Arizona (Merit Award – Watercolor)
1987
Une Soiree D’Art Invitational Benefit Exhibition and Auction, Newport Harbor Auxiliary, The Newporter, Newport Beach, California
1988
The Best of the West: A Celebration of Western Art in Scottsdale, The Scottsdale Center for the Arts
1994
The Artists Magazine 1994, All Media Competition (Finalist for Oils [over 8,000 entries])
1997
Allied Artists of America, Inc., 84th Annual Exhibition, the National Arts Club; New York City, New York
1998
The Philadelphia Sketch Club, 135th Annual Exhibition of Small Paintings; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
22nd Fred Wells National Juried Exhibition, Elder Gallery, Nebraska Wesleyan University; Lincoln, Nebraska
2000
The Philadelphia Sketch Club, 137th Annual Exhibition of Small Paintings; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2004
Pageant of the Masters, Laguna Beach, California (Featured Artist)
2010
Jacksonville State University 31st Minlworks Exhibitions; Jacksonville, Alabama
Salmagundi Annual Juried Painting and Sculpture Exhibition for non-members, Salmagundl Club; New York City, New York
2011
24th Annual Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College; Rhinelander, Wisconsin (Patron Award)
2013
Nebraska Artists Revolving Showcase at Assurity Life Insurance, Lincoln, Nebraska
2018
University of Nebraska Lincoln, Eisentrager-Howard Gallery Alumni Exhibition 5/1/18 to 8/18
One Man Shows: Galleries
Selected galleries had multiple one-man shows.
Leslie Levy Gallery, Scottsdale,Arizona
Magadini Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Challis Gallery, Laguna Beach, California.
Esther Wells Collection, Laguna Beach, California
Gallery at the Courtyard, Palm Springs, California
Woodbridge Gallery, Gualala, California
Kiechel Fine Art, Lincoln, Nebraska
One Man Shows
Nebraska Wesleyan University Figurative Exhibition (2001)
Two Man Shows
Esther Wells Collection, Laguna Beach, California
Suzanne Brown Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
Duley-Jones Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
Selected Publications, Articles and Notices
The Arizona Republic
The Los Angeles Times
The Orange County Register
The Scottsdale Daily Progress
The Lincoln Journal Star
The Laguna Beach Pilot
Laguna News Post
Phoenix Magazine
Phoenix Home and Garden
Fine Art and Antiques International
Southwest Art (Interiors Article, April 2001)
Art California
Palm Springs Life
Arizona Style
Exploring Painting, Textbook by Gerald Brommer (1988)
Desert Style, Palm Springs
Scottsdale Magazine
Outlook, Mendocino, Ca.
Arizona Arts and Lifestyle
Art News (New York)
Selected Museum, Corporate and Other Collections
Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln Nebraska
La Prenda Wines, Sonoma, California
Coldwell Banker, (former) World Trade Center, New York City (10 paintings)
Bank One, Phoenix, Arizona
Salt River Project, Tempe, Arizona
Desert Samaritan Hospital, Mesa, Arizona
Lewis & Associates, Los Angeles, California
Festival of the Arts,Laguna Beach, California
Assurity Life Insurance, Lincoln, Nebraska
Hutchinson Architects, Lincoln, Nebraska
First Plymouth Congregational Church, Lincoln Nebraska
Faith Lutheran School, Lincoln Nebraska