Stephen Von Mason

I was born in South Bend, Indiana in 1954. As a child I loved to draw and paint rodeo riders and football stars which carried over into High School. Even as a young man I knew I always wanted to be a professional artist so at the end High School I was accepted into John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis where I received a BFA in printmaking. I understood that I probably needed more education so I applied to the San Francisco Institute of Art and was accepted with a scholarship. The Art Institute was a wonderful place to go to school because the had the best visiting artist program ever. I attended the institute from 1977 to 1979 and we had incredible visiting artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, David Hockney and Merce Cunningham all at the same time. We also had a very famous teacher there teaching women studies named Angela Davis. This was all so very impactful for me and it helped mold me into the artist I am today.

While still living in San Francisco, I graduated from the SF Art Institute with an MFA major in printmaking and I minored in painting. When I got out of grad school I didn't want to print anymore so I started painting immediately because it was so much more direct than pulling prints to make etchings. It was exciting times in the 1980's and I started on my journey of exhibiting, being published in news papers and magazines and I also have 3 children's books published. One is all my illustrations and the other two are collaboratives. My solo book is a folklore piece titled "Brother Anansi and the Cattle Ranch" from the Ashanti tribe of West Africa. As I continued exhibiting and traveling to Europe to exhibit in England I always maintained employment. I worked as an artisan in Museums and Galleries so that I had a steady stream of income. 

Eventually I transitioned into education and became an eighth grade middle school art teacher until I retired 2 years ago. In 2012 I was invited by President Barack Obama to showcase my art department at the Presidents Committee of the Arts and Humanities headed up by Michelle Obama. This was quite the honor for me as I spoke right after the actress Alfre Woodard. I have always sort of had a three prong artistic existence as an artist, and artisan and an educator. All three professions kept me very busy my entire life and I enjoyed every bit of it. Another part of my career that I strive on is international competitions, I love to compete to give me some kind of gauge as to where I stand up in the world of art. Just recently I've been competing a lot and have received four awards to show for it. This gives me confidence to stay in the studio and continue painting to the best of my abilities.

I currently live in Vallejo, California the greater San Francisco Bay Area where my home and studio is. I paint in oils on large six foot canvases mixed in with some smaller ones. I showcase and celebrate my culture with an edge because of the need for a Cultural Healing. This is something i am very passionate about and I put my heart and soul into each and every painting to express my vision. I have so much respect for art history so as I come through it sometimes I also want to be a continuum of it that is always connected to it as I push my ideas. I am currently a widower, retired Art Teacher and practicing artist.