Biography
I was born in Cambridge, MA on September 14th, 1982, the only child of Barbara and David Steele. As a child I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland for five years. I grew up predominantly in Gaithersburg, MD, attended Quince Orchard High School and was accepted into Albert Einstein Magnet School for the Visual Arts in my senior year. I attended Washington University in St. Louis where I met the love of my life and was awarded a B.F.A. in painting in 2004. In 2003, I attended Yale’s Norfolk Summer Residency program for the visual arts. After Graduation, I moved to Massachusetts, where I continued painting and began to teach. I taught students of all ages at The Art Center of Chelmsford, began an after-school program for inner city youth at The Jeremiah Burke High School in Dorchester, and taught at Artists For Humanity, located in South Boston. I attended Maryland Institute College of Art where I was awarded an M.F.A. in 2008. I now live in Atlanta, Georgia with my wife Lee, teach visual art at The Westminster Schools, and continue to paint and show my own work.
Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
Atlanta, GA Phone: (978) 495-0368
Areas of Studio Expertise Painting, Drawing
Education
Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD
Master of Fine Arts, May 2008
Mount Royal School of Art
Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO
Bachelor of Fine Arts, May 2004
Major: Painting
Yale University Norfolk, CT
Norfolk Summer Fellow 2003
Santa Reparata International School of Art Florence, Italy
Spring 2002
Solo Shows
2008 Prism Paintings, The Westminster Schools Atlanta, GA
Contemporary Sublime: The Works of Ben Steele and Michael Burmeister, Bank 500 Gallery Baltimore, MD
2007 In-Vision, Peabody Institute, Maestro Gallery Baltimore, MD
2006 New Faculty Member Show, Artists For Humanity Boston, MA
2002 Benjamin David Steele: A Collection of Paintings and Drawings, Residence of art collector Keith Boyd Gaithersburg, MD
Group Shows
2008 Some Like it Hot, Jordan Faye Contemporary, Baltimore, MD
Archimage, Gallery Four, Baltimore, MD
The Maryland Institute College of Art MFA Thesis Exhibition, Decker Gallery, Baltimore, MD
2007 Noumenon, Bank 500 Gallery, Baltimore, MD
A Vague Spatial Area: Mount Royal Group Show, Fox 3 Gallery, Baltimore, MD
The DCCA Biennial MFA Exhibition, The Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Wilmington, DE
A Confluence of Raconteurs: An Artscape Exhibition, Towson University, Towson, MD
The Menu Show: An Artscape Exhibition, Northwest Studio Gallery, Baltimore, MD
Prelude, Pinkard Gallery, Baltimore, MD
The Maryland Institute College of Art MFA Thesis Exhibition, Decker Gallery, Baltimore, MD
2006 (Which is Kind of Interesting) : Mount Royal Group Show, Fox 3 Gallery, Baltimore, MD
2004 Faculty Show, The Art Center of Chelmsford, Chelmsford, MA
Senior Thesis Exhibit, Washington University Gallery of Art, St. Louis, MO
"The Romance Issue" painting show, Des Lee Gallery, St. Louis, MO
2003 Norfolk Summer Fellows Group Show Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate: Yale University, Norfolk, CT
2002 "Chalk your Truck" painting show, Des Lee Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Student Art Exhibition, Santa Reparata International School of Art, Florence, Italy
Selected for publication in Open Studio Press' Studio Visit national artist catalogue. 2008
Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant Nominee 2008
Senatorial Scholarship 2007-2008
Maryland Institute College of Art: Tuition Scholarship. Based on portfolio evaluation. 2006
Yale University: Norfolk Summer Fellowship. Intensive Six-week art development program. 2003
Washington University: Hudson Scholarship. For Academic Excellence. 2000-2004
The Westminster Schools Atlanta, GA
High School Faculty: Painting, Drawing, Black & White Film Photography, Digital Imaging Fall 2008 - current
Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD
Teaching Intern: Painting I, Elements of Visual Thinking, Phenomena of Color, Drawing 1&2 Fall 2006 –Fall 2008
Created own lessons, ran critiques, gave lectures, assigned class and home-work as well as aiding in all of the above while professor was running class.
Artists For Humanity Boston, MA
Painting Mentor Summer 2006
Oversaw group of inner-city, high-school aged youth in non-structured studio environment. Planned lessons and made arrangements for weekly field trips throughout the city. Aided in instruction and completion of large scale group works. Oversaw undergraduate level teaching assistant.
Private Art Teacher Acton, MA
Instructed high school and adult aged students in weekly classes focused on Fall, 2004 – Summer 2006
advanced skills in drawing and painting.
Mass Impact Dorchester, MA
Art Instructor: Painting and Drawin Spring 2005- Spring 2006
Created curriculum for after-school, inner-city art program. Designed program in cooperation with public school officials of the Jeremiah E. Burke High School. Taught intensive lessons in painting and drawing. Program funded by Mass Impact.
The Art Center of Chelmsford Chelmsford, MA
Art Instructor: Painting and Drawing Summers 2004-2005
Instructed three groups of students ages 9-11, 12-14, 15-17 in drawing and painting for two hours a day, 5 days a week for multiple two week sessions.
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