J L Steg

The late Jim Steg (Feb 6, 1922 - Feb, 19, 2001) was a master printmaker and sculptor working in a diversity of media. His work is included in the permanent collections of more than sixty museums and institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution.

James L. Steg, Professor of Art for 43 years at Newcomb College of Tulane University, New Orleans LA, explored many techniques in the field of printmaking. He continued experimenting until his death. He pioneered very eccentric media, such as altering Xerox prints with paint and chemicals. Doug MacCash, art critic for The Times-Picayune, stated, "Visiting his studio, you'd see his work was as eccentric as that of any 25 year-old you might visit." His creativity and innovation lasted a lifetime, resulting in his works being included in collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the New York Public Library, plus collections in the New Orleans area.

Mr. Steg was born in 1922 in Alexandria VA, grew up in New York and lived 51 years in New Orleans. He received Master of Fine Arts degree from the State University of Iowa. He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving in a camouflage unit during the D-Day invasion of France.

He was the subject of a 1978 retrospective exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art titled, "Thirty Years of J. L. Steg: 1948-78." Mr. Steg received numerous awards for his art, including the Charles Lea Prize from Philadelphia Print Club and award from Lugano, Switzerland, and was named a Printmaker Emeritus by the Southern Graphic Arts Council.