Joseph J. StefanelliJoseph Stefanelli (American 1921-2017) Joseph J. Stefanelli, also know as Joe Stefanelli, belonged to the New York School Abstract Expressionist artists whose influence and artistic innovation by the 1950s had been recognized around the world. New York School Abstract Expressionism, represented by Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning, Franz Kline and others became a leading art movement of the post-World War II era. According to John Russell art critic of the New York Times. He has for a long time had the gift of color that sings out in tune. Joe Stefanelli grew up in a large working-class Italian-American family in South Philadelphia. Studied painting • 1938-1940: Philadelphia Museum School • 1940-1941: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts • 1948-1949: Hofmann School of Fine Art • 1949-1950: New School for Social Research • 1950-1951: Art Students League of New York Military Service in World War II Joe Stefanelli entered the Army during World War II. Eventually he was working as an illustrator, from 1942 to 1946 provided field drawings that were published in Artists for Yank Magazine. He traveled all over the South Pacific as a combat artist. Today these works are housed in the permanent collection of the World War II Archives Building, Washington, D.C. Participation in the Downtown Art Scene He had his studio in the Lower East Side, on 22nd Street. Stefanelli soon joined the Downtown Group which represented a group of artists who found studios in lower Manhattan. Franz Kline introduced Stefanelli to The Artists Club. located at 39 East 8th Street. Joe Stefanelli was chosen by his fellow artists to show in the Ninth Street Show held on May 21-June 10, 1951. The show was located at 60 East 9th Street on the first floor and the basement of a building which was about to be demolished: The artists celebrated not only the appearance of the dealers, collectors and museum people on the 9th Street, and the consequent exposure of their work but they celebrated the creation and the strength of a living community of significant dimensions. Joe Stefanelli participated in 1951 and from 1954 to 1957 in the invitational New York Painting and Sculpture Annuals including the Ninth Street Show These Annuals were important because the participants were chosen by the artists themselves. Teaching Positions By the 1960s Joe Stefanelli like many of his contemporaries taught art in major Universities. • 1960, 1963: University of California, Berkeley, CA • 1963-1966: Princeton University, Princeto, NJ • 1966: New School for Social Research, NYC • 1966-1974: Columbia University, NYC • 1974-1977: Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY • 1979-1980: New York University, NYC Selected Solo Exhibitions • 1950, 1954: Artists Gallery, NYC • 1952: The New Gallery, NYC • 1953: Hendler Gallery, NYC • 1956: Ganymede Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio and NY • 1957, 1958, 1960: Poindexter Gallery, NYC • 1962: Hacker Gallery, NYC • 1963: Thibault Gallery, NYC • 1964, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ • 1965: University of Arkasnas, AR • 1971: Westbeth Gallery, NYC • 1972, 1982: New School for Social Research, NYC • 1973-1974: The New Bertha Schaefer Gallery, NYC • 1974: Terry Dintenfass Gallery, NYC • 1977: Andre Zarre Gallery, NYC • 1978: Temple University, Roome Italy • 1980: Landmark Gallery, Southampton, Long Island, NY • 1981: Benson Gallery. Meridian, MS • 1986: Ingber Art Gallery, Ltd., NY • 1988-1989: Armstrong Gallery, NY • 1989: R.H.Love Gallery, Chicago, IL; Randal Gallery, St Louis, Missouri • 1992, 1994: Olaf Clasen Gallery, Cologne, Germany • 1999: Galerie Schröder und Dörr, Germany • 2000-2008: Gallerie Barbara von Stechow, Frankfurt, Germany • 2004: CherryStoneGallery, Wellfleet, MA • 2006 :Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, Germany • 2008: Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT In 1988: Joe Stefanelli received a retrospective exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Selected Group Exhibitions • 1950: "New Talent Show" Kootz Gallery, NYC • 1951: 9th Street Show, NYC • 1952-1956: Tanager Gallery, NYC • 1954-1957: "New York Painting and Sculpture Annual," Stable Gallery, NYC • 1953, 1955: Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC • 1960: “60 Americans: 1960” Walker Art Center, Minneapolis MN • 1963-1964: "Hans Hofmann and His Students," circ., Museum of Modern Art, Manhattan NY • 1991: “Paintings of the 60s,” M-13 Gallery, NYC • 1994: "Reclaiming Artists of the New York School. Toward a More Inclusive View of the 1950s", Baruch College, New York City; "New York-Provincetown: A 50s Connection", Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown, Mass. • 2000: Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY Awards Joe Stefanelli has received number of awards: • 1971: New York State Council of Art, NY • 2000: Pollock-Krasner Foundation, NY for his life work • 2005: Benjamin Altman Prize, National Academy for painting Works in Museums and Public Collections • National Academy of Design • Whitney Museum of American Art, NY • Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT
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