Stephen W. Kuzma

Stephen W. Kuzma

Stephen W. Kuzma, 89 years old, of New York City, NY formerly of Toledo, OH passed away Friday, January 6, 2023, at Otterbein Nursing Home in Pemberville, OH. An ever-engaging, gregarious soul who opened his heart and personality to nearly everyone he encountered, Steve found his true passion as a gifted artist and an ingrained denizen of both his SoHo neighborhood in New York City, and in his seasonal home in Whale Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada. Regardless of trends in the art world, he always remained true to his passion as a modern realist painter. On a personal level, he was a lover of classical music with a vast collection of albums, and was a talented cook who enjoyed hosting dinner parties for groups of friends, often featuring Hungarian foods. Steve was always willing to explore new things in his life, and this passion fueled his body of work as a painter.

He is survived by brother, Richard (Barbara) Kuzma; sister, Arlene (Fred) Kazmierski; niece, Cathy Jo Kuzma; and nephews, Richard Kuzma II, Ronald Kuzma, Michael Kazmierski, and Randy Kazmierski. He was preceded in death by parents, Stephen E. and Katherine Kuzma; niece, Barbara Kuzma-O'Reilly; and dear friend, Cornell Franklin.

Stephen was born and raised in the Birmingham neighborhood in East Toledo. He attended St. Stephens Catholic Church and elementary school, before spending his freshman year at Waite High School. He graduated from Macomber-Whitney High School in 1951, having studied under the encouragement of art teacher Ernest Spring. By then already a skilled artist, Steve also studied under Frank Turner at the Toledo Museum of Art. Upon graduation, having won a first-place scholarship, he studied two years at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. From there he moved to New York and joined the Art Students' League on scholarship, before accepting a scholarship to NYC's National Academy of Design.

From 1955-57 Steve served in the U.S. Navy. During that time he painted a 30-foot mural for the library of a Seabee Base, and did many commissioned portraits. Having developed his skill in oils and water colors, Steve settled into his style as an American romantic realist artist. He was considered a pioneer of artists migrating to the SoHo warehouses in the 1960's.

In an April 1990 cover feature in The Blade's Toledo Magazine, he was labeled as a realist painter who said, "I don't like the word realism," and described his artistic vision as "Still lives that are not so still. ...I know my images are clear, but I'm into things that are deeper than those surface things. I paint what I see and it starts from that. It's a visual impression, not something I think about and then paint." However his work was categorized, Kuzma's paintings moved the viewer, and were part of realist shows in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Berkley Center at Yale University, The Guild Hall in East Hampton, N.Y., the Stamford (Conn.) Museum, and many other east coast galleries.

During the heart of his prolific career, he had 28 individual exhibits at 10 different galleries from 1960 to 1999, and was part of 16 group exhibits at 12 locations from 1962 to 2001. Collections of his work are held by 30 different collectors, galleries, museums, and corporations. His work has also been critically recognized with awards, including the Suydam Bronze Medal for Painting from the National Academy of Design in 1959, a Louis Comfort Tiffany Grant award in 1964, the M.M. Canaday Award for Outstanding Painting from the Toledo Museum of Art in 2000, and a secondprize award from the Toledo Museum in 2001.

Beyond all of his work at the easel, the intriguing images produced, the awards won, and work shared at galleries, Steve also worked as an art instructor, influencing the work of many students. His life was one robustly well-lived, with his passion reflected on the countless works he produced on canvas.

Memorial services will be held in New York City in the spring and in Whale Cove, Nova Scotia, in August.