Stephen Shugart
See also: Instagram @stephenshugart stephenshugart.tumblr.com
http://www.edgeart.org/
Artist Bio
Stephen is a native of Denver and grew up in Littleton. His father was a pediatrician and well known community leader and his mother was a religious educator and Methodist minister. He is the father of two grown children, both involved in the arts. He received a BA in Urban Studies from The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH and an MFA in creative writing from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
Creating light art sculptures and installations is a deeply personal act for him about bringing light into darkness and dimness, literally and figuratively, examining the ephemeral nature of reality. As a writer, he dealt with darker themes of grief, depression, self destruction and suicide, with dark humor, and magical realism. Indeed his collection of short stories is entitled Dark Matter. Several years ago, however, he felt the need to move beyond this and focus on visual art because for his entire life, he has also had a passionate interest in modern and contemporary art. As a visual artist, he is influenced by minimalists, realists, surrealists, futurists, Dadists, the light and space movement, environmental artists, conceptual artists and committed artists in all disciplines and genres.
Growing up in the nascent, rapidly growing suburbs of Denver of the 1960s and 70s, he was fascinated by the automotive design of all the cars required to live in the urban and suburban west. He became a passional skier, bicyclist and outdoorsman. Observing the variety of the Colorado landscape, the light, the clouds and sky, and the interface/tension in the modern west between nature and civilization is fundamental to his artistic vision and the resultant landscapes of his imagination–whether writing a short story, creating a sculpture, painting a painting or taking a snapshot.
Stephen is a published short story writer, book reviewer, produced playwright, and editor. His short story collection, Dark Matter: Stories, published by Outskirts Press, is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. He has also published short stories in Paraspheres, Colorado Review, Madison Review, Aim and other literary magazines and anthologies. He is also a produced and published playwright and has been a semi-finalist in the Chesterfield Film Project.
He has taught creative writing, composition and critical thinking at the University
of Colorado at Denver, Colorado State University, Metro State College (University), Community College of Denver, and other institutions of higher learning. He has also worked as an instructional design consultant for higher education online programs around the country, including Harvard, Bismarck State College, St. Josephs Executive MBA, Naropa, University of Colorado, Denver, CSU Global and others He has also worked as house painter and house renovator.
Exhibitions, Publications, Presentations, Performances
Art
Solo Exhibitions
2023 Phase Shift. Light-based sculptures and installation. Edge Gallery, Lakewood, CO, October 2 -22, 2023.
2022 Other Worlds. Light-based artworks, sculptures and installation. Edge Gallery Lakewood, CO, June 24-July10
2021 Symbiotic. Light-based and non light-based assemblage sculptures and reliefs. Edge Gallery, Lakewood, CO October 22-November 7,
2020 Enlightenment of the Ordinary. Light-based sculptures and reliefs. ReCreative Denver, Denver, CO January 3-January 30.
2020 Orbital. Light-based sculptures, reliefs, painting and photography. Edge Gallery. Lakewood, CO. September 11 – September 27.
2019 Fractures. Light-based sculptures, installations, and reliefs. Edge Gallery, Lakewood, CO. October 4-October 20.
2018 Shugart, Stephen. Nocturnes. Light-based sculptures, oil painting and photography and poetry. Edge Gallery. Lakewood, CO. September 21-October 7.
2016 Patterns of Consciousness. Light-based works, sculptures, reliefs, painting and installation. Edge Gallery. Denver, CO. June 23 –July 17.
2015 Modern Camping. Light based sculptures and installation. Edge Gallery, Denver. March 23-April 30
2014 Transformation and Reinvention. Light-based sculptures. Edge Art Gallery, Denver, CO March 28 – April 20.
Articles
2023 “Edge Gallery.” (2023) Art in America Guide. https://artinamericaguide.com/listings/edge/
2023 “Meet Stephen Shugart.” Canvas Rebel. 4 April 2023. https://canvasrebel.com/?post_types=&s=stephen+shugart
2022 Boyson, Madeleine. “Stephen Shugart: Foiling the Dark.” Profile. Daria Art Magazine (Spring 2022); 8-13, https://www.dariamag.com/home/stephen-shugart
Group Exhibitions
2023 Architecture of Form. Light-based artworks. Core Art Space, Lakewood CO, March 10 – 26.
2022 39th Annual All Colorado Art Show Oil Painting. Juror: Libby Garon. The Curtis Center for the Arts, Greenwood Village, CO, July 9- August 27
2022 Truth. Light-based artworks. Bloback Gallery, Pueblo, CO. July 1-29
2022 New Passages. Oil Painting. Edge Gallery, Lakewood, CO, June 3-19.
2021 L’Edge Members’ Exhibition. Oil Painting. Edge Gallery, Lakewood, CO October 22-November 7, 2021
2021 Lighting our Way: A Collaboration of Illumination. With Gayla Lemke, Wynne Reynolds, and Faith Williams. Light-based sculptures. Edge Gallery, February 12-February 28.
2019 Was it Worth It?. RedLine Contemporary Arts Center’s 6th Annual Juried Exhibition. Light-based assemblage sculpture. Juror: Ivar Ziele. Redline Contemporary Art Center, Denver, CO. August 10-September 8
2019 Lights Out Lights On. Light-based sculpture. Curators: Ashley Frazier, Drew Austin, and Michael F. Sperandeo. RedLine Contemporary Art Center and The Temple Artist Studios, Denver, CO June 14.
2019 Time Zone. “Extended Present.” Video. Group Exhibition. Edge Gallery. Lakewood, CO May 24 -June 9.
2019 #isawitatedge. Oil painting on canvas. Group Exhibition. Edge Gallery. Lakewood, CO May 24 -June 9.
2019 Representing the West. Oil paintings on canvas. Juried Exhibition. Juror, Tony Ortega. Sangre de Christo Arts Center, Pueblo, CO February 1 -May 26
2018 SustainAbility: Masters of Materiality. Light-based relief. Juried Group Exhibition. Juror: Drew Austin. ReCreative Denver. January 5- 27, Denver, CO.
2017 Changes. Group Exhibition. Photos and Oil Painting. Edge Gallery. June 2- July 2, Denver, CO.
2016 Atypical Topographies. “Landscape Viewing Device.” Light-based sculpture. National Juried Exhibition. Sept 26 –Oct 26. Cloyde Snook Gallery, Adams State University. Alamosa, CO.
2016 Ice Breaker 7. Light-based relief. Ice Cube Gallery, Denver, CO. Juror: Ivar Zeile. Jan 7-30.
2015 Pirate Gallery Juried Exhibition. Light-based relief. Pirate Gallery, Denver, CO. Nov 13-30. Juror: Nora Burnett Abrams
2015 After Dark IV, Light-based relief. Greg Moon Gallery, Taos, NM. June 6 – June 20
2015 Summer Art Market. Multi-media paintings. Art Students League of Denver Summer. June 13-14
2014 Incite/Insight. Light based relief. Lincoln Center Art Gallery, Ft Collins, CO. November 21, 2014 – January 3, 2015.
2014 Honoring the Colorado Capitol Dome. Multimedia painting. Colorado Creative Industries Exhibition at the State Capitol. Multimedia painting. October-March 2015.
2014 One Square Foot Fundraising Exhibition. Multimedia painting. Redline Art Gallery, Denver, CO. October 27.
2014 “The Tourelle”. Art car. Artocade, Trinidad, CO Sept 12 -14
2014 All Colorado. Multimedia paintings. Depot Art Gallery, Littleton, CO July 30 – Aug 24.
2014 Summer Art Market. Multimedia paintings. Art Students League of Denver, CO. June
2013 Summer Art Market. Oil paintings. Art Students League of Denver, CO June.
Public Art
2018 “Mr. and Mrs. Birdy’s Neighborhood.” With Wynne Reynolds. Public Art. Lead Concept Designer, Proposal and Grant Writer, Project Manager, and Installer for Edge Gallery 40 West Art District Grant for City of Lakewood’s 40 West Art Line project, funded by a NEA grant. Installed June 1 6955 Lakewood Place, Lakewood, CO 80214.
2014 “Dreaming of the Sublime.” Mural. 2556 15th St, Denver, CO December.
2014 Edge Gallery Mural. 3658 Navajo St. Denver, CO. With Bobby Magee Lopez and volunteers. Funded in part by the Denver Urban Arts Fund. June.
Fiction
2009 Shugart, Stephen. Dark Matter: Stories. Short Story Collection Parker: Outskirts Press, 2009. (Dec. 15)
2006 Shugart, Stephen. “Making Faces.” Short Story. Paraspheres An Anthology of Fabulist and New Wave Fabulist Short Fiction. San Francisco: Omnidawn Press, 2006.
1996 Shugart, Stephen. “Heavy Weather (a fugue).” Short Story Madison Review 18.1 Spring 1996: 57-74.
1994 Shugart, Stephen. “Watching the Neighbors.” Short Story New Voices: An Anthology of New Writing. Ft. Collins: Colorado State University Center for Literary Publishing.
1994 Shugart, Stephen. “The Inheritance.” Short Story The Dry Creek Review Spring: 92 – 101.
1994 Shugart Stephen. “Trespassing.” Short Story AIM Quarterly (America’s Intercultural Magazine) 21.1: 16-17.
1992 Shugart, Stephen. “Fence.” Short Story Dry Creek Review. Spring: 75-81.
1989 Shugart, Stephen. “Watching the Neighbors.” Short Story Madison Review. 11.1 : 113-122.
1987 Shugart, Stephen. “Measuring Up.” Short Story Colorado Review. NS 14.1: 44-49.
Plays
1998 Shugart, Stephen. Cerulean. One Act Play Collages and Bricolages. #11 (1998): 93-104.
1997 Shugart, Stephen. Measuring Up and Cerulean One Act Plays Produced at Changing Scene Theater. Denver, CO. February 13 – March 16. Reviewed in Denver Post, 3/7/97.
1997 Shugart, Stephen. Deep Space One Act Play Selected and Produced for SummerPlay XI, An Annual Festival of New Work. Changing Scene Theater, Denver, CO August 14-31. Reviewed in Denver Post, 8/22/97; Boulder Camera 8/28/97
1996 Shugart, Stephen. Cerulean. Staged Reading of one act play at the Little Theater. Front Range Community College. Westminster, CO. July 2.
1992 Shugart, Stephen. “Ta Naohixik Airshow.” Script for multi-media art installation project by Patty Ortiz. Boulder Arts Center, Boulder, CO. February. Funded by National Endowment for the Arts Inter-Arts Program and the Rockefeller Foundation with additional funding from Apache Corporation.
1982 Shugart, Stephen and Shirley Bender. “TU-BE” Full Length Play Performed at Changing Scene Theater, Denver, CO. Sponsored by a National Endowment for the Arts grant. Reviewed 10/16, Rocky Mountain News.
Readings
2010 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction Reading. Stories, Stories. Mercury Cafe, Denver, CO. April 27
2010 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction Reading and Book Launch. Dark Matter: Stories. Michelangelo’s. Denver. March 19.
2006 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction Reading. City Lights Bookstore. San Francisco, CA. September 28.
2006 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction Reading. Rebound Bookstore. San Rafael, CA. October 1.
1997 Shugart, Stephen and Tony Park. Fiction Reading Bas Bleu Theater. Fort Collins, CO. February 10.
1996 Shugart, Stephen and Sandra Doe. Fiction and Poetry Reading Toads in the Garden Poetry Series. The Daily Grind Coffee House. Denver, CO. October 31.
1995 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction Reading Metropolitan State College of Denver English Department Faculty Colloquium. Denver, CO. September 26.
1995 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction and Poetry Reading Toads in the Garden Poetry Series. The Daily Grind Coffee House. Denver, CO. June 29.
1995 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction Reading Stanley British Primary School. Denver, CO. April 26.
1994 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction Reading Metropolitan State College of Denver English Department Faculty Colloquium. Denver, CO. February 22.
1993 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction Reading Aesthetic Education Institute of Colorado Teaching Artist Performances. The Space Theater. Denver Center for Performing Arts. June 24.
1987 Shugart, Stephen. Fiction Reading Creative Writing Graduate Student and Faculty Reading Series. Colorado State University. Fort Collins, CO.
Book Reviews
2002 Shugart, Stephen. At the Jim Bridger by Ron Carlson. Picador. Book Review. In: Bloomsbury Review 22.4 (July/August 2002): 5.
1997 Shugart, Stephen. The Hotel Eden by Ron Carlson. Norton. Book Review In: Bloomsbury Review 17.3 (May/June 1998): 17.
1994 Shugart, Stephen. A Brief History of Male Nudes In America by Dianne Nelson. U of Georgia P. Book Review In: Bloomsbury Review 14.3: 9.
1991 Shugart, Stephen. When We Talk About Raymond Carver Ed. Sam Halpert. Peregrine Smith. And Conversations with Raymond Carver. Eds. Marshal Bruce Gentry and William Stull. UP of Mississippi. Book Review In: Bloomsbury Review 11.7: 17.
Conference Papers & Presentations
2002 Shugart, Stephen and John Safto. “Defining the Discipline: Teaching Business Online.” Presentation. Center for Internet Technology in Education (CiTE) Annual Conference. Denver, CO April 10-12.
2002 Shugart, Stephen. “Developing and Managing Online Education Programs.” Presentation. Production Operations Management Society (POMS) Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA April 5- 8.
2001 Shugart, Stephen. “Pedagogy Forum.” Moderator. Center for Internet Technology in Education (CiTE) Annual Conference. Denver, CO March 14-16.
2001 Shugart, Stephen and Elizabeth Conner. “Teaching Comparative Management & IHRM: Online Delivery Demonstration, and Best Practices.” Presentation. Faculty Development in International Human Resources Management Seminars, June 4-8. University of Colorado at Denver.
2000 Shugart, Stephen and John F. Brennan. “Teaching MBA Courses Online by the Case Method: Using the Harvard Business Publishing Course Module Managing Innovation.” Presentation. Online Learning 2000 Conference. Denver, CO September 25 – 27.
2000 Shugart, Stephen. “Breaking the Fourth Wall: Creative Video Strategies for the Online Instructor” Presentation. Teaching with Technology Conference. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. July 12 –14.
2000 Shugart, Stephen, Kathryn Winograd and Errin Klein “Whispers from the Net: Balancing the Role of Facilitator and Confidante Online.” Presentation. Associated Writing Programs (AWP) Annual Conference. St. Louis, Missouri March 31, 2000.
2000 Shugart, Stephen. “Workshopping Short Fiction Online.” Paper. Accepted for the 2000 Pedagogy Handbook for the Pedagogy Forum at Associated Writing Programs (AWP) 2000 Annual Conference. St. Louis, Missouri March 31, 2000.
1997 Shugart, Stephen. “Black Sheep” Paper. Accepted for the 1997 Pedagogy Handbook Pedagogy Forum at Associated Writing Programs (AWP) 1997 Annual Conference. Washington, D.C. April 2, 1997.
1996 Shugart, Stephen. “Drama Exercise” Paper accepted for the 1996 Pedagogy Handbook and presentation at the Pedagogy Forum at Associated Writing Programs (AWP) 1996 Annual Conference. Atlanta, Georgia. April 27, 1996.
Education:
M.F.A., Creative Writing, Colorado State University
M.A., English, Colorado State University
B.A., Urban Studies, College of Wooster
Professional Organizations:
Edge Gallery (Treasurer 2017-Present), National Association of Independent Artists, eLearning Guild, Associated Writing Programs. Pen USA. Theater Communications Group. Academy of American Poets. Colorado Dramatists. Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Honors and Awards
2004 Finalist. Short Story. Moondance International Film Festival Competion. Boulder, CO
1999 Semi-finalist. Chesterfield Film Company Writer’s Film Project, Los Angeles, CA.
1998 Honorable Mention. New Millenium Writings National Writing Contest, Knoxville, TN.
1998 Semi-finalist. Chesterfield Film Company Writer’s Film Project, Los Angeles, CA.
1993 Semi-finalist. Heekin Group Foundation Novel in Progress Fellowship, Sisters, OR.
1986 Honorable Mention. Creative Arts Symposium, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO.