STEPHEN WILLIAM LESNICK

Steve was born and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut and has been a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada since 1965, (Date of birth: March 22, 1931)

He graduated from the Silvermine College of Art in Conn. and The Art Career School of Commercial Art in New York. He has studied with prominent artists Revlngton Arthur, Jon McClellan, Gail Symon and watercolorist, Herb Olson.

His illustrations have appeared in over forty trade magazines. Awards and purchase prizes include The Connecticut Annual Religious Show, the All New England Show, Barnum Festival, and the Helldorado Western Art Show In Las Vegas. He won first place for layout and design in the International Art Competition held In Tokyo, Japan.

He has had over thirty-three one man shows and many of his oil paintings are owned by the prestigious Burndy Library of Arts and Sciences in Norwalk, Connecticut and in many collections including Senator Harry Reid and former Governors of Nevada, Mike O'Callaghan and Senator Paul Laxalt. He was commissioned by the Republican Party to do a painting of the Governor's Mansion in Carson City for then Governor Paul Laxalt. The painting is currently in his possession.

He has taught Commercial and Fine Arts in New York, Connecticut, and Las Vegas, including Boulder City and Henderson. He maintains his own studio, The Lesnick Art Studio, Inc. in Las Vegas where he instructs in the fine and commercial arts and over fifty specialty workshops. He has also taught the Fine Arts, Beginning and Intermediate Oil Painting, Watercolor and Art History at the Clark County Community College. He was the first instructor to introduce and teach Art Appreciation at the Clark County Community College.

He designed the 1971-1980 series of annual Helldorado Medallions which commemorates the building of the Hoover Dam. He was the first prize designer of $5,000 for the Nevada medallion for the Franklin Mlnt's Bicentennial Medallion Design contest which was a national competition.

He designed the commemorative medallions for the Nevada State Museum in Carson City including the 5Oth anniversary and gambling medallion for Nevada. His medallions were minted on the original press that once made the famous Carson City silver dollars. They are sold at the museum in Carson City and in Southern Nevada to raise money for the state.

In 1988 he was invited to participate in the annual "White House Easter Egg Roll" by First Lady, Nancy Reagan. Each invited artist paints two wooden eggs. One egg is put in a special display case prepared by the Smithsonian Institution and becomes part of the permanent collection in the White House. The second egg becomes part of a traveling exhibition.

In 1989 he was invited to participate again, this time by First Lady Barbara Bush. The annual event is presided over by the current First Lady and is held on the White House grounds. The event began in 1878.

Steve used a Tom Sawyer fence theme for his first Easter Egg submission because he and Mark Twain were both'"Connecticut Yankees" and both lived in Nevada. His 1989 submission was "The Charter Oak Tree" done with his product, "The Funny Brush."

He is a former Art Director of the Las Vegas firm of Kelly-Reber Advertising Agency and a former commercial artist and illustrator for E. G. & G.

Steve was the Art Editor of the "Las Vegas Sun" newspaper that featured his" Art For Everyone" column which ran from 1971 to 1990. In the many years of his question and answer format, he educated artists on the techniques of the visual art world.

He was the first artist to establish a gallery exclusively for local artists. He is the only artist in Southern Nevada who has maintained an art school for the Fine and Commercial Arts without the aid of an organization, state, or federal assistance.

He has assisted the F. B. I. and the I. R. S. in many areas involving tax fraud and the infamous case of "The Madonna and the Chair." He was instrumental as one of the founders, in securing Lorenzi Park as the home of The Las Vegas Art league, now known as The Las Vegas Art Museum.

He has published two books: his first, a basic book on "How to Draw" and the second, a book on "Figure Drawing."

In addition to being an artist, teacher and writer, he is also an inventor. He invented and manufactures the "Funny Brush," a painting tool for artists, which became an instant success and has sold worldwide, since 1974. He also invented for the artist, "The Leaning Bridge," "The Pen Saver," "The Artist's Palette" and "The Artists Brush Holder." These are part of his company, Lesnick Art Products.

He is a former Chairman of the Board of the Nevada Watercolor Society and has served as the Director of the Annual Helldorado Western Art Show in Las Vegas and is advisor and consultant to the Elk's Lodge permanent collection of Western Art in Las Vegas.

He is the only artist in the state of Nevada, in the book, "Artists, U.S.A. 1971." He is listed in recent editions and is also recognized in "Who's Who in American Art" and the "Intemational Art Directory."

In 1987 he entered the world's largest art competition, National Arts for the Parks and was Region I winner of $3,000 plus royalties from the reproductions of his painting (prints included note cards and calendars) "Lincoln Memorial."

His painting of Lincoln is on the First Day Cover issue of the 1988 National Park Stamp. He was invited to the White House to present the First Day Cover issue to President Ronald Reagan. However, it was accepted by Vice-President George Bush since the President was hosting the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev; a historic event in itself.

In 1996, he won the purchase award of $5,000 for his painting of the "Wright Brothers." The painting is on display at the Wright Brothers Museum at Cape Hatteras in Raleigh. North Carolina.

Owners of his paintings know that in every painting he has done since 1977, he has hidden his wife's. name (Dot) in each painting.

Steve has produced more prize winning artists for the state of Nevada and has enabled more people to be capable of eaming a living from their art, as accomplished artists.