Joe Stefanelli (painter)
Introduction '''Joe Stefanelli''' (March 20, 1921 – September 27, 2017), also known as Joseph J. 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  era that followed World War II. He died in September 2017 at the age of 96.
Biography Stefanelli grew up in a large working-class Italian-American family in South Philadelphia. He was born March 20, 1921, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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 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.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. "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 Stefanelli, like many of his contemporaries, taught art in major universities. *1960, 1963: University of California, Berkeley, California*1963–1966: Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey*1966: New School for Social Research, New York City*1966–1974: Columbia University, New York City*1974–1977: Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York*1979–1980: New York University, New York City
Selected solo exhibitions *1950, 1954: Artists’ Gallery, New York City*1952: The New Gallery, New York City*1953: Hendler Gallery, New York City*1956: Ganymede Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio and New York City*1957, 1958, 1960: Poindexter Gallery, New York City*1962: Hacker Gallery, New York City*1963: Thibault Gallery, New York City*1964, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey*1965: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas*1971: Westbeth Gallery, New York City*1972, 1982: New School for Social Research, New York City*1973–1974: The New Bertha Schaefer Gallery, New York City*1974: Terry Dintenfass Gallery, New York City*1977: Andre Zarre Gallery, New York City*1978: Temple University, Rome Italy*1980: Landmark Gallery, Southampton, Long Island, New York*1981: Benson Gallery. Meridian, Mississippi*1986: Ingber Art Gallery, Ltd., New York City*1988–1989: Armstrong Gallery, New York City*1989: R. H. Love Gallery, Chicago, Illinois; Randal Gallery, St Louis, Missouri*1992, 1994: Olaf Clasen Gallery, Cologne, Germany*1999: Galerie Schröder und Dörr, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany*2000–2001: Little Van Gogh, Bad Honnef, Germany*2000–2008: Gallerie Barbara von Stechow, Frankfurt, Germany*2004: CherryStoneGallery, Wellfleet, Massachusetts*2006 :Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, Germany*2008: Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MontanaIn 1988: Stefanelli received a retrospective exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Selected group exhibitions *1950: "New Talent Show" Kootz Gallery, New York City*1951: 9th Street Art Exhibition, New York City*1952–1956: Tanager Gallery, New York City*1954–1957: "New York Painting and Sculpture Annual," Stable Gallery, New York City*1953, 1955: Whitney Museum of American Art Annuals New York City*1960: "60 Americans: 1960” Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota*1963–1964: "Hans Hofmann and His Students," circ., Museum of Modern Art, Manhattan, New York*1991: "Paintings of the 60s," M-13 Gallery, New York City*1994: "Reclaiming Artists of the New York School. Toward a More Inclusive View of the 1950s", Baruch College City University, New York City; "New York-Provincetown: A 50s Connection", Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown, Massachusetts*2000: Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, New York
Awards Stefanelli has received number of awards:*1971: New York State Council of Art, New York*2000: Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York City 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, New York City*Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana
References *United States. Army Service Forces. Special Service Division. ; National Gallery of Art (US),  ''Soldier art'' (Washington Infantry Journal, 1945. *Marika Herskovic,  ''New York School Abstract Expressionists Artists Choice by Artists,'' (New York School Press, 2000.) p.  32; 38; 350–353; ''Smithsonian Institution Research Information System; Archival, Manuscript and Photographic Collections, Joe Stefanelli''
External links * ''Joe Stefanelli views of the studio'' exhibition at the Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, Germany**
See also *Art movement*9th Street Art Exhibition*Abstract expressionism*Action painting*New York School