bio

Polson recently completed the official portrait of Madeleine Albright and the official portrait of Colin Powell for The State Department. Portraits currently in progress include Condoleezza Rice for The State Department and former US Secretary of the Treasury, John Snow. Polson’s portraits are featured in private and public collections throughout the United States, such as MetLife Headquarters, NASDAQ and Council on Foreign Relations, New York City; the Gallo Winery, Modesto, California; The Departments of Commerce, Energy, Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington, D.C.; Yale, Cornell,

Brown, Johns Hopkins Universities; and many more.

Steven Polson has had a lifelong passion for drawing and painting portraits.

At age 16, he began his formal study at The Art Students’ League in New York

City, going on to receive a Fine Arts degree in 1984 from The Cooper Union for

the Advancement for Science and Art. He has won numerous awards for his painting, including an Elizabeth T. Greenshields Foundation Grant and The

Allied Artists of America Gold Medal of Honor.

Steven Polson’s style captures the essence of his subjects. The simplicity of his backgrounds directs the viewer to notice the special character of each individual

he paints. There is fluidity in the paint strokes, which then creates a jewel-like

effect on the canvas. When you walk away from a Polson portrait, you will feel as though you know the person he has painted. A sitter writes, “Literally dozens of people who saw the portrait commented that you captured my character and spirit in the painting, and many asked how many hours you spent with me, for they see something more than realism on the canvas. Interestingly, this is a trait that I saw in your work also, and it was perhaps the single most important factor in selecting you over other artists when I considered this commission. I am truly delighted in every regard. I’m honored to be one of your subjects.” An admirer of the old masters, Polson exhibits in his canvases a classical composition and palette.

In addition to his portrait work, Polson teaches at the Grand Central Academy in

New York City. He has taught at the Pratt Institute, The Art Students’ League of

New York and privately at his studio. Steven lives in Woodcliff Lake, NJ with his

wife, Lori and children, Benjamin and Jessie.