Articles
Stermer Thrives In Bayard, New Mexico, 1959 – 1971
Road to Bayard. After spending almost nine years in Europe, it was time to come home to the United States. And so, John, Lucy, and their five children arrived in Silver City, NM, just before Christmas in 1959. Their first accommodations were rooms at the downtown Murray Hotel. Almost immediately Lucy and John fell in love with the Southwest’s culture, people, and landscape. They knew they didn’t want to live anywhere else. By 1961, John and Lucy had established themselves in the small town of […]
France And Spain: John Stermer European Era
Introduction. I would like to continue talking about John Stermer’s history. In this article, we will discus John’s time in Europe, and, more specifically, France and Spain. He and his new wife, Lucy, would live there from 1952 through 1959. John and Lucy would leave Europe with five children, an expanded portfolio, and experiences for a lifetime. To explain, this is the third in a series of articles about John Stermer’s life and artistic development. Part one talks about John’s formative years in Elmira NY […]
Three Watercolor Paintings
In recognition of “World Watercolor Month”, I thought I would share three of John Stermer watercolors. Early Days. I am not sure when John Stermer started working with watercolor. But, it is possible he was taught or mentored by Lars Hoftrup, Elmira NY, during his teens and early 20s. This could have been the late 1930s and on into the early 1940s. Later, after John returned from service during World War II, he may have continued working with Lars on his visits to Elmira and […]
Vladem Contemporary Art (NMMA) Exhibition “Off-Center…”
About “Off-Center…” Hi! We would like to share with you news about an exhibition at “New Mexico Museum of Art Vladem Contemporary”, Santa Fe, NM. The exhibition is called “Off-Center: New Mexico Art 1970 – 2000”, Christian Waguespack, Curator. The show features works by artist from around the state: from Santa Fe to Silver City; Albuquerque to Roswell; and other locations. The exhibition runs from June 8th, 2024 through May 4th, 2025. “Off Center” is organized around three themes: place, spectacle and identity. […]
John Stermer At The Art Students League of New York, 1947 – 1951
I would like to talk to you about John Stermer’s education at The Art Students League of New York during the late 1940s and early 1950s. This was a key time in his development as an artist. To explain, this is the second in a series of articles on John Stermer’s life and artistic development. Part one talks about John Stermer’s formative years in Elmira NY as well as his service in the Navy during World War II. As a reminder, this series of […]
John Stermer’s Early Years*
Formative Years, through 1946* This is part one of a series of articles about John Stermer’s life and development as an artist. This article gives a brief summary of the early years, that is from childhood through to his Navy years in World War II. The narrative of this series of articles is based largely on research done prior to the 2021 retrospective of his work. Mixed in are memories of John Stermer as told to his daughters. Childhood. Born in 1920, John Stermer grew […]
“Tree Rock”: An Excuse To Paint
Greetings! I would like to talk to you about the painting “Tree Rock” and John Stermer’s motto, “The Subject Is An Excuse To Paint”. To explain, when asked about how he found his subject matter, John Stermer (Dad) liked to say that “the subject is an excuse to paint. And, I find excuses everywhere: in the desert and the ocean; in a mountain or geranium; and in an adobe hut or human figure”. In other words, I like to think that he found nature […]
Watkins Glen NY & A Conversation Long Ago
Greetings! I would like to share with you a detail portion of an early John Stermer oil painting of Watkins Glen, NY. Watkins Glen is not too far from where John grew up in Elmira, NY and I think it was a favorite place for him. Not surprising, then, that Dad took us (his family) there a couple of times when we were in the area visiting. As I was looking at this painting, I remembered a conversation I had with Dad when I […]
Drawing Of A House, 1946
Greetings! I would like to share with you a drawing of a house John Stermer did back in 1946. It is a of drawing of a house across the street from his parent’s home in Elmira NY. The drawing is unusual in that it has some notes and corrections around the house. I don’t know who did the corrections. In looking at the writing, my guess is that some of the notes are from John – for example the type of pencil he used is […]
John Stermer Presentation At New Mexico History Conference
We are happy to say that Dorothy, John Stermer’s daughter and estate manager, will be one of the presenters at the New Mexico History Conference this weekend, March 30th through April 1st. Hosted by the Historical Society of New Mexico, the conference will be in Silver City, NM which, coincidentally, was where John Stermer and his family lived the last 20 years of his life. Thanks! We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Historical Society of New Mexico and Susan Berry, Board […]