Steve Justice - Roy Alum 1989
I participated in a 3-person show at ROY G BIV in 1989. That was my fourth show, 182 shows ago (17 solo), and I have painted continuously since then while living in Atlanta, Hong Kong, Rochester, NY, and now Cincinnati. In Columbus, I worked full-time as a product designer for Lancaster Colony while painting on the side, but since then, painting has become a full-time endeavor, and my productivity and quality have significantly increased.
At the time of my show at ROY G BIV, I had produced only 8 paintings in 2 years, but I was on my way to early success. In another two years, I won Best of Show at Pittsburgh's prestigious Three Rivers Arts Festival, in which I showed two of the ROY paintings. By the time I left town, I'd participated in 3 dozen Columbus and Columbus-area shows. I have many vivid memories and numerous stories from my years in the Columbus art community. I still think of that early show periodically. ROY G BIV's large windows, excellent lighting, and (aptly) colorful signage were perfect for showcasing my kind of painting, and I was well treated as a fellow artist.
Bio: Steve Justice was born in the steel town of Homestead, in Pittsburgh, in 1956 (Monkey/ Gemini) during a period of labor unrest for both his mother and for Homestead. His father was a mighty steel engineer who once carved a working locomotive from a single ingot of steel, using only a hacksaw and a bastard file. Justice’s mother was 100% Finnish, with a literary bend and some artistic aptitude. Justice subsequently grew up using both hemispheres of his brain.
He learned how to apply this laterization with years of study at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Institute, under the tutelage of Joseph C. Fitzpatrick (Warhol’s teacher and mentor). This was followed by Industrial Design training (with some Art History and fine art electives) at the University of Cincinnati, where he made the Dean’s list 10 times and won a scholarship. This led Justice to a successful and gratifying career as a product designer around the Rust Belt and beyond, designing products for consumer and commercial customers (Coca-Cola drinkware, 2002 Olympic torch, etc.), while creating thousands of manufacturing jobs. But he craved a bigger beauty.
Steve began oil painting in 1985, at first part-time, then eventually full-time, and he has stayed that course ever since. Making that transition led him to more than 183 exhibitions (17 solo), awards, and dozens of sales. His art may be free-wheeling and eccentric, but Justice has absorbed a lot of professionalism from his design days, and he’s very well aware of an artist’s position of responsibility.