About The ARtist

Born in Nurnberg, Germany to American parents, Stephen Cefalo grew up in several small towns in the midwest and on the east coast. After experimenting with oil paint as a young child, Stephen soon became fascinated with portraits of historical figures in his schoolbooks. In 1998, Stephen began studying with New York realist painter, Steven Assael, who continued to mentor the young painter after his graduation from art school. After working in New York as an illustrator at Nickelodeon and assistant painter to pop artist, Jeff Koons, Stephen decided to continue his formal education in painting at Indiana University, where he received his masters degree in 2004. Stephen's teachers have also included Max Ginsburg, Dorian Vallejo, and world renowned portrait artist, Nelson Shanks.

While teaching drawing and painting at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and serving as Artist In Residence at University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Stephen continued to develop his career as an exhibiting artist. His work has been written about in American Art Collector, The Journal Santa Fe, The Los Angeles Times, as well as in a recent feature article on his artwork in the Artist's Magazine. His drawings and paintings can be found in numerous private and public collections including the Howard A. and Judith Tullman Collection in Chicago, Savannah College of Art and Design, The Cincinnati Art Museum, The Florida State University Museum of Fine Art, and P. Allen Smith.

Now working and residing in Little Rock, Stephen Cefalo is Central Arkansas' only artist specializing in portrait painting. Stephen offers museum quality portraiture with the integrity of fine art. He believes any portrait should stand on its own as a lasting work of art, whether institutional, political, corporate, or personal. In Cefalo's words, "A portrait is not merely a likeness of a person, but a piece of history to be treasured for generations. I do not consider one of my pieces complete until I feel that it meets this standard."