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Summary

"Like so many artists across time, I feel compelled to portray aspects of humanity. I utilize old tools and implements as metaphoric depictions of ourselves rather than making literal portrayals of people. The objects that I choose remind me of the paradoxes of our species; being incongruous builders and destroyers, and I present our remnant artifacts of fruitful labor, creativity, spirituality, and war in similar deferential ways."
-Stephen Althouse

Sculptor-photographer Stephen Althouse's personal experiences serve as inspiration for his visual expressions of life. He combines found or fabricated objects into cryptic conceptual assemblages. He photographs his assemblages onto large-format film and digitally integrates written phrases in non-mainstream dialects and Braille, and then digitally prints his work to monumental scale. Lacing his imagery with visual autobiographical narrative themes that recur and crisscross throughout his images, Althouse has created a unique and mysterious visual language of personal symbols and metaphors.

Awarded a 2003-2004 Fulbright Research Fellowship, Althouse resided in Belgium, creating work as an artist-in-residence at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Liège. He received additional grants from Epson/Seiko and Hahnemühle papers of Germany in support of his fine art digital printing. In addition to being widely exhibited, his artwork has been collected by museums throughout North America, South America, and Europe.

Althouse was raised in rural upper Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and his trips to the Mercer Museum and laborious jobs in his youth led to an interest in objects of labor, becoming a touchstone for his future artistic practice. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University, and he held the position of Distinguished Professor of Fine Art at Barry University, Miami, Florida. Althouse worked and lived on three continents, and currently resides and works creatively in central Pennsylvania, surrounded by an Amish community.

Career

Museum Collections
Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich, Germany
Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover, Delaware
Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida
Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts
Broad Art Museum, East Lansing, Michigan
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
Centro Cultural de Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City, Mexico
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California
Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA Museum), Gimpo-si, Korea
Center for Photography, Woodstock, New York
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan
Dorsky Museum of Art, CPW Collection, New Paltz, New York
Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan
Fogg Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts
Fotomuseum, Winterthur, Switzerland
Gregg Museum of Art and Design, Raleigh, North Carolina
Harvard University Photography Archives, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, West Virginia
Kuntsmuseum Bern, Switzerland
Kuntsmuseum Bonn, Germany
Kuntsmuseum Luzern, Switzerland
Kuntsmuseum Stuttgart, Germany
Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz, Austria
Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, Germany
Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama
Montgomery Museum of Fine Art, Montgomery, Alabama
Münchner Stadtmuseum-Fotomuseum, Munich, Germany
Museé d'Art moderne et d'Art contemporain, Liège, Belgium
Museé des Beaux-Arts, Lille, France
Museé de Beaux-Arts d'Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium
Museé Français de la Photographie, Bièvres, France
Museé de la Photographie, Charleroi, Belgium
Museo de Arte, Lima, Perú
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Bogota, Columbia
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo-Santa Cruz, Toledo, Spain
Museo de Arte Moderno, Bogota, Colombia
Museo de Arte Moderno, Cartagena, Colombia
Museo de Arte Moderno - Casa de la Cultura, Quita, Ecuador
Museo de Arte Moderno, Medellín, Colombia
Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes San Fernando, Madrid, Spain
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida
Museum of Art, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Museum of Art, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
Museum of Art, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, Illinois
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida
Museum of Photography, Antwerp, Belgium
Museum für Gestaltung, Zürich, Switzerland
Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna, Austria
Museum Moderner Kunst Kärnten, Klagenfurt, Austria
Museum der Moderne Rupertinum, Salzburg, Austria
Museum voor Fotografie, Antwerp, Belgium
Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida
Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, Florida
Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Samek Art Museum, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin-Kunstbibliothek, Berlin, Germany
Städische Kunsthalle, Mannheim, Germany
Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona Beach, Florida
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tokyo Photographic Cultural Center, Tokyo, Japan
Vero Beach Museum of Art, Vero Beach, Florida
 

Publications
Herbert, C. (2024) Stephen Althouse – Objects of Uncertainty, Boston, Massachusetts: Pucker Gallery Publication 
Manley, R. (2021) Stephen Althouse - Objects of Intention, Raleigh, NC: Gregg Museum of Art Pub., ISBN 978-1-7329915-5-2 
Barrett, T. (2021) Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images, New York, NY: Routledge Pub., ISBN 978-0-367-56338-7  
Grover, R. (2020) Stephen Althouse - Relics Dover, Delaware: Biggs Museum of American Art Pub., IBSN 1-893287-15-7  
Dietschy, N. (2020) The Figure of Christ in Contemporary Photography, London, UK: Reaktion Books Ltd. Pub., IBSN 978-1-78914-208-2  
Wetzlinger-Grundnig, C. (2018) Stephen Althouse – Metaphern der Menschlichkeit Klagenfurt, Austria: Museum Moderner Kunst Kärnten, ISBN 978-3-9503572-8-8  
Rinehart, R. (2016) SALTHOUSE, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania: Samek Art Museum, Bucknell University  
Dietschy, N. (2016) Le Christ au Miroir de la Photographie Contemporaine, Neuchâtel, Switzerland: Editions Alphil, ISBN 978-88930-088-4  
Tyler, S.  Editor (2016) The Woven Tail Press Vol. IV #10, Setauket, New York, The Woven Tale Press Publishers, ISSN 2469-5475  
Rinehart, R. (2014) Country Living, Samek Art Museum, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Bucknell University  
Acuff, J. B. and Evans, L.  Editors (2014) Multiculturalism in Art Museums Today, London, UK: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, ISBN 9780759124103  
Barrett, T. (2010) Making Art: Form and Meaning, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Publishers, ISBN 0072521783  
Costantino, T. (2010) Essays on Aesthetic Education for the 21st Century, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Sense Publishers, ISBN-10:9460911218  
Blazier, W. (2009) Stephen Althouse, Tools and Shrouds, Boca Raton, FL: Boca Raton Museum of Art, ISBN 0-936859-79-2  
Baum, P., Reutner, B. (2008) Fotografie, die Sammlung, Linz, Austria: Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz, ISBN 390222323-5  
Stern, B.S.  Editor (2008) Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue  
Chapter by Mullins, H.C. Exploring Metaphors of Meaning, Narratives of Hope, Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishers, ISBN 13:9781593119904  
Schelhorn, T. (2005) 7. Internationale Fototage Mannheim/Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Germany: Das Bild Forum, ISBN 3898232484  
Facio, S. (2005) Colección Fotográfica del Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires, Argentina: La Azotea Publishers, ISBN 9509536318  
Baum, P. (2001) Photographie, die Sammlung, Linz, Austria: Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz  
Motz, D. (2000) Kreative Bildgestaltung, Munich, Germany: Laterna Magica Publishers, ISBN 9509536318

Exhibitions

Selected Solo Exhibitions
Shrouded in Mystery, A. G. Barnett Museum of Art, Lakeland, Florida, 2025 
Material Representations, Phillips Museum of Art, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 2025 
Early Work, Bellefonte Art Museum, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, 2025 
Objects of Uncertainty, Pucker Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, 2024 
Gscharre Und Leichdüche, S.H. Arnold Art Gallery, Annville, Pennsylvania, 2023 
Relics, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 2022 
Fotografische Skulpturen, Galerie Blumberg-Fotokunst, Potsdam, Dermany, 2020 
Objects of Intention, Gregg Museum of Art and Design, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2020 
> Relics, Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover, Delaware, 2020 
Metanoia, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, Florida, 2019 
Metaphern der Menschlichkeit, Museum Moderner Kunst Kärnten, Klagenfurt, Austria, 2018 
Metanoia, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama, 2018 
Rekonstruktion der Erinnerung, Galerie Michaela Stock, Vienna, Austria, 2018 
Stephen Althouse - Transfigurations, Museum of Art Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, 2018 
Metaphor and Enigma-Stephen Althouse, Bellefonte Art Museum, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, 2018 
Stephen Althouse-Relics, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 2017
SALTHOUSE, Samek Art Museum, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, 2016 
Stephen Althouse-Still Life, The Dairy Center for the Arts, Boulder, Colorado, 2015
Stephen Althouse-Personal Symbols/Private Totems, Museum of Art-DeLand, Florida, 2014
Tools and Shrouds of Stephen Althouse, Bellefonte Art Museum, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, 2014

Selected Group Exhibitions
Tabled, Contemporary Still Lifes, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California, 2025 
Gifts, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama, 2025 
Fortogalería del Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Feria del Libro, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2025 
Photography from the Permanent Collection, Museum of Art-DeLand, DeLand, Florida, 2025 
Reign, Rain, Rein, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, Massachusetts, 2025 
Art of the State, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 2024 
Scenes from Around the World, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 2023 
Inaugurales, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2022 
Art of the State, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 2022 
ANJE 5, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, Wisconsin, 2021 
Minimalism, Decode Gallery, Tucson, Arizona, 2021 
Insight, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, Massachusetts, 2021 
Ellarslie Open, Trenton City Museum of Ellarslie, Trenton, New Jersey, 2021 
Nor'Easter, New Britain Museum of Art, New Britain, Connecticut, 2020 
Art as Message, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA Museum), Gimpo-si, Korea, 2020 
Fotofest Biennial, 2020 Fine Print Exhibition and Auction, Houston, Texas, 2020 
Collectors Choice Exhibition, Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo, California, 2020 
Cumberland Valley Artists, Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, Maryland, 2020 
Cumberland Valley Photographers, Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown, Maryland, 2020 
Retour aux sources, Beaux arts des Amériques, Montréal, Québec, Canada, 2020 
Das Bekannte und das Unbekannte, Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, Germany, 2019 
What's the Story, Museum of Art-DeLand, Florida, 2019 
Opposites, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, Massachusetts, 2019 
Self Portraits, Bellefonte Art Museum, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, 2018

Awards

Innova Artist Grant, Innova Fine Art Papers, USA, 2009 
Artist-in-Residence, Musee de'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain, Liege, Belgium, 2003-2004
Fulbright Research Fellowship, Council for International Exchange of Scholars, Washington, D.C.
Epson/Seiko Artist Grant, Epson Europe, Dusseldorf, Germany, 2003-2004 
Hahnemühle Artist Grant, Hahnemühle Fine Art Papers, Einbeck, Germany, 2003-2004 
Walter D. Roberts Award, Society for the Four Arts, Palm Beach, Florida, 2002
Award for Research and Creative Activity, St. Thomas University, Miami, Florida, 2000

 

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