Stephen DeSantis

Director

Originally from Rhode Island, Stephen studied and worked in New York as commercial still-life photographer for twenty-six years (including commuting between NY and Paris for two years) for clients including Estee Lauder, The Wall Street Journal, NYC MTA and People Magazine. In 2008, he moved to Chicago to earn his MFA in Interdisciplinary Book & Paper Arts at Columbia College Chicago. In Chicago, Stephen has curated exhibitions including a moving CTA train car for “Art on Track”, “Hearts-a-Bluhm” on Michigan Avenue and co-curated the “Marilyn Sward: Speaking in Paper” exhibition. As Director of Academic Initiatives at Columbia College Chicago, he managed special projects including exhibitions of faculty and student work, conferences, and the Art + Activism program and student organization. Stephen’s photographs and artists’ books have been exhibited internationally including at the Seoul Artists’ Book Fair, Printworks Gallery in Chicago and the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction. His work is included in the Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection and the University of Iowa Library Special Collection.