Stephen De Staebler

Born 1933 in Webster Groves, Missouri, Stephen De Staebler (1933-2011) was a sculptor who lived and worked in Berkeley, California. In 1951 he studied with Ben Shahn at Black Mountain College, North Carolina, and later earned a degree in religion from Princeton University in 1954. He received his MA in 1961 at the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied with Peter Voulkos. De Steabler created sculpture primarily in clay and later in bronze. During his 53-year-career as a sculptor, he was commissioned to produce more than 20 public site-specific installations; his most eminent is the liturgical furnishings he created for the Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit Chapel, Newman Hall on the campus of University of California, Berkeley in 1968. His recognitions include a Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Artists Fellowship in 1983 and an Award in Art from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1990. Stephen De Staebler was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 1994. His work was the subject of a recent retrospective exhibition: "Matter + Spirit: The Sculpture of Stephen De Staebler," organized by the de Young Muesum in San Francisco, California.  

Watch a video and read about Stephen in American Craft. View all our resources about his life and work in our digital collections. Learn more about the 2012 American Craft Council award winners. Join us at SOFA Chicago this fall for "Among Fellows," a special exhibition of the winners' work.