ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
July 30 – August 8, 2021
Stephen Kade
Stephen Kade is a fine arts painter, illustrator, art educator, and graphic designer born and raised in Detroit, MI. He now resides in Walled Lake, MI where he lives with his wife and two children. He graduated from Oakland Community College with a degree in Graphic Design and continued into the sign industry creating branding for many local businesses and clients for over 15 years. He went on to earn a BFA in Illustration from the College for Creative Studies in 2007 with a concentration in children’s book illustration and character design in watercolor and acrylic paint.
In 2007, Stephen became a freelance artist and started Stephen Kade Illustration and Design where he continued with his design work while illustrating childrenś books for various Michigan authors. In 2010, Stephen completed his life long goal of writing and illustrating his first childrenś book, If Kids Had Their Way. He also began teaching as an adjunct instructor at his alma matter, CCS where he worked for the Community Arts Partnership teaching weekly summer art camps for kids, and Computer Illustration and Graphic Novel classes. Stephen realized he had a passion for teaching and returned to school to get his Arts Education certificate so he could begin a career teaching art at the K-12 level. He began teaching in 2014, and has worked at Lake Orion High School, Henry Ford Academy/ School for Creative Studies where he was Lead Art Teacher, and now he teaches at O.L. Smith MIddle School in Dearborn, MI teaching both 2D and 3D art classes. While on summer break in 2018, Stephen was chosen as the first art teacher to participate in the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Teacher at Sea Program. During his 17 day voyage on the Oregon II, he assisted scientists and focused on shark research. He painted over 20 paintings during the trip documenting the many species of sharks they caught, researched and released. Through this experience, he has incorporated science into his art lessons so kids can develop a deeper appreciation for their environment and conservation.
In 2010, Stephen began showing his illustration work in various art galleries as part of different group shows until he was accepted into juried shows in the Detroit metro area. In 2011, he was named the featured artist of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair. He is now in his tenth year of doing art festivals across Michigan and Ohio.
Stephenś painting work is varied and ranges from work that is colorful and whimsical and meant for kids of all ages, while some are thought provoking paintings that explore pop culture, science fiction, and retro-futurism. During his residency at Good Hart, he plans on exploring the beautiful landscapes of the area during the day to paint on site, and then go back to the studio to add imaginative extras during the night that will take his paintings beyond just the normal landscape painting aesthetic.
Community Event
