Professor Stephen J. Tyson, Sr. brings a warm, vibrant depth to everything he encounters — his canvas of choice, his curated exhibits, his studio classrooms … and his community here in Saratoga Springs. Creating abstract works on canvas and paper, he also works in three-dimensional mixed-media, with musical influences — especially Jazz — vibrating throughout the points, lines and colorful movement of each artistic creation. Every point of entry into Tyson’s creative work, both viewing and discussion, is an invitation to journey deeper, exploring how blood lines, cultural lines, and thought and heart lines weave together and infuse life into the ‘whole.’ His art dynamically reflects Dr. King’s words, “…an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.”

Professor Tyson opened MLK Saratoga’s 2021 Dr. King Celebration Weekend (DKCW) with “ARTIVISM — Art as Social Activism,” a Community Conversation excavating the social change messaging layered into the visual arts through the ages. He has also contributed video performances to the DKCW over the past. (See link below.). Tyson is an active member of the CapDist region’s Black Dimensions in Art, Inc., “whose mission is to educate the public about the unique contributions of artists of the African Diaspora, and to encourage the youth in the practice, application, and appreciation of the arts.” Most recently, Tyson has added a new medium — podcasting! Check out hosts Professors Stephen J. Tyson Sr. and Jr.’s Style Free Podcast — “where a father and son freestyle and digress on a wide variety of interesting topics in music, art, family, and culture.”

Painter, Professor, Podcaster … Professor Tyson takes us deeper into a more profound connection — an “engaged” conversation — about our journeys and the “inter-related structure of reality” that binds our destinies together.

BIO: Born in New York City, Stephen J. Tyson, graduated from the High School of Music and Art, attended the Rhode Island School of Design, earned his BFA from Manhattanville College, and his MFA from the City College of New York. Between two Fulbright awards to study in three African countries, he was tenured as an associate professor of art with the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He has been a fine arts faculty member at SUNY-Albany, Schenectady Community College, Union College, and, more recently, SUNY-Adirondack . He has also served as a curator, lecturer, arts consultant, panelist, moderator, and gallery assistant. As a professional visual artist, Stephen Tyson's works have been seen at venues such as the New York State Museum, the Schenectady Museum, and the National Black Fine Arts exhibition in New York City. His work is part of the collection of New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Schenectady Museum, and Hudson Valley Community College.

RESOURCES

• Style Free Podcast: https://anchor.fm/stylefreeradio

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-j-tyson-91ba7928/

• Black Dimensions in Art, Inc.: http://www.blackdimensionsinart.org/

• VIDEOS:

2022 Dr. King Challenge (56 min)
Stephen’s reading is at 40:00 min.

Stephen J. Tyson Sr. - Engage Showcase at The College of St. Rose (2020) (15 min)
Stephen Tyson tours the viewer through the provocative exhibit he curated at The College of St. Rose in Albany, NY in 2020 — “Engage - Artists in Visual Dialogue” … “an incredible display of artists and artwork from many walks of life.” 14 min.

Stephen J. Tyson Sr. - Expression: Art and the Creative Process (2002) (2 min)
A 2002 exhibition at the Museum of Science and Innovation (MiSci, formerly Schenectady Museum) featured the artwork of Stephen J. Tyson Sr. and this interview discussing his creative process.

Stephen J. Tyson Sr. - People In Action (1989) - Ep. 1 (25 min)
Stephen J. Tyson Sr. - People In Action (1989) - Ep. 2 (24 min)
In 1989, James E. White interviewed Prof. Stephen J. Tyson Sr. for the independent broadcast "People In Action" produced by Partners In Progress Production in cooperation with K.E.D.C. and Cambria County Television (CCTV) Channel 9.