Nelson Stevens, an artist and educator, is remembered for rhythmic compositions that celebrate Black life. Stevens was born in Brooklyn, New York and earned a BFA in painting and art education from Ohio University as well as an MFA in printmaking and art history from Kent State University. In 1969, he joined the important collective called AfriCOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists), a group of artists invested in creating proud, positive, and vibrant images of African American people and culture. From 1972 through 2003, Stevens taught in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and for much of that time he lived in Springfield. Throughout his career, Stevens used art to uplift his community and promote social justice. In the early 1970s, he initiated an important public art project that resulted in the creation of over 30 murals throughout the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. In the 1990s, Stevens founded Spirit Wood Productions and managed the publication of Art in the Service of the Lord: Black Christian Fine Arts Calendars. After retiring from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2003, Stevens moved to Maryland, where he lived until his death in July 2022.
Nelson Stevens’ works are found in many private collections and public museums including the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Art at the Springfield Museums, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. His legacy lives on through his work and the work of his students.