SPRING 2026 EXHIBITION

A PLACE FOR PICHON
by STEVE FIRESTONE

Opening reception: Friday, April 17, 5-7p
On view through June 26, 2026 at Michelle Thomas Fine Art Gallery + Studio

ARTIST STATEMENT

The sculptures selected for this exhibition span a period of over thirty years. The ephemera of an industrialized world are materials I use consistently though not exclusively. They are reimagined and imbued with a new life once transformed. I invite the viewer to identify the architectural influences in my work. A colleague once described it as Bauhaus Romanticism; I like that phrase. Like a scavenger, I continually collect “stuff” wherever it may appear, rarely being inspired in the moment but trusting that the materials will reveal their potential in the future. When assessing this selection of work, I have observed that some pieces reveal a personality while others reveal a sense of place.

Alongside this group are some examples from my Pandemic Pantry series, not surprisingly created during the Covid Pandemic. We were relatively homebound during that time, a condition that encouraged introspection. There were many stories of people's newfound interests in pickling, canning, fermenting and creating levains. With that in mind I looked around my studio with fresh eyes, the shelves were packed with boxes of “ingredients” collected over the years. I was inspired to do my own version of “canning” utilizing these somewhat dormant materials. I wondered: what might it be like to walk into a strange pantry, pick a jar off the shelf and try to make sense of what was inside? There was a learning curve to creating something inside a jar or bottle. New tools were needed for a new process and I came away with an appreciation for builders of ships in a bottle! — Steve Firestone, March 2026

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Much like the work in this exhibition, Steve Firestone has often reimagined the course of his life. Firestone began his higher education as a student of architecture at Arizona State University before transferring to the school's dedicated art department. He relocated to California to complete his education at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he earned a degree in art with an emphasis on painting and drawing.

After graduation, Firestone built and operated three successive framing businesses in San Francisco, where he lived and worked for some time. He later returned to school to earn his teaching credential from San Francisco State University. He went on to teach for the San Francisco Unified School District for two decades before retiring in 2020. Now, his life has transformed once again as he has the opportunity to spend more time in his San Francisco home-studio, an experience he describes as “joyful and fulfilling.”

Firestone has steadily produced work throughout his life and careers, exhibiting both locally and nationally. While his practice is rooted in sculpture, he is currently focused on producing works on paper and plans to begin painting again.

Learn more about Steve Firestone HERE.