Art is Normal says Steven Gamburd
(Crystal A. Proxmire)
“I think my art is about dreams, spirituality and existence – you know, life,” says Oak Park artist Steven Gamburd whose paintings have graced the walls of the Pittman-Puckett Gallery at Affirmations (290 W. 9 Mile) since August 13, 2010.
His exhibit, called “The New Frontier” runs through Sept. 27, 2010. Gamburd’s watercolor paintings feature whimsical and intricate scenes that invite the viewer to explore and create their own stories. Some are bright and cheerful, while others are more macabre, reflecting a range of work as wide that of human emotion.
“When I was growing up I was really into comic books, and I spent a lot of time drawing out my own. In college I had professors who encouraged me in my art, and I got really interested in watercolors,” he said. “I love the dream-like quality I can get with them.”
Gamburd said that his work was discovered by Pittman-Puckett Volunteer Curator Charles Alexander while on display at Dally in the Alley. “He said he 
was impressed by how much work I had done and how prolific it was, and asked me to do a show here. Opening night was great, we had about fifty people.”
The exhibit coincided with the Funky Ferndale Art Fair and DIY Streetfair , 
which gave him the opportunity to reach an even larger audience with inexpensive prints of his work. His watercolors have been seen at numerous galleries including The Van Hoosen Museum in Rochester, The 555 Gallery in Detroit, The Belmont in Hamtramck, the Agape Café in Royal Oak, the Janice Charach Gallery in West Bloomfield and the 13th Floor Gallery in Chicago.
In addition to promoting his own work, Gamburd has organized several art and musical events, including two large events for FernCare to help raise money for the free health clinic. He also is one of the original organizers of the Aestival Festival in Lennox Township and is part of the Hazel Park Arts Council.
Plus he’s a drummer, who has played in over 100 shows with bands like Black Lodge, Polar Opposite, Bastion, Molto, The Nerve and Steffie and the Dirty Virgins.
The best examples of his work can be found on his Myspace page- http://www.myspace.com/stevengamburd. His website www.artisnormal.com is currently under construction.
The Ferndale 115 News thanks Just 4 Us (211 W. 9 Mile) for being the Annual Sponsor for our LGBT News Section. We are currently looking for a sponsor for our art section. The cost of a sponsorship is only $700 per year, which helps us to fund more news and information about our city. Please contact Proxmire at editor@ferndale115.com if you would like more information about becoming a sponsor.
