Biography

Born in San Perdo, California in 1954, Stephen Mirich began competing and exhibiting in art events regularly by the age of fifteen. While at Harbor College studying architecture his primary focus was a career in fine art. Mirich studied with the noted artist Theodore N. Lukits (1892-1992) at the Lukits Academy of Fine Arts in Los Angeles and took private studies with artist Julian Ritter.

Mirich has participated in numerous exhibitions, including the California Art Club’s Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibitions,  Mission San Juan Capistrano Plein Air Painting Events, as well as the California Wetlands Exhibition and the Treasures of the Sierra Nevada Exhibition both held at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. His work has also been exhibited at the Coos Bay Art Museum in Coos Bay, Oregon, the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, the Newport Nautical Museum, the San Diego Maritime Museum, Springville Museum of Art in Springville, Utah and the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon.

Stephen Mirich’s work is included in several prominent collections, including those of the Los Angeles Country Club, San Juan Capistrano Mission, Mrs. Joan Irvine Smith, Jean and Laura Stern and Oprah Winfrey. The January 2010 issue of American Artist Magazine gave Mirich a full feature story titled “Drawing Upon Local Community and Landscape” focusing on his contributions as a marine and landscape artist.

Stephen Mirich is a founding member of the Portuguese Bend Artists Colony and a lifetime member and past president of the San Pedro Art Association. He is a Signature Member of the California Art Club, past vice president from 1997 to 2003 and currently a member of its advisory board.