Steve Alpert is a Fine art painter born in Manhattan, in 1951. He started painting three decades ago in college. Then he chose another career. In New York City, he became a television journalist for CBS and NBC, shooting and editing tape as well as writing scripts for news segments. Later, Mr. Alpert went into independent producing, creating industrial and documentary films for 20 years.

But Mr. Alpert’s career took another turn. Following the tragic, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and events that led America to war in Afghanistan and later Iraq, Mr. Alpert took stock of his life. With the strong
support of wife, Dorothy, Mr. Alpert decided now was time to turn his talent, creativity and energy toward painting. He devoted more and more time to producing landscape paintings of sweeping skies, fields and beaches from his studio in Quogue, New York on Long Island’s East End.

Today, Mr. Alpert’s works have been exhibited and sold in galleries from Red Bank NJ, Rockland Maine, Westport CT, Quebec City, to Key West , Hawaii, New York City, and the East End of Long Island, NY.

While Mr. Alpert continues to paint landscapes, the non-stop media images of the War on Terror and the controversy surrounding the conflict have dramatically influenced his artistic direction. One controversial moment occurred in March 2004, involving photographs taken of flag-draped coffins at Dover Air Force base in Delaware.

As a landscape painter, Mr. Alpert took a big risk by painting a large-scale, 42-inch by 62-inch canvas that illustrates an U.S. Air Force color guard bearing one of the flag-draped caskets. While the artist was moved by
the solemn image of military pallbearers, he doubted his ability to create a detailed painting of people. Ironically the image on the Internet that inspired the painting, which Mr. Alpert titled “Duty Courage Honor,” incorrectly
stated that the color guard was carrying the casket of a fallen soldier. In fact, the coffin held the remains of a crew member from the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Soon after the painting was completed, which occurred on July 4th, the director of the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force base invited Steve to exhibit the painting at the facility. The painting hangs there
today.

During the months of July, August, and September, Serendipity of Litchfield will exhibit a selection of Mr. Alpert’s art, honoring the military who served our country, and celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Litchfield, CT.  Mr. Alpert’s goal for his newest genre of work is to pay tribute to the courageous American men and women who serve the military as well as veterans who fought previous wars. He just completed a major work, “Legacy,” for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation.

“Putting paint on canvas is everything to me. The images I make in oil paint are my ambassadors of love, honor and respect for all life.” ~Steve Alpert