## Breadcrumb 1. [Home](/index%2Ephp/) 2. [News and Stories](/index%2Ephp/news) 3. [Alumni Spotlight: Lois Steen (Drawing & Painting, Class of 1957)](/index%2Ephp/markdownify/node/2927) January 19, 2024 # Alumni Spotlight: Lois Steen (Drawing & Painting, Class of 1957) ![Lois Steen Headshot](/sites/default/files/styles/1_5_1_large/public/2024-12/Image1_social_0.jpg.webp?itok=T6JE7ufK) rgb(255,255,255) "I am constantly inspired by the natural world and its spirit, which I seek to express in my work. My love of colour and the complexity of organic forms in nature are an increasing source of inspiration. For me, creativity is the celebration of life.” Lois Steen is an accomplished Canadian artist whose career has spanned over six decades. An avid drawer from the time she was a young girl, Steen was tenacious in her pursuit of art education and graduated from the Ontario College of Art (OCA), now known as OCAD University. ![Lois Steen Headshot](/sites/default/files/2024-12/Image1_social_0.jpg) Lois Steen, OCA Graduation Portrait, 1957. Courtesy of the artist. As a student, Steen’s life drawings of dancers at the National Ballet of Canada focused on capturing their gestures and movements. “You get the impression of what you have seen and draw from that. Consequently, the sketch doesn’t seem so stilted,” Steen explained in a 1955 article about her work. ![Painting by Lois Steen](/sites/default/files/2024-12/Article%20from%20Globe%20and%20Mail.jpg) Lois Steen, Ancient Scarab, 1968. Acrylic on paper. One of Steen's most beloved mentors was Jock Macdonald, whom she first met as a teenager at the Banff School of Arts and was later her instructor at OCA. Influenced by Macdonald and her time in Europe following graduation, Steen explored vibrant, lyrical abstraction and expressive compositions that characterize her work up until this day. ![Lois Stten standing in front of painting named Butterfly](/sites/default/files/2024-12/butterfly_lois_steen%20copy_formatted.jpg) Lois Steen and her work. Courtesy of the artist. From the 1960s through the 2010s, Steen’s work was exhibited in countless solo and group exhibitions throughout Ontario and her work has been featured in many arts publications. As an OCA alum, she has spent her career creating art and working as an art instructor, sharing her knowledge and passion with others. Lois Steen continues to live and work in Toronto, Ontario. ## Other Recent News [### 2026-27 Call for Funding Proposals for Student Groups that Support Creative Entrepreneurship on Campus The RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) invites OCAD University student groups with a mandate to support entrepreneurship on campus to apply for funding for student-led initiatives that strengthen and expand the creative entrepreneurship ecosystem at OCAD U. This funding is intended to help student groups create opportunities for entrepreneurship skills development, community building, and revenue-generating activities for students and recent alumni, while reducing barriers to participation for equity-seeking individuals. November 6, 2026 ](/news/2026-27-call-funding-proposals-student-groups-support-creative-entrepreneurship-campus) [### 2027 Critical Distance Centre for Curators Projections Program Call for Artists OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) and Critical Distance Centre for Curators (CDCC) have partnered to co-create CDCC Projections Program Career Launcher. Four (4) to five (5) selected emerging artists will receive $690 to exhibit work in a single channel, projection-based screening program that will be displayed at the CDCC in March 2027. October 30, 2026 ](/news/2027-critical-distance-centre-curators-projections-program-call-artists) [### Call for Vendors: BAM! Holiday Art Market 2026 OCAD University's RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) is excited to partner again with Wychwood Barns to offer a curated group of OCAD U students and recent alumni the opportunity to share a vendor table at the BAM! Holiday Art Market. October 26, 2026 ](/news/call-vendors-bam-holiday-art-market-2026) Related Stories ## Related Stories [### Alum Spotlight: Mary Ratcliffe (BDes ’11) – What happens after the big idea? For OCAD U alum Mary Ratcliffe (BDes, Environmental Design, ’11), bringing an idea to life is only the beginning. The Toronto furniture designer shares what it takes to turn creativity into a lasting practice. September 15, 2026 ](/index%2Ephp/news/alum-spotlight-mary-ratcliffe-bdes-11-what-happens-after-big-idea) [### Alum Spotlight: Matthew Thomas (MDes ’20) – Expanding Access to Nature Through Design Matthew Thomas (MDes ’20) is reshaping how people experience the outdoors through design, expanding access to nature and strengthening tourism systems. May 6, 2026 ](/news/alum-spotlight-matthew-thomas-mdes-20-expanding-access-nature-through-design) [### Open call for emerging youth artists, aged 18 to 29 DXC and OCAD University, in partnership with the EU Delegation to Canada, invite emerging youth artists, aged 18 to 29, from Canada and EU to participate in the DemocracyXChange 2026. January 6, 2026 ](/index%2Ephp/news/open-call-emerging-youth-artists-aged-18-29)