Dan's Cover Artist Mike Stanko Discusses New Commission & Show

This week’s cover features “Universal View” by popular Dan’s Papers cover artist Mike Stanko. Here, he discusses the featured painting, a recent commission for the Nassau County Executive’s office, and his exhibition debut at the new Christensen Gallery.

A Conversation with Mike Stanko

What inspired you to create your “Universal View” painting?

We were coming out of winter, and I had just finished a very detailed, time-consuming painting, so I started to drift mentally into the upcoming warmer seasons, longing for spring. Those thoughts inspired this painting. I’ve used Adirondack chairs in a number of paintings before; to me, those chairs symbolize a relaxing and outdoor state of mind.

How did you decide on the cover painting’s final composition and title?

Nothing beats a view like that, facing the ocean, facing infinity, watching the sun rise and set, maybe with the person you love. A universal view, inspiring wonder and calm — universally!

Since we last spoke, you received a special art commission from the Nassau County Executive’s office. How did that opportunity come about, and how did you approach the commission mentally and creatively?

I was honored to be asked by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman to create a painting of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive Building in Mineola for the county’s 125th anniversary. The piece will hang in the building indefinitely.

Blakeman is very familiar with my work, as his family commissioned me in the past for a painting commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11, honoring his nephew and two other court officers killed that day. This painting now hangs in the Court Officers Academy in Brooklyn.

I approached the Executive Building painting with artistic freedom and enjoyed painting it. With the building’s stately presence and statue of Teddy Roosevelt in front, it was an exciting and historic endeavor.

The painting was unveiled at the building’s recent rededication. Tweed Roosevelt, great-grandson of the 26th president, asked if I ever painted Sagamore Hill, his great-grandfather’s home in Oyster Bay. Obviously, I’ve thought about it, but now it’s a great time to fulfill that idea, and that’s what I’m working on.

Do you have any big plans for the summer?

Besides enjoying the warm weather with family and friends and tending to our garden, I’ll be painting for a big exhibit this fall. But, before summer’s end, Karen and I will be taking some time off, visiting friends in Puglia, in southern Italy.

Would you like to share any closing thoughts or additional information about upcoming exhibitions or projects?

Yes! This fall, I will be exhibiting new work at The Christensen Gallery, a beautiful new gallery at 127 Deer Park Avenue in Babylon. The opening reception is scheduled for October 11 from 6–9 p.m. It’s an exciting new space that everyone should visit!

To see more of Mike Stanko’s vibrant art, visit stankoart.com and follow the artist on Instagram @stankoart.