Steven Hughes
Professor
BS Kent State University, MFA Kent State University
Steven Hughes received his training at Kent State University, earning an MFA in Visual Communication Design with a concentration in illustration. He operates a freelance art studio, Primary Hughes Illustration, and serves as a Professor of Illustration at Northern Michigan University, where he leads the illustration program with a focus on creative problem solving and visual storytelling across both traditional and digital media.
His work has been commissioned by clients such as The New York Times, American Greetings, The United States Mint, Toronto Blue Jays Care Foundation, Light Grey Art Lab, Case Western Reserve University, and Ohio Magazine, and has been featured in numerous gallery exhibitions across the United States, including solo shows at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco.
Hughes’ artwork has earned recognition across both the fine art and illustration fields. He has received multiple awards from the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, including Silver and Bronze Awards, as well as Merit Awards from 3x3 Magazine’s Annual Illustration Show. His paintings have been honored by the Portrait Society of America, Allied Artists of America, and the National Art Museum of Sport, where he was awarded a Silver Medal in painting. He has also been recognized by the Art Renewal Center’s International Salon, one of the leading juried competitions for representational art.
His illustrations and paintings have appeared in a variety of curated publications, including the Society of Illustrators (NY) Annual, American Illustration, Creative Quarterly, ImagineFX, Infected by Art, AcrylicWorks, PoetsArtists, Illustration NOW! 5, and Drawing Inspiration by Michael Fleishman. Hughes’ artwork is also part of the Lunar Codex, an historic project archiving the work of contemporary artists, writers, and creatives on the Moon via NASA-partnered commercial lunar missions.
EMAIL: sthughes@nmu.edu
WEBSITE: primaryhughes.com
INSTAGRAM: @primaryhughes