Steve married his wife, partner, and best friend, Linda Frye Burnham, and together they built a remarkable life and legacy in the arts community.

In Steve’s own words, he worked as “an artist, writer, magazine editor, nonprofit art organization administrator, designer, and web consultant,” often finding himself doing all of them at once. His career reflected both his creative spirit and his deep commitment to making art accessible and meaningful in the public sphere.

He taught performance art at the University of California, Irvine, and served briefly as a consultant in arts and marketing to the government of El Salvador. One of his favorite roles was serving as a community artist in Madison, South Dakota, through the South Dakota Arts Council’s Artist in the Schools program.

Steve served as managing editor and later editor-in-chief of High Performance magazine and co-edited the book The Citizen Artist: 20 Years of Art in the Public Arena. As Executive Director of the 18th Street Arts Complex in Santa Monica, California, he helped foster a vibrant creative community through publishing, artist housing, exhibitions, and public programming.

In 1995, Steve and Linda co-founded Art in the Public Interest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting community-based art and artists across the country.

In the late 1990s, Steve and Linda moved to Saxapahaw, North Carolina, where they established and nurtured Frog Pond Farm. There, surrounded by woodlands, Steve created and displayed his art, blending nature and creativity in deeply personal ways. He later founded Bourbon, Dogs & Art, a gallery and studio that reflected his unique vision and sense of humor.

Steve will be remembered for his endless creativity, his dedication to the arts, and his belief in the power of art to connect people and communities. He also had a deep love for animals, especially the dogs, cats and other creatures that shared life with him at Frog Pond Farm. They were not just companions, but the very spirit of the place he created.

He leaves behind a lasting impact on the many artists, students, and communities he inspired.

In addition to Linda and his beloved dogs, Gracie and Oliver, Steve is survived by sisters Nancy (Fred) Tregaskes, Lori (Kevin) Manske, Patty (Brian) Bassett and brother Tom (Debby) Durland; stepchildren Jill, Tony and Andy Burnham. Steve was reunited in passing with his mother and father, and of course his dogs: Woody, Chigger, Maggie, Gerret, Irene and Alan.