>>> Stephen Holland Artist of the GRAMMYs ® <<<

Through well-earned notoriety as the artist of celebrity, Stephen Holland has enjoyed a multitude of honors and roles. Along with a host of other important acknowledgements, Stephen is the "Official Artist" of several iconic athletes, professional sports teams, world class sporting events, arenas, and most recently a sports car manufacturer. As humbling as each of these honors has been, none carries the gravity and sheer weight of the one to be handed out this year by the music industry's highest and most respected judge, the GRAMMYS® 

Yes, at nothing less then this years fiftieth anniversary celebration the GRAMMY® Awards have chosen to announce their designation of Stephen Holland as Official Artist of The GRAMMY® Charities. 

Unlike past Grammy honors shared by many of the top names in the art world, this honor will be an ongoing relationship for years to come.

Holland has been selected as the GRAMMY'S® own hand picked artist laureate, tasked with capturing on canvas the most celebrated names and moments of music past, present and future, placing time in a bottle among those, whose have earned the highest acknowledgment of their music industry peers. 

In practical terms that means that, in the coming months and years, collectors can enjoy an important stream of fine art limited editions (some signed) of the greatest musical names in history. Collectively, they will create a growing body of work known as The GRAMMY® Charities Art Collection.

>>> Stephen in the Studio <<<

Great interview and a wonderful peak into Stephen's Santa Barbera Studio.

>>> Stephen on Forbes Money Talk <<<

Stephen's 2007 interview from Money Talk, on Forbes TV.

>>> Stephen Paints Rocky Marciano <<<

An in depth interview with artist Stephen about one of his all time favorite paintings of boxing great Rocky Marciano. Holland speaks on the amazing fighter and gives us a wonderful glimpse into his approach in the studio.

>>> Stephen's painting of Jackie Robinson <<<

A conversation with Stephen about the first limited edition released as the Los Angeles Dodger's official artist, during their 50th year in LA. Holland speaks in detail about the legend of Baseball Jackie Robinson. As well as his approach to capturing his life in this stunning print.

>>> MUHAMMAD ALI <<<

Scorsese and De Niro, Michael Jackson and Berry Gordy, Annie Liebovitz and the Stones...

It's rare, but from time to time, two greats become connected, even if for just a brief moment. From then on, their names together resonate as a fated pairing and are forever recognizable to generations as something special. In the world of art and sports, Stephen Holland and Muhammad Ali are two such names.

Nearly two decades ago the most famous living athlete (if not person) on the planet and a painter who soon would become known as the leading artist of sports, came together to produce a single painting. The uniting of these two champions - of their respective disciplines would be the beginning of a long legacy of art work. This work is coveted by collectors far and wide and supports a special friendship as well.

>>> Angels present Rivera with a painting by Stephen Holland <<<

After nineteen seasons of playing major league ball, five world series wins and more achievements than we could possibly start to list, this champion of the mound is enjoying his farewell tour through the country. During a metaphoric run around the bases, the Angels wanted to honor Rivera in a fashion that equals his importance to them and the game itself.

In a ceremony on the field before their game began, Arte Moreno (owner of the Angels) and their star batter Albert Pujols presented Rivera with a beautiful painting of Rivera himself. As they brought the piece forward Pujols was heard to have commented "HEY, I've got one of these too."

After the gift was presented. Rivera immediately grabbed Stephen Holland’s hand to tell him how much he appreciated the artwork and how touched he was to have his own Holland painting.

Albert Pujols and Angels owner Arte Moreno presenting Mariano Rivera a painting of himself by Stephen Holland.

>>> STEPHEN FEATURED IN THE DENVER POST <<<

HOLLAND PAINTS SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S "SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR" PEYTON MANNING

By Ray Mark Rinaldi

Portraiture has always been as much about propaganda as it is about painting. Nothing trumpets a person's glory — real or imagined — better than their carefully honed countenance immortalized on canvas for all to admire.

From a historical perspective, no genre of art is more important, especially when you consider that photography is a relatively recent phenomenon. From Jesus to George Washington, portraits give us a collective way of seeing our famous forefathers. We know artists take liberties, but we take what we can get.

And, no doubt, we value portraits for more than recording the facts. We revere "Mona Lisa" because DaVinci rendered something eternal in her knowing smirk. "Whistler's Mother" is all of our mothers, confident, noble, respected.

It's that essence of frozen humanity that makes Stephen Holland's new portrait of Peyton Manning interesting. His heroic rendering of the Denver Broncos quarterback — in uniform, gaze fixed toward the goal line, arm drawn — is over-the-top in every way. It's crass, brutish, about as subtle as a Marvel comic book.

But one could say the same things about professional football. This is a sport where dudes bang into each other's heads until they get brain damage. It wouldn't be appropriate to paint its protagonists with the spiritual precision of Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring." Even within that, Holland does capture something curious about Manning's particular skills. This athlete's genius surfaces in tiny moments, those split seconds when he senses an open target amidst the chaos of a field in play. Holland seizes him at the very instant.

Sports portraiture is never refined. No one will ever mistake LeRoy Neiman's gutty "Muhammad Ali" for Thomas Gainsborough's precocious "Blue Boy." In this game, profit and piety are equal motivators. That's likely the case here, with a limited set of 39 prints available, signed by both artist and subject, for $3,000 each (the original painting is listed for $20,000).

But Holland gets it. He's not painting a nobel laureate, he's painting a quarterback, beloved for his brawn and might. If brawn is what you value, this might look great hanging next to your big-screen TV.