Steve Trumpeter was a late bloomer to the visual arts, having first immersed himself in the study of oil painting in his early 40s. He uses traditional oil painting methods to explore subjects both urban and wild, focusing primarily on landscapes and cityscapes. His Tennessee upbringing led him to an appreciation of natural spaces, while nearly three decades in Chicago have exposed him to architectural beauty and diverse influences. He is especially fond of exploring scenes that illustrate the harmony that can be found in the juxtaposition of the natural and metropolitan. 

Steve is also an award-winning short story writer and frequently teaches creative writing classes at StoryStudio Chicago. His first published short story “Sky Boys” won Chicago Reader’s 2012 Pure Fiction contest. Since then, his work has also appeared in The Southern Review, Chicago Tribune, Hobart, Salamander, Chicago Quarterly Review, and many others. His story “A Pamphlet for This” was a finalist for the Chicago Tribune’s 2019 Nelson Algren Award, and “You Would Set Your Jaws Upon My Throat” came in 2nd for Zoetrope: All-Story’s 2019 fiction contest, judged by Tommy Orange. He’s also been a finalist in fiction contests run by Glimmer Train, Third Coast, Sycamore Review and Beloit Fiction Journal and has been nominated for three Pushcart Prizes. He teaches writing classes at StoryStudio Chicago and was the former co-host of “Fictlicious,” a quarterly live-lit and music series at the Hideout.

A lifelong musician, he grew up playing saxophone before taking up bass, guitar, keys, drums and yes, even a few months’ worth of trumpet lessons. He played most of those instruments and shared the songwriting duties in The Infrasonics from 2000-2011, recording two albums and playing dozens of shows in the Chicagoland area.

By day, Steve is an IT exec in the financial industry. He lives in Chicago, Illinois with his wife, Kathryn, and their cat, Talisker.