Frederick (Ted) Stanuga's varied career has brought him full circle. The path began during his youth when the San Francisco Expressionists attracted his attention. After leaving the US Marine Corps, he entered the College of Great Falls, Montana. There, under the tutelage of Jack Franjevic, he delved into the ideas of the Russian and New York Abstract painters. Later, he attended The Art Institute of Chicago where his mentor, Tom Kapsalis continued to encourage him. An assistantship as a printmaker with Landfall Press and a Fellowship post in Sweden were rounded out with the pursuit of sculpture as a form of expression. Stanuga has shown nationally with specific note of the Contemporary Museum of Art, Chicago and The Museum of Modern Art , San Francisco. He has also curated special exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center and the National Vietnam Veterans Museum in Chicago.
It is important to note that Stanuga was originally trained in the naturalist and chiaroscuro techniques of drawing. He has considered himself a realist, but has experimented with abstraction since his students days. Being rooted in mid 20th century artistic thought, his work has moved from its realism days just prior to 1985 to a period of transition and in depth exploration into the nature of Abstract Expressionism that ended in late 1990's. As a result today, his works voice a complete renewal in a dynamic Expressionism that can leave the viewer awestruck.