Brief Biography

Stefan Salinas was born and raised in Houston, TX, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Houston in 1997. Since then, he has kept himself busy painting, writing and illustrating books and comics, and creating art for churches and public spaces and non-profit benefits. He now lives in San Francisco.

His children’s book titles including A Muslim Family’s Chair for the Pope, celebrating a true story of interfaith peace, and one celebrating architecture, featuring churches all over San Francisco, in Catholic Churches Big and Small. His books for teenagers and adults include The Concert and the Closet, addressing depression, spiritual inspiration as well as gay Christians. In the cartoon book Grief and Anger, he explored the element of anger that resides within the grieving process. In 2020, he posted the 68-episode web comic The Sacramental Father Dom, about a 65-year-old priest in a fictional city modelled after San Francisco. His public art includes painted processional banners, murals, a tile mural, and even a design for a stained glass window. They can be found on the University of San Francisco campus, and inside and outside four churches and a convent.

I am available to visit your school, library, business, church, mosque, etc. Feel free to contact me!

CLIENTS

Clients include: The Jesuit Post, The Progressive Magazine, Network Lobby, First Unitarian Universalist churches in Houston & San Francisco, Blind Vietnamese Children Foundation, St. Vincent de Paul Society, St. Philip the Apostle Church, Church of the Visitacion, Most Holy Redeemer Church, St. Stephen’s Parish, St. Agnes Parish, St. Philip the Apostle Church, San Francisco.

Biography

1972 Born in Houston, TX.
1997 Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Houston.
2000 Moved to San Francisco, CA.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1999 The One Who Sits and Waits. Commerce St. Artists Warehouse, Houston, TX.

2002-2003 People/Personae. Beyond Expectations Café, San Francisco, CA.

2004 Spirits and Archetypes. Kings Gallery at First Unitarian Universalist Church, San Francisco, CA.

2004-2005 Representations. UCSF Alumni House, San Francisco, CA.

2006 Nocturnes and Anthems. Beyond Expectations Café, San Francisco, CA.

2016 San Francisco Public Library, Main Branch, San Francisco, CA.

2017 San Francisco Public Library, Main Branch, San Francisco, CA.

2017 Red Hill Station Restaurant, San Francisco, CA.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1993 12-Person Show at Commerce Street Artists Warehouse, Houston, TX.

1994 The Big Show. Lawndale Art Performance Center, Houston, TX.

1996 Hope and Horror in the Ashes of Yugoslavia. Bosniac Cultural Center, New York, NY.

1998 Main Street Voyeur (in correlation with Fotofest). Not Su Oh, Houston, TX.

1999 Multimedia 99. Commerce St. Artists Warehouse, Houston, TX.

1999 The Big Show. Lawndale Art Performance Center, Houston, TX.

2002 Gods and Goddesses. First Unitarian Universalist Church, San Francisco, CA.

CHURCH & PUBLIC COMMISSIONS

2013 Icon of the Holy Spirit Descending. Church of the Visitacion, San Francisco, CA.

2014 Altar Rails featuring the Four Evangelists. Constructed with Toan Tieu, Church of the Visitacion, San Francisco, CA.

2014 St. Francis Stained Glass Window. Constructed with Hogan Studios, St. Philip the Apostle Church, San Francisco, CA.

2015 Catholic School Processional Mural, St. Philip the Apostle Church, San Francisco, CA.

2015 Tile Mural of the Visitation. Constructed with Tile Mural Creative Arts, Jesus Lara & Miguel Campos, Church of the Visitacion, San Francisco, CA.

2018 Processional Banner. Constructed with Quong Sing Shop, St. Agnes Church, San Francisco, CA.

2018 Processional Banner. Constructed with Liz TerboLizard, Most Holy Redeemer Church, San Francisco, CA.

2018 Outdoor Sign. Constructed with HD supply, St. Stephen’s Church, San Francisco, CA.

2019 Baptistery Mural. St. Stephen’s Church, San Francisco, CA.

2022 Painting celebrating Laudato Si’, University Ministry Office, University Of San Francisco, CA

2023 Cross, Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity, San Francisco, CA

Bibliography

BOOKS

Titles written and illustrated by Stefan Salinas

Catholic Churches Big and Small. San Francisco, Camelopardalis, 2014.

The Concert and the Closet. San Francisco, Camelopardalis, 2020.

Grief and Anger. San Francisco, Camelopardalis, 2021.

I Am Nano Nagle. San Francisco, Camelopardalis, 2023.

A Muslim Family’s Chair for the Pope. San Francisco, Camelopardalis, 2017.

Stefan Salinas: Works On Canvas, On Paper, In Churches, And In Books. Camelopardalis, 2021.

Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day. San Francisco, Camelopardalis, 2018.

Within the Rat. San Francisco, Camelopardalis, 2010. — AWARD: 2009 Xeric Grant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xeric_grant_winners#2009

Titles illustrated by Stefan Salinas

Castle, Nathan G., OP. Afterlife, Interrupted, Book Three: Please Let Me Explain. Tucson, Fluid Creations, Inc., 2023. (Text page illustrations)

Castle, Nathan G., OP. Afterlife, Interrupted, Book Two: Helping Souls Cross Over. Tucson, Fluid Creations, Inc., 2020. (Text page illustrations)

Dohar, Bill, and McCarthy, Tom, authors. Dark Sonnet. Las Vegas, De Profundis, 2022. (Illustration on page 50)

Gilger, S.J., Patrick, editor. The Jesuit Post: #Faith #God #Frontiers #Culture #Mystery #Love. New York, Orbis Books, 2014. (Text page illustrations)

WEBCOMIC

The Sacramental Father Dom. San Francisco, Camelopardalis, 2019-2020.

TELEVISION

Mosaic. “Interviews of Ameena Jandali and Stefan Salinas” Hugh Burroughs, host, CBS. Aired June 8, 2014 on CBS KPIX 5, San Francisco. http://archive.org/details/KPIX_20140608_120000_Mosaic/start/1020/end/1080

Novi Dan. “Knjiga o Hajderovcima obavezan udžbenik u SAD-u? (A book about the Hadjerovacs is a mandatory textbook in the USA?).” Faruk Međedović, writer, United Group. Aired June 13, 2017 on N1, Sarajevo. https://ba.n1info.com/kultura/a169134-hajderovac-o-izradi-papine-stolice/?fbclid=IwAR1

Ten Percent. “David Perry speaks with Stefan Salinas.” David Perry, host, David Perry & Associates. Aired August 4, 2010, on Comcast Hometown Network, San Francisco. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjiemA_ExRo

Ties of Faith. Season 2. “Stefan Salinas” Ervin DeSmet, host, Shalom World. Aired July 4, 2016, on Shalom World TV, Rancho Cordova. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCD_qFxuR4I

PRINT AND ONLINE PERIODICALS

Bean, Alan. “Last Call for Aging White Evangelicals.” Friends of Justice blog, 12 January 2020. https://friendsofjustice.blog/2020/01/12/last-call-for-aging-white-evangelicals/

Biddick, Anamaría Scaperlanda. “Catholic Churches Big and Small, Introduction for Children.” Sooner Catholic, 30, Nov. 2014, P. 10.

Bryson, Jennifer S., Ph.D. “What A Muslim Family’s Chair for the Pope Teaches Children about Catholic-Muslim Relations” Public Discourse, the journal of the Witherspoon Institute 13 Aug. 2017. https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2017/08/19926/

Cherry, Kittredge, Rev. “AIDS spiritual resources: Art and books connect Christ, saints and HIV on World AIDS Day.” Qspirit, 1 Dec. 2020. https://qspirit.net/aids-spiritual-resources/?fbclid=IwAR12hp31gzK4fcKne3dq5NxWvjK6fOKlqh2sGdBoRrzx9vj4apGv4zGnN8I

Cherry, Kittredge, Rev. “Top 30 LGBTQ Christian books of 2020 named.” Qspirit, 9 Dec. 2020. https://qspirit.net/top-lgbtq-christian-books-2020/

Connection, NETWORK’s quarterly magazine, July 2018, Back cover.

Cooney, Christine. “Book review: Catholic Churches Big and Small.” Epiphanies of Beauty (Catholic Sense Media), 7 July 2012. http://epiphaniesofbeauty.com/2014/07/07/book-review-catholic-churches-big-and-small-by-stefan-salinas/

DelVecchio, Rick. “ ‘MUNI Francis’: Pope of the people inspires Catholic graphic artist.” Catholic San Francisco, 12 April 2013, P. 2.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. “Fixated on Growth.” The Progressive, March 2008, P. 12.

Gray, Christina. “Abandoned Baptistery Reclaimed with Mural of Christ’s Baptism.” Catholic San Francisco, 13 Feb. 2020, P. 4.

Gray, Christina. “Convert Commissioned to Paint New School Mural.” Catholic San Francisco, 14 August 2015, P. 24.

Gray, Christina. “Convert Creates Book on Church Architecture.” Catholic San Francisco, 4 July, 2014, P. 3. Re-issued under the title “Where’s Waldo for Catholics.” California Catholic Daily, 22, July 2014. https://www.cal-catholic.com/wheres-waldo-for-catholics/

Gray, Christina. “Painter, Carpenter Create Altar Rails in Church of the Visitacion.” Catholic San Francisco, 26 Sept. 2014, P. 21.

Gray, Christina. “Parishioner-Artist Publishes Book about Muslim Carpenters’ Gift to Pope Francis.” Catholic San Francisco, 7 Feb. 2017, P. 3.

“Independent Press Listings.” New York Review of Books, Mar. 2014.

“Interfaith Event at Smalltown.” Castro Valley Forum, 5 Feb. 2020.

Karen. “Book Review: Catholic Churches Big and Small.” Karen’s Adventures in Mommyland, 21 Jan. 2015. http://kareninmommyland.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-catholic-churches-big-and.html

Lordan, Regina. “This summer explore nature, poetry, saints with new children’s books.” Catholic News Service (also featured in The Boston Pilot, Catholic Courier, Catholic Philly & The Visitor), 2 June 2017. https://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=179951

Meat & Skin. “Art Crawl ’99 review.” Houston’s Other, 7, Nov. 1999, P. 13.

“Nonfiction: The Buzz on Bees, Dipping into Chocolate | June 2017 Xpress Reviews.” School Library Reviews, June 2017. Now under the title: “A Muslim Family’s Chair for the Pope: A True Story from Bosnia and Herzegovina” https://www.slj.com/review/a-muslim-familys-chair-for-the-pope-a-true-story-from-bosnia-and-herzegovina

Obrenović, Mladen. “Stolica za papu iz BiH motiv za dječiju knjigu u SAD-u (A chair for the Pope from BiH is a motif for a children's book in the USA).” Al Jazeera Balkans, 7, Feb 2017. https://balkans.aljazeera.net/teme/2017/2/7/stolica-za-papu-iz-bih-motiv-za-djeciju-knjigu-u-sad-u

Pitas, Jeannine M. “World Builder.” U.S. Catholic, Aug. 2022, p. 45-46. Online title: “Stefan Salinas uses art to connect with Catholic ‘outsiders’.” https://uscatholic.org/articles/202208/stefan-salinas-uses-art-to-connect-with-catholic-outsiders/

Powell-Deschamps, Michael Orion. “Interview With Bay Area Catholic Author Stefan Salinas.” Radical Second Things, 9 June 2017. http://radicalsecondthings.blogspot.com/2017/06/interview-with-bay-area-catholic-author.html , http://radicalsecondthings.blogspot.com/2017/06/interview-with-bay-area-catholic-author_8.html

“Priča o muslimanima koji su napravili stolicu papi Franji pretvorena u dječiju knjigu (The story of the Muslims who made the chair of Pope Francis turned into a children's book).” Klix Magazine, 7 Feb. 2017. https://www.klix.ba/magazin/zanimljivosti/prica-o-muslimanima-koji-su-napravili-stolicu-papi-franji-pretvorena-u-djeciju-knjigu/170207028

Salinas, Stefan. “The Path to Writing a Children’s Book about Muslims and Christians” Medium, 30 May 2017. https://medium.com/@stefansalinas/this-is-ecumenical-this-is-sorely-needed-in-our-world-today-said-linda-the-gift-shop-manager-e7e49c97a27e

Shea, Mark. “A Muslim Family’s Chair for the Pope.” Patheos, 12 Aug. 2017. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/markshea/2017/08/muslim-familys-chair-pope.html

“Something to Read – A Parade in June.” San Francisco Examiner, 24 June, 2012. P. 2.

Tierney, Kendra. “A Book You Should Know: An Interview and Giveaway with Stefan Salinas of Catholic Churches Big and Small.” Catholic All Year, 10, Sept. 2014. https://catholicallyear.com/blog/a-book-you-should-know-interview-and/