Yvette Stenzel Education and Biography
Born in Antibes, France, Yvette excelled in natural sciences, also liked
languages, literature and philosophy. She graduated from a French college
preparatory school with a Baccalaureate Degree in the Humanities. After one
year at the University of Strasbourg, France, Yvette was accepted as a
foreign exchange student to the United States. At the University of
Wisconsin, Madison, she earned a Master’s Degree in German Studies. While
supporting herself as a Teaching Assistant and working in the library, she
was recognized by an Excellence in Teaching Award. After her studies, Yvette
held a Lectureship teaching French and German at the University of Wisconsin
campus in Stevens Point. She also taught at the Chapin School in New York
City before moving to the Boston area. She taught at the Winsor School for
girls and became Department Head for Modern Languages. In 2000 Yvette became
an American citizen. Yvette lives in Boston with her husband Ronald Agel.
Surrounded by the enthusiasm her parents shared for horticulture , music and
literature, Yvette began to develop her own artistic language; she kept many
drawing journals filled with vivid colors, pressed flowers, bright collages
and sketches of whatever she was studying. Her grandfather’s devotion to
country life and deep reverence of nature further instilled in her the
beginnings of what was to become a lifelong engagement with the natural
word. Art became an intimate part of her life. Over the years, Yvette has
pursued photography, art history, ceramics, poetry and painting with both an
insatiable curiosity and passionate drive. She has taken many art classes
and still does at the New Art Center in Newton, the St. George Gallery and
the Museum of Fine Art in Boston. She was fortunate to study with a number
of mentoring teachers such as Kate Finnegan, William Lawrence, John Murray,
Marlene Oliver and renowned Boston artist William St. George. An innovative
artist, Yvette works in diverse media and is not limiting herself to one
style. Yvette’s uncompromising commitment to her art is evident; she decided
to overcome her deep fear of horses, took up horseback riding so she could
experience their power and grace in order to paint them with greater
feeling. Perhaps behind every fear there is a fascination. By suggesting
both drama and some mysterious ambiguity, Yvette’s canvasses and poetry
beckon us to a journey through landscapes full of dynamic sensuality and
assertive optimism. Her lush vibrant palettes and imagery, her bold,
energetic brushstrokes keep us company in what are at times solitary,
expansive places meant to evoke our own personal response to the often
insular yet turbulent world around us.
Her paintings have been exhibited in numerous galleries including the St.
George Gallery on Newbury Street in Boston, and her poetry has been
published in Dasoku, a journal of arts and letters from the Boston based
Kaji Aso Studio.
References available upon request.