Stephen Canneto, Public Artist and Director of ArtSafe

Stephen is a public artist whose work helps to save lives. In 1967, he designed his first memorial, in Israel, honoring victims of the Six-Day War. Since then, he has created public art and memorials that celebrate the spirit of life for individuals, institutions, cities and states.

The work of Stephen’s ArtSafe Foundation has helped transform the lives of countless children. Stephen’s art is in public, corporate and private collections in Germany, Israel, Russia, Spain and across the US. Stephen has been awarded the Arts Freedom Award, the Beaux Arts Liturgical Award, Ohio’s Gold Star Award, American Association of Landscape Architects Design Recognition, and Rotary’s Service Above Self Award.

In 1995, Stephen became the founding Director of Art for a Child's Safe America Foundation.

“ArtSafe is dedicated to changing the lives of troubled kids through the arts. ArtSafe targets "at risk" kids in their schools, neighborhoods, juvenile and adult prisons. We help young people heal from the effects of violence, discover their skills, talents and give them the tools to learn how to deal with anger, avoid getting into trouble and create meaningful lives. “

ArtSafe provides nationally recognized arts based programs for incarcerated youth and children living at-risk of poverty and violence.  ArtSafe’s curriculum is recognized as “Best Practice” by the US Department of Justice and called “Outstanding” National Endowment for the Arts.

Stephen has given his time as: a Rotarian, trustee to Operation Hope and Health, volunteer for his local civic association, arts adviser to the State of Ohio, and as mentor to young students.

“The consolation for life’s brevity is its width - and, the opportunities it provides us to reinvent ourselves.”

Stephen collaborates with owners, design professionals, production teams, and the public to bring identity, meaning, and enjoyment to the spaces we occupy.