James Michael Stella was born and raised in South Philadelphia. A graduate of Temple University with a degree in art education, he taught studio art and computer graphics at the secondary level for 44 years.
Now dedicated to his own artistic practice, James works primarily on paper in a variety of media, including graphite, colored pencil, acrylic, and mixed media. His work explores a wide range of subject matter and styles.
His most recent series features paper cast reliefs created from paper pulp. These three-dimensional forms incorporate words, phrases, slang expressions, numbers, symbols, and questions—drawn from the language of contemporary society.
James has presented solo exhibitions at several local galleries and has participated in numerous local and national juried and group shows. His work has earned multiple awards, including the DaVinci Award from the DaVinci Art Alliance (Philadelphia), and is represented in both private and corporate collections.Â