Stephen Czoka (1897-1989) was born in Gardony, Hungary and attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest from 1922–1927, where he established himself as a prominent Hungarian painter. In 1934, Czoka arrived in the United States with his wife, Margaret. However, his arrival in America at the depths of the Depression was less than auspicious. The art establishment was not yet open to foreign artists and Czoka spent nearly eight years as a house painter in Brooklyn. Undaunted, he continued to paint and make etchings.
In 1940, Czoka submitted several paintings to the annual Washington Square outdoor exhibition. When he won the grand prize, he found a patron at the Contemporary Arts Gallery in New York, which mounted his first solo exhibition in America. Czoka’s work, especially his paintings and etchings, earned him status in the professional art community and membership in the National Academy of Design, the Society of American Graphic Artists, the Audubon Artists Association, and the Pastel Society of America. He also taught at the Parsons School of Design, Hunter College, City College, the National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts, and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
