Harold M. "Hal" Stevens

Hal was a graduate of Western Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio and a cum laude graduate from Ohio Wesleyan University where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Delta Epsilon, journalist honorary, and was a member of Delta Tau Delta social fraternity. He served a tour of duty as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, including a year in Iceland, returning to work in the Columbus printing industry at Heer Printing, National Graphics and Watkins Printing. He married JoAnn Herboltzheimer in 1960 and together they raised two daughters, Lynn Stevens Bakker and Allyson Stevens. Registering an interest in book collecting, Hal established a graphic design studio designing 200 books for Ohio State University Press, as well as other university presses in Ohio and received 7 Awards for Design Excellence from the National Association of University Presses.

He was a founding member of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, as well as president of the Liturgical Art League of Ohio and President of Ohio Designer Craftsmen. In 1983 he received the Ohio Arts Council Governor's Award as Arts Administrator of the Year. Hal and his wife JoAnn, were avid collectors of American crafts. He established the Ohio Craft Museum and Ohio Designer Craftsmen Enterprises, a craft marketing corporation in Columbus, Ohio, and served as President for 24 years. In 1992 Hal and JoAnn received the Niche Magazine National Award for Excellence and in 1993 the Ohio Designer Craftsmen award for outstanding achievement. He was the founder and Director of the Columbus Winterfair for 24 years as well craft fairs in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Cleveland. Annie Glenn officially opened the first Columbus Winterfair. He established four "A Show of Hands" retail craft stores in malls in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.

Additionally he published the "National Crafts Buyers Guide" a wholesale directory mailed to 22,000 retail craft/gift stores nationally and distributed at the New York Gift Show. Working and coaching with craftsmen to develop financially stable careers was especially rewarding to him. As an "Aid to Artisans" consultant he traveled to Romania, Kazakhstan and Mexico to advise artisans. Over the years Hal served on the boards of the: Greater Columbus Arts Council, Ohio Designer Craftsmen, The Liturgical Arts Guild of Ohio, The National Crafts Showroom New York, The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster, Glass Axis in Columbus and as an Arts Commissioner for Upper Arlington.

He will be greatly missed by his wife JoAnn Stevens, daughters Allyson Stevens and Lynn Stevens Bakker (Neil); granddaughter Lauren Bakker; brother Robert Stevens (Sylvia) and his children Julie Stevens, Suzanne Stevens Aaron (Rob) nephew Thomas Aaron.

In addition to his parents, Hal was preceded in death by nephew Robbie Stevens.

Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

In honor of Hal contributions may be made to Friends of the Cultural Arts Center Columbus, Ohio to the Instructor Development Fund or the Columbus Museum of Art to the George Bellows collection and future acquisitions.

Arrangements entrusted to SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST.