Steven Richard Durland

Steve Durland—writer, visual artist, editor, nonprofit leader, and devoted partner to artist and cultural organizer Linda Frye Burnham, passed away on March 11th, with Linda by his side.
Through his work as a writer, artist, and editor, he helped document and champion experimental performance and interdisciplinary art at a time when much of it lived outside the mainstream. His essays and interviews gave voice to artists who were redefining what art could be—work that engaged politics, identity, community, and everyday life.
Together with Linda Frye Burnham, Steve was an integral part of a generation that helped nurture the field of performance and socially engaged art. Their partnership—creative, intellectual, and deeply personal—formed a powerful force behind countless projects, conversations, and gatherings. Steve was not someone who sought the spotlight; instead, he cultivated it for others.
For many artists and cultural workers, time with Steve felt like entering a living archive of stories about the evolution of contemporary art and performance from his lived experiences building up High Performance magazine, 18th Street Arts Center, Highways Performance Space, Art in the Public Interest, and his own art practices. Steve was an unsung hero for his talent in quietly shaping the foundation that allowed cultural initiatives to thrive long after the initial idea took root.
Above all, Steve was devoted to Linda, whose visionary work he supported with unwavering care and partnership. Together they built a life rooted in art, friendship, and community.
Steve’s legacy lives on not only in his writing and artwork, but in the artists, institutions, and conversations he helped sustain.
His fingerprints are everywhere and forever in the foundation of 18th Street. We are grateful for all the time the ancestors gave us with him and wish him a joyous return home. He will be deeply missed and warmly remembered by family, friends, artists, and the many people whose lives he touched through his generosity of spirit.