Ron Stenberg was born in Auckland in 1919 and at the age of 12 was accepted into the Elam School of Art in recognition of his exceptional artistic ability. He was tutored by A.J.C. Fisher, John Weeks, and Ida Eise.
In the late 30’s and early 40’s the name of Stenberg appears in the Art in New Zealand publications as ‘showing excellent work’, full of merit’ and ‘a strong control of the brush.’
After the war Stenberg became a council member of the Auckland Society of Arts, with James Turkington, John Tole, John Weeks Ida Eise and Lois White. In 1954 he went to Sweden then to Scotland where he became Senior Lecturer and Head of Department at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. Here he remained until his retirement in 1984. During this period he met Francis McCracken and Graham Munro, the latter having travelled with John Weeks to Morocco.
During Steinberg’s 30 years in Scotland he exhibited with the Royal Scottish Academy, The Royal Scottish Watercolour Society, The Glasgow Institute and The Royal Society of British Artists, London.
He has worked in the National Gallery of New Zealand and the Melbourne National Gallery.
Solo and Group Exhibitions were held in Scotland, Sweden, London and New York.
Military Artist with the First Battalion of the Black Watch (Germany) 1968. In 1968 he was commissioned to record the uniforms and weapons of the Black Watch Battalion during their last days in Germany.
Founding member of the Association of Illustrators (London). For many years he was a book illustrator for the London Publishers and feature illustrator for the Scottish Daily Express. Elected to MSIAD (London) 1969.
Stenberg Returned to New Zealand in the 1990’s and is the last remaining member of the Rutland Group
Stenberg is now living on the North Shore and is still actively involved in his field of art.