Shoosty® History

Stephen Shooster, known professionally as Shoosty®, is an American fine artist, luxury designer, author, and technologist born in 1958 in Chester, Pennsylvania. A multi-genre creator, Shooster has maintained a prolific artistic practice spanning over five decades while building a successful career in technology and business. His work encompasses painting, digital art, conceptual pieces, and applied designs, often exploring themes of music, landscapes, insects, and cultural history. Shooster coined the term "Chromatic Fusionism" to describe his signature style, which integrates vibrant color, shape, and technology with influences from nature, travel, tribal cultures, and music.

Early Life and Education

Born the third of four children to Herman and Dorothy Shooster, first-generation Jewish Americans of Ukrainian descent, Shooster grew up in a family environment that valued hard work and creativity. He attended Cherry Hill East High School (1973–1974) and Hollywood Hills High School (1975–1976) before enrolling at the University of Florida (1976–1982), where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) with a minor in Architecture.

Shooster continued self-directed advanced studies in digital tools and programming, mastering software such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat; Ruby on Rails; relational databases; Maya for 3D modeling and animation; and digital painting techniques. These skills later informed his fusion of traditional art with cutting-edge technology.

Career in Business and Technology

After graduating, Shooster joined his family's small telephone answering service, Ding-a-Ling Answering Service (1976–1985), which evolved into Communications Service Center (1985–1993) and eventually Global Response (1993–2019), a major customer experience management company. As Chief Technologist and co-CEO, he led technological innovations, including a patented web-based call center system integrating PSTN and TCP/IP networks (U.S. Patent No. 6188762, issued 1997). Under family leadership, Global Response grew to serve premium brands worldwide and was sold in 2019.

Parallel ventures included Global Response 3PL (1985–2020) and 777 Properties (2004–2020). Following the sale, Shooster returned full-time to art, founding Shoosty Publishing (2004–present) and expanding the Shoosty® brand.

Artistic Career and Exhibitions

Shooster has painted daily throughout his life, signing works under the nom de guerre "Shoosty®." His public installations include pieces at the University of Florida's Reitz Union, College of Art, and Judaica Library. Notable exhibitions include:

• Old School House, Deerfield (solo, 2004)
• Boca Museum, Plein Air Society of Palm Beach (group, 2018)
• 50-Year Retrospective, Shirley and Barton Weisman Community Center (solo, 2019)
• Shoosty Bugs, Mills Gallery, Orlando (solo, 2022)
• Shoosty Landscapes, Deerfield Beach Historic Society (solo, 2022–2023)
• The Art of Music, Orlando City Arts Center (group, 2023)
• Additional shows: Orlando Airport Fusion Gallery (2024); UF Innovation Center (2025); Sanford City Hall, Art in Chambers (2023)

A major upcoming exhibition, Shoosty Bugs: An Art Infestation, runs at the Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS), Daytona Beach, Florida, from April 5, 2025, to January 4, 2026, featuring large-scale silk prints of imaginative insects.

The "Shoosty Bugs" series originated during post-surgery recovery, drawing inspiration from ancient Egyptian scarabs and blending vector graphics with historical patterns. This whimsical collection has become a hallmark, extending into applied art on silk and luxury goods.

The Shoosty® Brand

Following his retirement from business, Shooster expanded Shoosty® into a luxury lifestyle brand applying his artwork to fashion, home goods, and collectibles. Offerings include menswear and womenswear (scarves, clothing, swimwear), Shoosty Living (upholstered furniture such as chairs and sofas, table linens including napkins, placemats, and runners), original paintings, and licensed products. The brand emphasizes "Wear the Art / Become the Movement," positioning itself in the opulent tradition of houses like Hermès and Versace.

Publications and Writing

A prolific author via Shoosty Publishing, Shooster has produced numerous books, including biographies, art catalogs, and thematic works:

• The Horse Adjutant (2011, story of Holocaust survivor Leon Schagrin, with interviews and podcasts on The Ted Show and Nicole Sandler Show)
• Dorothy (biography of his mother)
• Herman Shooster (biography of his father)
• Why Graduate?
• Shoosty Bugs
• The Art of Music
• Shoosty Landscapes
• Shoosty Bugs Coloring Book
• Multi-volume Shoosty Catalog Raisonné (1958–2023, documenting over 2,000 works across periods)

Many books are offered complimentary to collectors, fostering community and accessibility.

Legacy

Shooster's interdisciplinary career bridges art, technology, and storytelling, promoting empathy, creativity, and innovation. His work resides in public and private collections, and he continues to exhibit, publish, and expand the Shoosty® universe, inviting collectors to "live the dream" through art-infused daily life.