Window To Another World
By Jill Duff-Hoppes
Steve Korshak has lived in a fantasy world since he was a kid growing up in Chicago.
It’s not that Steve, now a Maitland resident, is actually out of touch with reality. He just has a passion that’s out of this world – Steve is an avid collector of fantasy/science-fiction artwork, and he enjoys sharing his prized collection with others.
Selections from his Korshak Collection: Illustrations of Imaginative Literature have been exhibited at more than a dozen museums, galleries, and other venues in the United States, Spain, and Japan.
“I loved the beauty and creativity of this artwork – it spoke to me,” says the 71-yearold Steve, who officially began collecting in 1984.
A resident of Central Florida since ‘88, Steve is an attorney, real-estate developer, art collector and dealer, author, and amateur magician. His late father, Erle Korshak, was a sci-fi book publisher and had many connections in that field. As a result, Steve wound up with original paintings created by fantasy artists hanging in his childhood bedroom.
One piece especially resonated with the young Steve – a 1941 illustration for The City of Mummies, written by Edgar Rice Burroughs (best known for creating the character Tarzan). The gouache-onpaper illustration by J. Allen St. John was originally featured on the cover of Amazing Stories, a classic pulp magazine of the day. The artwork depicts the character John Carter on Mars battling a four-armed green Martian who is riding an eight-legged horse-like creature known as a thoat.
“I used to imagine myself in this scene,” says Steve, whose wide-eyed enthusiasm for fantasy art is almost palpable. “What I liked is that the city is in a soft focus, so you don’t really know what it looks like. But I think that makes it more interesting.”
The image that originally inspired Steve Korshak.
DEPTH AND BREADTH
Over the decades, Steve and his wife, Alma, have acquired more than 100 original paintings, drawings, and etchings – most of which were first published in books and magazines. These works fall under the overall umbrella of fantasy art, which can then be divided into subgenres such as sci-fi, horror, and adventure.
More than 50 pioneering artists are represented in the collection including major names such as N.C. Wyeth, Frank E. Schoonover, and Frank Frazetta. Some of the artists are American; others are European. The oldest piece dates back to 1863 and the most recent was created in 2004.
Steve’s strategy with his collection is to acquire seminal fantasy art, like illustrations for works by authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and H.G. Wells; plus pieces that depict memorable characters such as Don Quixote and Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
“It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality,” says Steve. “Collecting gives a richness to your life, and in our case, it adds a sense of wonder about the world.
ART IN MOTION
Unlike some art collectors, Steve and Alma don’t squirrel away their acquisitions or treat them as mere investments. They prominently display many of the pieces in their own home and have exhibited their collection publicly since 2009.
“We wanted to give back,” says Steve. “We want to enjoy our paintings, but we also want to share them and bring younger people in and introduce them to a lot of these artists.”
The Korshak Collection made its debut at the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park, where it was a big hit. Last year, the collection was exhibited at the 80th World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago, where Steve’s father was posthumously honored for his contributions to the sci-fi field. Earlier this year, many of the illustrations were featured at a museum in Bozeman, Montana. And in 2025, the collection will be exhibited at the University of Delaware.
In addition to collecting art, Steve has coauthored several books about influential fantasy artists including Margaret Brundage and Hannes Bok. Steve’s book about Bok features a foreword by none other than author Ray Bradbury, who wrote the dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451.
The Korshaks have been in talks to eventually donate the majority of their collection to a university with the understanding that the art would tour at least once a year. The remaining pieces would be bequeathed to their four children.
The collection has brought the couple joy and afforded them the opportunity to travel, not only to acquire new pieces but also to make guest appearances at venues where the artwork has been displayed. Along the way, the Korshaks have met intriguing artists and collectors and developed close friendships with them.
“There’s always an amazing story behind each and every one of these paintings,” says Alma. “That’s what’s so exciting about this.”
Adds Steve, “We’re trying to change the world in our own little way. If you can turn on someone’s sense of wonder, that’s a wonderful thing.”
To learn more, visit KorshakCollection.com.
Story was originally published in print in Summer 2023.