Stephen Schultz earned an MFA degree from Stanford in 1974 after completing undergraduate work at the Rhode Island School of Design and the San Francisco Art Institute.

Schultz has been the recipient of numerous awards including: a Tiffany Foundation Fellowship, Fulbright Foundation Fellowship, and a WESTAF/NEA grant. He has had solo exhibitions in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Boise, Scottsdale/Tucson, the Paris Gibson Museum in Great Falls, the Spokane Civic Center, the Salt Lake Art Center, the Museum of Art and Culture in Spokane, WA, Daniel Besseiche Gallery in Paris, North Idaho College, and the Verena Foundation in Hydra, Greece. Schultz has taught painting and drawing at Stanford, the University of Iowa, the University of Washington, the American Academy in Rome, and the University of Fine Arts in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He currently lives and works in North Idaho.