1958–2020
Founder of Steffich Fine Art, Professional Musician, Community Legend

Born in East Vancouver in 1958 and raised among hockey rinks, concerts, the PNE, and a rotating cast of East End characters, Matthew Thomas Steffich grew up with a guitar in one hand and mischief in the other. After being famously expelled from Catholic school—a badge he wore like a medal—Matt devoted himself to music, eventually studying in Toronto and touring with bands such as The Pinkertons, Roadwork, and his beloved Fins.

Before Salt Spring Island claimed him, he worked the door at Vancouver’s iconic Yale Hotel, where regulars christened him “Door Matt”—a nickname he found endlessly hilarious and wore with pride. He was tall, sharp-witted, and impossible to forget. If he liked you, you’d know it instantly. If he didn’t… well, that was rare, and always deserved.

In 1992, Matt moved to Salt Spring Island and opened Thunderbird Gallery, later renamed Steffich Fine Art. He claimed (incorrectly and quite theatrically) to “know nothing about art.”
But what he did know—better than almost anyone—was people.

He had an uncanny gift for making strangers feel like old friends, for making the smallest visitor feel ten feet tall, and for transforming a quiet afternoon into a room full of laughter. He became, unofficially but unanimously, the Mayor of Salt Spring, a man who could sell a painting, fix a crisis, crack a joke, and pour a glass of wine—all without breaking stride.

Matt saw the best in others long before they saw it in themselves. He championed artists, mentored young salespeople, and welcomed every walk of life through the gallery doors. His longtime collaborator John Bateman joined him on the legendary GI Radio Show, where their improvisational wit filled over 200 episodes—now treasured recordings documenting a golden era of pure island banter.

His two sons, Austin and Dakota, were the light of his life. His wife Christine was his anchor, travel partner, co-conspirator, and best friend. His siblings—Mike, Mark, Kathy, and Steve—remained a source of lifelong humour and pride. And his mother, Maggie, remains a figure Kaeli (and many others) dearly wish they’d met, based on the myths alone.

For Matt, the pinnacle of his professional world—other than building the gallery—was meeting Norval Morrisseau, guided by mentor Pete Oler Sr. That moment shifted the direction of his life and concretized his reverence for Indigenous art and the cultural responsibility of representing it with integrity.

Matt passed away in his gallery in 2020 - as he humourously predicted o' so many times, surrounded by the work he loved, after 27 unforgettable years of shaping Steffich Fine Art into one of Canada’s most respected independent art spaces. His legacy lives on in every artist he supported, every collector he charmed, and every ripple of laughter that still echoes through the gallery walls.

If you asked him for a mission statement?
He once said it best:
“Sell more art!”
A simple line—but behind it was a philosophy of generosity, human connection, and joy.

Steffich Fine Art continues in that spirit:
with humour, heart, and wide-open doors.