Stuart Nielsen began his career as a painter in the 1970's. His large abstract, patterned and eccentrically shaped paintings on fiberglass, a process he pioneered, were widely collected and exhibited.

A two-time recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, Nielsen has also received fellowships from the Bush Foundation and the Minnesota State Arts Board. His work has been shown in more than ten solo exhibitions, and he has exhibited in countless group shows at spaces including the Bockley Gallery, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Walker Art Center. His work is in the collections of public and private institutions including the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Shearson-Lehman Brothers, IBM, Target Corporation, US Bank, and General Mills. His commissioned projects can be seen throughout the country.