Monday, August 14, 2023

Artist of the Day, August 14, 2023: Michael Shane Neal, an American portrait artist (#1878)

Michael Shane Neal (1968) is an American portrait artist who currently serves as the chairman of the Portrait Society of America. In 2020, Neal's painting of Congressman John Lewis was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery as a part of their permanent exhibit entitled "The Struggle for Justice." Neal has created official portraits for the United States Capitol of U.S. Senator Arthur Vandenberg, former Majority Leader and U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, 10th Architect of the Capitol Alan Hantman, and over 400 works of art depicting various public figures. Commissions include Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor for the Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law at Arizona State University, former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham for the Department of Energy, and U.S. Senator Arlen Specter for Yale Law School.

Neal's commission to paint Senator Arthur Vandenberg for the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. was the first portrait of its kind to be added to the Senate Reception Room in nearly 50 years. Neal received the commission at age 32, making him among the youngest artists ever commissioned by the United States Senate.

A protégé of the nation's leading portrait artist Everett Raymond Kinstler, Neal exhibited alongside Kinstler in a 2003 show entitled Realism Now: Mentors and Protégées at America's oldest gallery, The Vose Galleries, in Boston, Massachusetts. Neal was listed among 20 rising stars in the world of art by American Artist.

His work has been featured in publications such as American Artist, International Artist, Artist's Sketchbook, The Artist's Magazine, Art News, Fine Art Connoisseur, Roll Call, The Hill, and AskMen.com. Neal has been elected to membership to the National Arts Club, Allied Artists of America, Audubon Artists of America, and Portrait Society of America. He is represented in notable commissions by Portraits, Inc.

© 2023. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Michael Shane Neal or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only 

Michael Shane Neal
Alan Hantman, American architect
Ambassador Paul H. Nitze
Charles Rivkin, United States Ambassador to France
Christian Herter, 53rd U.S. Secretary of State
Chuck Widger
Donald Maiocco
Dr. William M. Keane, Jefferson University Physician
John Seigenthaler
Judge Edward Becker
Judge Gilbert Merritt
President Theodore Roosevelt
Reverend James C. Dant
Richard Ormond, Author
Sandra Day O'Connor, Former Supreme Court Justice
Kathleen Estes
Linda Macilwaine
Sir John Leighton, Edinburgh, Scotland
Steve Bell, Chairman and CEO Steven D. Bell & Company
The Honorable George Paine, Chief Justice, U.S. Bankruptcy Court
the honorable John Lewis
the honorable John Lewis
The Honorable Phil Bredesen, Governor of the State of Tennessee
Humphrey Bogart, Actor
Jimmy Fallon
John Barrymore, Actor
Morgan Freeman, Actor
Sir Winston Churchill
Jon Meacham

 

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