Michael Shane Neal
Encyclopedia
Michael Shane Neal is an American
portrait artist. Neal has created official portraits for the United States Capitol of U.S. Senator Arthur Vandenburg, 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. Recent current 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 University 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 the 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
portrait artist. Neal has created official portraits for the United States Capitol of U.S. Senator Arthur Vandenburg, 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. Recent current commissions include Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
for the Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law at Arizona State University, former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham
Spencer Abraham
Edmund Spencer Abraham is a former United States Senator from Michigan. He served as the tenth United States Secretary of Energy, serving under President George W. Bush. Abraham is one of the founders of the Federalist Society....
for the Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
, and U.S. Senator Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
for Yale University Law School.
Background
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
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 the 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
Roll Call
Roll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States, from Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and on Mondays only during recess. Roll Call reports news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of...
, The Hill
The Hill
The Hill may refer to:* The Hill , a 1905 school novel by Horace Annesley Vachell* The Hill , a 1965 war film starring Sean Connery* The Hill * The Hill , a daily newspaper covering the U.S...
, and AskMen.com
AskMen.com
AskMen.com is a free online men’s web portal, with international versions in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.-History:...
. Neal has been elected to membership to the National Arts Club
National Arts Club
The National Arts Club is a private club in Gramercy Park, New York City, New York, USA. It was founded in 1898 to "stimulate, foster, and promote public interest in the arts and to educate the American people in the fine arts". Since 1906 the organization has occupied the Samuel J...
, Allied Artists of America, Audubon Artists of America, and Portrait Society of America.
Awards
- 2000 First Place Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition
- 2001 Grand Prize Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition
- 2004 Catherine Lorilland Wolfe Award from the National Arts Club
- 2004 Tara Fredrix Award from the Audubon Artists of America
- 2005 Artist’s Magazine Award of Excellence at the Oil Painters of America National Exhibition
- 2007 Grumbacher Gold Medallion from the National Arts Club, 108th Exhibiting Artist Members' Show