Otto Neals

Otto Neals (born December 11, 1931[1]) is an American painter and sculptor. Throughout his career, Neals worked as an illustrator at the Brooklyn Post Office while pursuing independent art projects in his spare time.[2] He currently resides in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.[3]

Otto Neals
Otto Neals with Marty Markowitz in 2009
Born (1931-12-11) December 11, 1931
Occupation(s)painter and sculptor

Early life and education

Born in South Carolina, Neals moved to New York at the age of four and displayed a passion for painting from a young age. Neals' studied commercial art at George Westinghouse Vocational High School, and briefly attended the Brooklyn Museum Art School.[4] Neals had the privilege of studying under notable artists such as Isaac Soyer, Krishna Reddy, Mohammed Khalil, Roberto DeLomanica, and Vivian Schuyler Key.[5]

Career

Neals has been a member of the Weusi Artist Collective since the 1960s.[6]

Neals has been commissioned to execute several public works, including ten bronze plaques for the Harlem Walk of Fame, a 20-foot mural in Kings County Hospital, a bronze of Percy Sutton at the City University of New York, and a bronze monument inspired by the children's book Peter's Chair as centerpiece of an Imagination Playground in Prospect Park.[2][4] His work is exhibited in the Smithsonian Institution, Howard University, and the Columbia Museum of Art.[7] He features in the private collections of John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, and Oprah Winfrey,[8] and was the subject of an exhibition in the gallery inside the Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch at Grand Army Plaza.[2]

In June 2015, the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation held a 50-year retrospective of his sculptures.[9]

Neals is a founding artist of the Fulton Art Fair, the oldest Black visual arts event in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.[10]

Neals has been the recipient of the New York City Art Commission's Award for Excellence in Design.[11]

References
  1. "Weusi Artist Collective, NYC Artists". Weusi Artist Collective, NYC Artists. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
  2. Martin, Douglas (1997-06-21). "Where Imaginations Run Wild". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  3. Richardson, Clem (February 25, 2011). "Brooklyn artist Otto Neals, 80, is master of many mediums". Daily News. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  4. Fractenberg, Ben (November 11, 2014). "Brooklyn Artist Otto Neals Gets Huge 5-Gallery Retrospective". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
  5. "Otto Neals - SC African American". SC African American. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  6. "Weusi Artist Collective, NYC Artists". Weusi Artist Collective, NYC Artists. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  7. "Masters Among Us Otto Neals". blackartinamerica.com. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
  8. ""Otto Neals: An Artistic Legacy" 2015 – CUNY Newswire – CUNY". www.cuny.edu. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
  9. "Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation presents Otto Neals sculpture retrospective | Brooklyn Daily Eagle". www.brooklyneagle.com. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
  10. "Bed-Stuy's Fulton Art Fair celebrates the artists of the African diaspora | Brooklyn Daily Eagle". www.brooklyneagle.com. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  11. "The Otto Neals Retrospective". Retrieved 2 October 2016.
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