DAN MCcCLEARY

Dan McCleary is a Los Angeles-based figurative painter, draftsman, and printmaker whose work focuses on quiet, everyday moments. Born in Santa Monica, McCleary studied at Santa Monica College, the San Francisco Art Institute, and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. His paintings, drawings, and prints often depict individuals alone or in small groups, rendered with stillness and dignity in familiar settings such as homes, offices, restaurants, and hair salons. Recognized as one of today’s leading figurative painters, McCleary has exhibited widely throughout the United States and Europe, with work held in major public and private collections, including the Hammer Museum, Harvard Art Museums, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York Public Library.

In addition to his studio practice, McCleary is the founder of Art Division, a Los Angeles nonprofit established in 2010 to provide free arts education, mentorship, and academic support for young adults ages 18–27. Through Art Division, he has helped create a vibrant arts community rooted in mentorship, access, and creative opportunity.