Copyright 2026 © All rights Reserved. Made with ♥ Mandala Creative
Copyright 2026 © All rights Reserved.
Made with ♥ Mandala Creative
Made with ♥ Mandala Creative
Dan McCleary’s paintings capture everyday objects and people that are often overlooked. He is also the founder of ArtDivision: a nonprofit organization offering professional arts training and academic and career support to young adults in the under-served MacArthur Park community in Los Angeles. The subject of McCleary’s paintings, drawings and prints is individuals, often alone and rendered life-size, engaged in daily activities at home, the office, a hair salon or restaurant. Los Angeles Times art critic Christopher Knight has called McCleary “among the finest figurative painters working today.”
“I will have the model come and pose for drawings and sometimes a photograph. The models return many times and pose in sets I build in the studio… It can take up to nine months to finish a painting. I want to keep a prudent distance from the model. The people I paint are always people I have respect for. I have to have some sort of connection to them… I wanted to include the viewer as an element of the painting… Once I figured out the subject, you view the painting as a complex puzzle of colors, shapes and how to lead the viewer through the painting.”
Traditionally, McCleary has worked on small still-life paintings between the larger figurative works. During the past two years, however, he has worked almost exclusively on these paintings of fruits and flowers. This period of social distancing has allowed him to focus on the subtleties and ephemeral nature of the subjects. While he looks forward to working with models again, he has appreciated the opportunity to give his “sustained attention to subjects that are so alive, beautiful, and silent.”
In 2002, he founded Art Division, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing youth aged 18–25 with accessible, affordable arts training and academic support from working artists, filmmakers, writers, educators, and other professionals. Located in the low-income, predominantly Hispanic neighborhood around historic MacArthur Park, Art Division is also committed to building a thriving arts community, presenting exhibitions, public lectures, film screenings, and special events throughout Los Angeles. In 2014, the 5000-volume Art Division Library opened for students, artists, and the community at large.
Collections
California Redevelopment Agency, Los Angeles, CA
Harvard Art Museum, Cambridge, MA
The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Laguna Museum of Art, Laguna Beach, CA
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
Ohio state university Collection, OH
San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA
Spencer Collection, New York Public Library, NY
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Telluride Gallery of Fine Art
130 East Colorado Avenue
Telluride, CO 81435
Hours of Operation
Tuesday – Saturday: 11am – 6pm
Sunday: 12pm – 6pm
Monday: Open by appointment
