Dan McCleary - Prints and Biography

James McCleary, an American painter and printmaker, was born in Santa Monica, California. He pursued his education in both the classroom and the studio, developing a foundation that combined rigorous training with experimentation. After graduating from Loyola High School in Los Angeles, McCleary attended Santa Monica College, where he cultivated his early interest in the visual arts. He later enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute, one of the most influential centers for contemporary art in the United States, known for its embrace of avant-garde practices and its encouragement of personal voice. His education was further shaped by his time at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, an intensive summer residency program that has nurtured generations of innovative artists.

Over the course of his career, McCleary has been featured in more than fifty solo and group exhibitions across the United States and Europe. His work reveals both a mastery of technique and a willingness to push the boundaries of tradition, placing him within a lineage of contemporary American artists who balance craftsmanship with conceptual rigor.

McCleary’s work has found a lasting place in important public and private collections worldwide. Notable institutions that house his art include the Hammer Museum (Los Angeles), the Harvard Art Museums (Cambridge, Massachusetts), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and the New York Public Library, among others. Such placements affirm not only the aesthetic strength of his practice but also his relevance within broader conversations in modern and contemporary art.

His exhibitions have highlighted both the range and consistency of his artistic output. Whether in painting, drawing, or printmaking, McCleary demonstrates an enduring engagement with the complexities of human perception and visual storytelling. His work often navigates the line between representation and abstraction, producing images that are at once grounded in form and open to interpretation.

In addition to his achievements in the studio and the gallery, McCleary’s career underscores the importance of lifelong exploration and dedication to craft. From his early training in California to his professional recognition on the international stage, his journey reflects the persistence and passion necessary to sustain a creative life.

Today, James McCleary continues to contribute to the evolving discourse of contemporary art, his work bridging institutions, audiences, and generations.