Internationally renowned artist Michael Shane Neal named artist-in-residence
Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 |
Michael Shane Neal, internationally renowned portrait artist, has been appointed artist-in-residence in the Lipscomb University College of Entertainment & the Arts’ Department of Visual Arts.
“Shane is one of the most sought after commissioned portrait artists in the field today,” said Mike Fernandez, dean of the College of Entertainment & the Arts. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will enhance the educational experience for our visual arts students. He will also analyze the effectiveness of our current program and will help restore a balance of traditional, skill-based instruction along with the strong conceptual approach of contemporary art techniques. And he will also help attract a greater range of artists in our gallery, which exposes our community to wider scope of visual arts techniques and artists.”
Adding an artist-in-residence to Lipscomb’s Department of Visual Arts faculty is one of several new initiatives to revise the art program. The department recently added an animation program leading to a B.A. or B.F.A. degree as well as majors in art therapy and visual arts administration. Next fall, Fernandez said the college plans to launch an interactive media program in partnership with Lipscomb’s colleges of computing & technology and business that will bring coders and story developers together in a convergence model to offer degrees in fields such as gaming and web app development.
Neal, a 1991 Lipscomb graduate, has been commissioned to paint a number of influential people around the world including Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, actor Morgan Freeman, Sir Malcolm Colquhoun of Scotland, Nashville philanthropist Martha Ingram, American Ambassador To France Charles Rivkin, and Mr. and Mrs. Luis Fortuño, former governor and first lady of Puerto Rico, among numerous others.
“In my nearly 30 years since I first came to Lipscomb as a student, I remain deeply grateful for my time there and the course that was set for my professional life as an artist,” said Neal. “Today, I am excited that I will join the talented professors and staff of the department of visual arts as an artist-in-residence at the school I love. I am the product of passionate, generous and inspiring instructors whose sole desire was to see their students grow and thrive while at university and beyond.”
As artist-in-residence, Neal will hold special lectures and workshops, exhibit some of his works and provide instruction to art students.
“Shane has become a consummate professional and a phenomenal painter,” said Cliff Eanes-Tierney, interim chair of Lipscomb’s Department of Visual Arts. “He has a great humility, and he knows that it takes a lot of hard work to be a successful artist. As artist-in-residence, he brings an entrepreneurial mindset, professionalism and a creative ability that is unmatched. He will be a great teacher and mentor to our students and faculty.”
Since beginning a full time career as an artist at the age of 21, Neal has completed nearly 500 portraits on display across the country. Neal is the Grand Prize winner of the 2001 Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition and is a recipient of the Catherine Lorilland Wolfe Award from the National Arts Club and the Tara Fredrix Award from the Audubon Artists, both for landscape. In 2004, he received the Artist’s Magazine Award of Excellence at the Oil Painters of America National Exhibition.
In addition to receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lipscomb University, Neal also studied at the Santa Fe Institute of Fine Arts, the Scottsdale Artist School, the Lyme Academy of Art and is a protégé of America’s most celebrated figurative and portrait painter, Everett Raymond Kinstler. Neal’s work has been featured in publications such as American Artist, International Artist, Sketchbook, The Artist’s Magazine, Art News, Fine Art Connoisseur, Art Collector Magazine and Nashville Arts Magazine. Neal is a member of the board of directors of the Portrait Society of America , Cheekwood Museum of Art, the American Patrons of the National Library and Galleries of Scotland, and the Norman Rockwell Museum National Council. He is an Exhibiting Artist member of the National Arts Club, the Allied Artists of America, the Artist Fellowship, the Cumberland Society of Painters, the Audubon Artists, the Salmagundi Club of New York, the Lotos Club of New York, and the Sloane Club of London.Neal also serves as a deacon at Granny White Pike church of Christ.
“The visual arts department at Lipscomb is poised to build on the strong foundation laid by current and former professors with a renewed concentration on classical training as well as challenging students to push boundaries and explore individual expression,” said Neal. “All of this in an environment that is intentionally Christian with emphasis on fostering the talent God has given them. Each student will enjoy the finest Christian art education available today that will challenge, inspire and prepare them for their futures as professional artists. I'm honored to be a part of this vision.”