About the artist:

Arthello Beck, Jr. is one of the leading artists in the Southwest. His art in oil, pencil, watercolor, and charcoal, conveys a distinctly regional flavor, which has won him the recognition of colleagues and critics alike. Beck's work has been shown in art exhibitions, galleries, colleges, universities, churches, libraries, and other businesses, throughout the United States. Beck's art related travel has taken him internationally to West Africa, Brazil, England, some parts of Central America as well as the Caribbean Islands. Beck has received numerous awards and recognition for his art in the City of Dallas, Texas. His work has been published in several magazines throughout the country. He often painted scenes of places he had visited, using a variety of mediums, including oils, watercolors, and charcoal. Beck was born in Dallas, Texas, and attended Lincoln High School, where he received his only formal art training. Afterwards, he worked for the United States Postal Service, as well as various other jobs before becoming a professional artist. He is possibly known best for his works from the 1960s dealing with the American Civil Rights Movement, although Beck commonly featured other subjects, including children, religion, and human interaction. A longtime resident of Oak Cliff, Beck was a firm believer in grassroots movements, and established the Arthello Beck Gallery, which became a centerpiece of the Dallas area art scene in the 1970s and 80s, and was instrumental to the careers of many black artists. Beck was a member of the National Conference of Artists and the Southwest Alliance of African American Artists, and was one of the founders of the Southwest Black Artists Guild