Arthello Beck

Who was Arthello Beck?

Arthello Beck Jr. was an American artist. 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, particularly in the African-American community in the southern regions of the United States.

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.