About
Arthur Haywood's work highlights human potential through a fantastical lens. From defeating evil dragons to limitless pursuits into space, his art is a metaphor for courageous aspirations. His paintings are seen on murals for the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, Sprocket Mural Festival, his book "The Great Library" and Space and Time Magazine. He exhibits his paintings in New York, Paris and Pennsylvania and completes commissions.
Creating fantasy murals and illustrations to inspire others and engage youth in reading is his passion. He is focused on making murals for libraries and schools in addition to book covers. His life size paintings are designed to immerse viewers in the world of stories.
He earned a B.F.A in Illustration from The Maryland Institute College of Art, before furthering his study of classical drawing and painting at Cambridge Street Studios in Philadelphia and Grand Central Atelier in New York. He wrote and illustrated a book, "The Great Library", about scholars from the ancient library of Alexandria in Egypt.
He received the 2020-2021 Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship at the Fondation des États-Unis in Paris. He developed murals to inspire a love of learning and cultural appreciation. He worked with students at Lycée Paul Lapie, Ecollectif and André Malraux Elementary school to create murals depicting students of diverse origins reading and the stories that have engaged them.
He is a recipient of the 2022 - 2023 Tulsa Artist Fellowship and 2024 Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Community Artist Partnership grant to continue his series of paintings for schools to inspire reading.
He is a winner in the 2023 L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest.
Public Mural Commissions
2023 Central High School, MacArthur Elementary School, Phoenix Rising High School, Tulsa, OK
2022 École Élémentaire André Malraux , Courbevoie, France
2022 Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA
2021 "Summer of Soul" film Billboard, Philadelphia, PA
2021 Ecollectif, Courbevoie, France
2020 - 2021 Lycée Paul Lapie, Paris, France
I received a Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship at Fondation Des États-Unis in Paris and have been developing murals with students at Lycée Paul Lapie . The murals depict students of diverse origins reading and the fantasy books that have excited them to inspire students to read.
2020 Elkins Park School, PA
2020 SEPTA Suburban Station, 17th and JFK Blvd. , PA
Sponsored by Mural Arts , SEPTA and Athenian Razak
2019 Harrisburg Mural Festival , PA
Sponsored by Sprocket Mural Works
2016 - 2019 Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (Artist Assistant)
Collaborated with mural artists in the production of murals for The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Painted numerous sections of extensive murals related to community and personal enhancement organizations. Clients have included the Free Library of Philadelphia, Einstein Hospital, Public recreation centers and more.
Education
2015 - 2018 Grand Central Atelier
Studied classical drawing and painting to enhance the quality of my artwork.
2012 - 2014 Cambridge Street Studios
Studied classical drawing at Cambridge Street Studios.
2012 The Maryland Institute College of Art, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Illustration
Select Exhibitions
2023 Art for Climate Exhibition, Fondation des États-Unis, Paris, France
2023 Titania's Ball, Era Contemporary, PA
2022 Les mots peints, Bibliothèque Municipale de Courbevoie , France
2022 FEU Artists Exhibition , Fondation des États-Unis, Paris, France
2022 Printemps des Artistes, Ecollectif, Courbevoie, France
2021 Mural Exhibition, Ecollectif, Courbevoie, France
2021 Would do Again , Fondation des États-Unis, Paris, France
2021 Centennial Celebration of The Fontainebleau Schools of Music and Fine Arts,
Château of Fontainebleau, France
2021 Renaissance of Reading, Fondation des États-Unis, Paris, France
2021 Seeing the Story, Woodmere Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
2020 Small Wonders, Arch Enemy Arts, PA
2020 Spectrum, Arch Enemy Arts, PA
2020 New Pre Raphealites, Era Contemporary, PA
2020 Resident Artist Show, Cheltenham Center for the Arts, PA
2019 Phillustration, Philadelphia Sketch Club, PA
2019 Mural Arts Artists Show, Philadelphia Mural Arts Office, PA
2019 Small Oils Exhibition, Philadelphia Sketch Club, PA
2019 Seven Year Anniversary Show, Arch Enemy Arts, PA
2019 February Showcase, Arch Enemy Arts, PA
2019 Figuratively Speaking, Salmagundi Club, NY
2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 Junior and Scholarship Members Show, Salmagundi Club , NY
2019 Mural Training Exhibition, Philadelphia Mural Arts Program , PA
2018 Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Exhibition, Arch Enemy Arts, PA
2018 Atelier Exhibition, Eleventh Street Arts, NY
2018 Small Beauties, Contemporary Representational Masterpieces, Era Contemporary, NY & PA
2017 Metropolitan Museum of Art Fall Copyist Exhibition, NY
Awards
2024 Community Artist Partnership Grant, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition
2023 L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest, First Quarter, Winner
2022 - 2023 Tulsa Artist Fellowship
2020 -2021 Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship, Fondation des États-Unis, Paris, France
2021 Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists , Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, PA
2022, 2020, 2019 L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest, Semi-Finalist & Honorable Mention
2019 Resident Artist, Cheltenham Center for the Arts, PA
2019 Illustration Master Class Scholarship, 2nd Place
2019 Best Portrait Award, Philadelphia Sketch Club
2019 Presidents Award, Salmagundi Club, NY
2019 Bill Creevy Award, Salmagundi Club, NY
2018, 2015 Art Renewal Center Salon Finalist
2018 Al Barker Award, Salmagundi Club
2017 Certificate of Merit, Salmagundi Club
2017 Honorable Mention, Head Start Student Competition
2016 Grand Central Atelier Core Program Scholarship
2016 John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Scholarship
2016 Deane Keller Memorial Award, Salmagundi Club
2015 Grand Central Atelier Core Program Scholarship
2015 Second Place Award, The Philadelphia Sketch Club's Annual Works on Paper Show
2013 Second Place Award, The Naomi Winston Scholarship in Art
2012 MICA Illustration Recognition Award
2011 MICA Grant
2011 MICA Illustration Recognition Award
2009 MICA Achievement Award
2008 MICA Presidential Scholarship
2008 MICA Pre-College Scholarship
Publications
2023 Glenside Local, Winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest (Can be viewed here)
2023 The Reporter Online and Times Chronicle, Cheltenham Native Wins International Illustration Contest (Can be viewed here)
2022 Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, LesEngagés (Can be viewed here)
2021 6abc News , Billboard Artists for Summer of Soul film
2020 Artist Portrait, Fondation des États-Unis , (Can be viewed here)
2020 Space and Time Magazine, Cover, Spring and Winter Issue (Can be viewed here)
2021 Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Three to Watch
2020 FineArtConnoisseur.com , A Sense of Place (Can be viewed here)
2020 American Illustration 39 (Can be viewed here)
2019 The Great Library, Written and Illustrated by Arthur Haywood (Can be viewed here)
2019 ABC 27 News, Behind the Brush Artists: Artists Discuss Harrisburg Murals (Can be viewed here)
2019 PennLive Newspaper, Artists working on Harrisburg Murals (Can be viewed here)
2019 American Illustration 38, Chosen Category Winner (Can be viewed here)
2019 Fine Art Connoisseur , When Artists Depict Themselves, March/April Issue (Can be viewed here)
2019 Pencil Kings Podcast ( Can be listened to here )
Teaching
2019 - 2020 Moore College of Art , Young Artists Workshops (Instructor) PA
2016 - 2017 Teaching Studios of Art (Instructor), Long Island, NY
Provided insights into classical art processes including still life, master copies and portraiture from life to adults, high-school students and children.