LeRoy Neiman

LeRoy Neiman, considered by many to be the greatest American artist of the latter 20th century and known for his abstract painting style and depictions of real life. Neiman was born on June 8, 1927 in St. Paul, Minnesota to Charles Runquist, an unskilled laborer, and Lydia Runquist. The "Neiman" surname is that of one of his stepfathers; during his childhood his biological father abandoned his family. Few artists can say they endured beginnings like he did as a "starving artist" working his way to make "ends meet."

Neiman has painted almost every significant sports figure from Babe Ruth to Muhammad Ali to Mark McGwire and Tiger Woods. In 2007, Neiman was named Sports Artist of the Year by The American Sport Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA).

Neiman's archives are currently assembled for preservation at the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C. His signature black handlebar mustache and luxuriant slicked-back hair are now peppered with gray, and he is seldom photographed without his trademark prop, a long cigar.

Seldom has an artist become such a celebrity in his own right as LeRoy had. Neiman could be seen on the sidelines of Super Bowls to acting in Rocky movies and shown in the newspaper signing autographs for his fans outside his New York City studio.