Nate McClain is an American visual artist best known for his large-scale murals which have gained posthumous acclaim.
Nate McClain
Nathan (Nate) McClain was born in Granite City, Illinois on August 6, 1973. He was an only child with a natural talent for art. At age 4, Nate became a published artist when his Happy Birthday Card was nationally sold in 1978 by Hello Studio’s Children’s Art Collection at retailers such as Famous-Barr. His passion for art continued as he won student awards for St. Louis Fireworks & Arnolfini Pasta Portrait. He attended Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State) from 1991 to 1995 and received a BFA in Illustration. While in college, his mother Lynn passed away from cancer which profoundly impacted him and his art became harsher & darker. After graduation he worked in St. Louis, Missouri as a freelance artist being commissioned for large scale murals such as Ozzie Smith Retires & Ultimate Sports and holding group art exhibits. Nate was an emerging artist when he tragically passed away from an accidental drowning in the Mississippi river on September 7, 1997 at the age of 24.
Posthumously, the Nate McClain Gallery opened in 2003 providing private collectors a space to crowd-curate his artwork and share his life story. The Gallery has helped save McClain’s 16′ by 8′ Ultimate Sports mural from demolition, attempted to locate his Ozzie Smith Retires (still missing), and organized exhibits of McClains’s work. Internationally he has gained a following from the Museums & the Web International Conference, The Alcoholic on an Argentinian magazine cover, and thru social media engagement. Twenty years after his passing, his life and artistic legacy continue to resonate and inspire.
For more information, visit his website.
