{"Id":7732,"Name":"Kevin Murphy","Biography":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETHE ARTIST\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith no measurable formal training, Kevin Murphy began his career in the art industry at the age of 23 as an illustrator. Over the eight years that followed, he was commissioned to create artwork for nearly 250 commercial works. His deep client base was built around such major entities as Random House, R.J. Reynolds, Viacom, Putnam/Penguin, National Geographic, Milton Bradley, St. Maarten Press, Barnes \u0026amp; Noble, Sega, MTV, L\u0026rsquo;Oreal USA, Virgin Records, Lucas Arts, and the Rolling Stones.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn 1997, Kevin, working alongside Stefan Sagmeister, was commissioned by the Rolling Stones to create the iconic image that would adorn the Bridges to Babylon album cover along with all of the merchandise for the tour.\u0026nbsp;An ultra-high profile image with global reach, the Rolling Stones\u0026rsquo;\u0026nbsp;Bridges to Babylon commission was easily one of the most coveted illustrations of the decade.\u0026nbsp; In August 1997, with an 85 ft banner of Kevin\u0026rsquo;s painting draped from the Brooklyn Bridge as a backdrop, the Rolling Stones announced their tour and album release to the world.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith this monumental project behind him, the notoriety that came along with it and all options opened to him, Kevin began reconsidering the path his career was traveling. After years of creating artwork for commercial use, an interest in the historical traditions of art had developed and were now swaying him in new directions.\u0026nbsp;Kevin began investigating venues that would offer greater artistic freedom while allowing him to utilize his skills to create works with deeper meaning and purpose. By 1999 years end, Kevin turned the page on his life and career in the commercial art industry and took a self-imposed two year hiatus from painting. During this time he enjoyed his first vacation in almost a decade.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPORTRAITURE\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EUpon his return to painting in 2001, Kevin\u0027s renewed focus in art was directed towards traditional portraiture. Though this niche was not initially his main focus, a constant stream of requests for these family heirlooms eventually gave way to what has become the primary focus of his work over the past seventeen years. Kevin attributes his interest in portraiture to the challenges it consistently poses, the opportunity to meet people with whom his path would not otherwise cross and the genre\u0026rsquo;s status within the hierarchy of historical art.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETo illustrate the value of portraiture to potential clients, Kevin enjoys sharing this thought on the impact that a simple portrait can hold: \u0026ldquo;George Washington has been consistently counted amongst the most recognized men in the world. Couple this with the knowledge that George Washington died 35 years before the invention of the camera, one begins to get a sense of the importance of portraiture. Consider the fact that our only grasp of what the Father of our Nation looked like is derived from his painted portrait. This perspective breathes real life into a form of art that so few people these days consider for themselves. When people discuss legacy, we need look no further than this age-old tradition for the greatest means of creating an enduring record of one\u0026rsquo;s life.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EKevin has created approximately one hundred and fifty portraits since entering the field. His portrait clients come from a broad range of backgrounds and vocations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETHE ART ACADEMY\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn 2009, Kevin broadened his footprint in the art world with the founding of the Art Academy in Somerset County, New Jersey. This school was designed as a means to share the knowledge he had accumulated over nearly two decades of working in the professional art world. In the years since the Art Academy\u0026rsquo;s founding, this program has shown itself to be a true standout with unparalleled results. Students have enjoyed a 100% acceptance rate to top art universities, while consistently being awarded Presidential level scholarships averaging nearly $85,000 per student and topping out at $146,000. In addition, high school aged students at the Art Academy have been recognized in national and international competitions contending, in some cases, directly with top-tier professionals.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMore focused on training students to develop a skill set in artistic fundamentals and business as a foundation to build viable careers, Kevin doesn\u0026rsquo;t encourage students either way as far as entering into competition. Though his students fair very well when they choose to do so.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn 2012, with only sixteen months of training, Zoe Zylowski, a sixteen year old Art Academy student was recognized in the 8th annual ARC Salon with a Chairman\u0026rsquo;s Choice Award for her painting \u0026lsquo;Inheretence\u0026rsquo;. She was also awarded first place in the Artist magazine annual student competition for figurative work that same year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn 2018 Iris Liu, another Art Academy student was recognized with first place for the DiVinci initiative award with her painting \u0026lsquo;Her Familiars\u0026rsquo;.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith the success of the flagship Academy in Somerset County NJ, a second school opened in September 2015 in Hunterdon county NJ.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn October of 2017 the Art Academy program was digitized and launched as the Evolve: Realistic art training program for dissemination as an online educational format. In its first six months, this online program has begun to educate students in representational art in thirty four countries around the world.\u0026nbsp; Its initial results across the online student base easily matching the consistency of results in the brick and mortar schools.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEVOLVE\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2017 Kevin founded\u0026nbsp;an online art\u0026nbsp;school\u0026nbsp;called Evolve. \u0026nbsp;Within 6 months of the launch, the program expanded to hundreds of students in 34 countries around the world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","BiographicalImageUrl":"/Artist/773/7732/Images\\3cf08a18-f470-42ce-b131-95d25537b6d0.jpg","Awards":null,"HasAlbums":false,"HasPortraits":false,"HasRelationships":false,"HasArticles":false,"HasDepictedPlaces":false,"HasLetters":false,"HasLibraryItems":false,"HasProducts":false,"HasSignatures":false,"HasVideos":false,"HasMapLocations":false,"TotalArtworks":13}