Michael Israel

From Olympic stages to presidential galas and Las Vegas events, Michael Israel is transforming the art world with his revolutionary combination of painting and performance. Indeed, how many artists can boast of having shared stages with such luminaries as The President, Jay Leno, Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, and Tony Danza?

Breaking the stereotype of the reclusive, hyper-sensitive artist, Israel allows audiences to witness the exhilaration of the creative process, in action. Wielding his paintbrushes like a modern-day swordsman, Israel moves in rhythm to music while splashing his canvases with riotous bursts of color. The dynamic paintings that result from this chaos depict some of the world’s most beloved icons, including presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, Michael Jordan, Mohammed Ali, Frank Sinatra, and Bono. His performances in "Art in Concert" and "3-D Art in Concert!" are characterized by minimal spoken words and use music, light, and live painting to captivate the audience, often concluding with standing ovations and engaging interactions.

True to his utopian vision, Israel’s most intense passion lies in painting unsung heroes and patriotic American images: New York firefighters hoisting Old Glory at Ground Zero, Special Olympians celebrating their victories, bald eagles soaring in the blue. Each of Israel’s paintings tells a passionate story. Regularly, his performances climax with standing ovations, with fans rushing the stage for autographs, photos, or a souvenir paintbrush. His unique performance art style has been integral in helping audiences achieve personal fulfillment and empowerment through visual and musical artistry.

As his maverick painting approach attests, Michael Israel has liberated art from the motionless, stuffy confines of museums and galleries, and moved it into the lives of the people. Israel’s volcanic artistry is complemented by a tradition of giving back to charitable organizations. Throughout his career, he has actively contributed to the Special Olympics, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, United Way, Regions Hospital and Burn Center, American Red Cross, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Shriners’ Crippled Children’s Hospital, Children's Cancer Caring Center, St. Vincent Hospital, and the Jackson Memorial Foundation.

Born in New York during the mayhem of the ‘60s, Israel moved to Miami, Florida as a child and lived aboard a houseboat with his mother. He spent his summers traveling America’s countryside with his father. At the age of eight, he began training in Karate, eventually earning a Black Belt and was designated a Grand National Champion by the age of 17. Combining his love of painting, music, and martial arts, Israel pioneered his own unique style— a performance/painting approach known as “Art In Concert.” Now, having inspired audiences nationwide with his mix of art, performance, and charity, Israel has made good on his personal life philosophy: “When imagination exceeds reality, dreams are born.”