Program Director

Erik O’Neal – Heritage Artist
Director, Art & Entertainment Network

Erik O’Neal took his first formal lesson at the Art Institute of Chicago. He later went on to study art at Southern University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Erik joined the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS) in 2012. He also is a member of the Louisiana Art and Artists’ Guild and the Art Council of New Orleans. Erik was part of the Art Council of New Orleans’ 2012 class of “ Artist as Entrepreneurs”.

Erik primarily works with pastels and oils. “Impressionistic realism is how I describe my work. My goal is to bring a sense of intensity to my work and invoke passion within the viewer. I want to recreate the moment”.

Erik has exhibited his work across the country, including  the East Baton Rouge Parish Library system multiple times. He has twice been selected to participate in the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival (2009, 2012). Erik  was a featured artist for the Gumbo Gallery in Pensacola, Florida  for the month of June 2013.  He is a gifted artist and historian and adept at teaching and conducting seminars and art events.

Quote: “I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember. I cannot imagine not doing it. Wherever I go, whomever I meet could be an inspiration for my next painting. Art is in all of us, it’s all around us.”