DAN SLAPO MEMORIAL AWARD
Award of Excellence

Remembering Dan Slapo PSA-MP, HFH (1926–2019)

Master Pastelist, Educator, and Past President of The Art League of Nassau County

 

  Dan Slapo was recognized by the Pastel Society of America (PSA) as a Master Pastelist, an honor earned by winning major prizes in the PSA’s Annual Exhibition in three separate years - a rare and distinguished achievement. In 2013, he was inducted into the PSA Hall of Fame.

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  His award-winning work appeared in numerous publications, including Pastel Journal, where he captured First Prize in Portraiture, surpassing over 1,400 competitors. Over his prolific career, Dan received more than 200 awards in national and international art competitions.

 

  At age forty, after earning an M.A. in Art Education, Dan began a 25-year teaching career in the New York City Public School System, primarily as a high school art instructor. “I taught these students the same as I teach today: the fundamentals of value, edge, plumb line, and grids,” he once said. He also shared his knowledge with generations of artists through pastel classes held at his Westbury home studio.

 

  Dan studied pastel under Joe Lowe in Manhattan and honed his craft alongside noted artists such as Murray Miller and Alex Fournier at the historic Salmagundi Club. A life member of the Art Students League of New York, he was especially drawn to portraiture, finding the challenge of capturing a person’s likeness both demanding and deeply rewarding.

 

  A devoted member and leader, Dan served as President of The Art League of Nassau County from 1985 to 1987, later chairing the Programs Committee for two decades. In 2013, the Art League honored him at its Annual Holiday Dinner for his lifetime of artistic excellence, teaching, and unwavering service to the League.

 

  Dan’s legacy endures through the many artists he mentored, the students he inspired, and the community he helped build.