Federico Castellon

Printmaker, painter, sculptor, and illustrator Federico Castellon was born in Almeria, Spain. His family immigrated to the United States in 1921 settling in Brooklyn, New York. Castellon began teaching himself how to sketch as a child and visited museums and galleries. His talent was recognized and his pursuits encouraged by many of his grammar school teachers; at Erasmus High School he was awarded the Art Medal, and was asked to create a mural for the school.

At the age of 18 Castellon was introduced to the artist Diego Rivera and Rivera's interest in him helped launch Castellon's career by securing his first solo exhibition at the Weyhe Gallery in Manhattan.By 1940 Castellon's work had been selected for several shows, including exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Whitney Museum of American Art, and he received the first of two Guggenheim Fellowships, which allowed him to travel and study throughout the United States. After serving in the Army during WWII, in 1946 he was invited to teach at Columbia University and would later teach at the Pratt Institute and Queens College. Castellon went on to assemble a distinguished exhibition history and continued to teach as well as do illustration work for the remainder of his life.

Source: http://www.annexgalleries.com/artists/biography/380/Castellon/Federico: