From 1932-36, he studied with Hans Hofmann, becoming Hofmann's studio
classroom monitor. In 1936 he worked for the Works Progress
Administration Federal Art Project and became one of the founding
members of the American Abstract Artists group. McNeil was one of the
few abstract artists whose work was selected for the New York World's
Fair in 1939. During World War II, he served in the US Navy. In the late
1940s McNeil taught at the University of Wyoming and then taught art
and art history at Pratt Institute until 1980, influencing generations
of young artists. From the ’70s onward, McNeil explored ways to expand
beyond the cannons of the Abstract Expressionism. In this period his
work became more figurative, drawing inspiration from the dynamic life
of the city, its dancers, discos and sports. Throughout his career as a
painter McNeil commanded a mastery technique, capable of creating
paintings of rich texture depth and color. In 1989, McNeil was elected
to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. George McNeil's work is
represented in numerous museum collections around the country, including
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Whitney Museum of America Art, San Francisco Museum of Art, Los Angeles
Museum of Contemporary Art and Walker Art Center Minneapolis.