About the Artist

In 1970 he began his long terms association with Paolo Soleri at Soleri’s Paradise Valley Studio.  There he supervised and assisted in the construction of a large metal sculpture commission for the Phoenix Civic Center.

David Smith was the largest influence on McCleve’s sculpture. McCleve chose to work with metals, often found objects, which he modified and painted.

McCleve’s exhibits include the Arizona Annual at the Phoenix Art Museum, the Yuma Fine Arts Association Traveling Exhibit, the Scottsdale National Indian Arts Exhibit, Sculpture I at the Heard Museum and one-man shows at Darinos Gallery in 1967, at the Memorial Union Gallery, Arizona State University, the Scottsdale Civic Center Gallery (1971), Glendale Community College, Arizona; University of California at Davis at the C.N. Gorman Museum and at the Lambert-Miller Gallery (1982, 1983).