1951-69 Daniel W. Freeman was born in Sardis, an agricultural hamlet 40 miles east of Pittsburgh Pensylvania, the home of Keith haring and Andy Warhol. He attended the Frankilin Regional Schools.

1969-1973 Dan studied at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, received his BFA in 1973. He studied with and worked in the studio for Italo Scanga in a matter of days after arriving at Tyler. Freeman showed in NYC with Scanga and Vito Acconci, and later began to paint the figure, studying with painters Steven Greene, David Pease and John N. Moore.

1974-6 He moved to New York City and persued his first Masters' degree in Painting from Queens College, at the City University of New York. There he developed the technique of painting and drawing figures from memory that he incorporates in much of his work throughout his later years. Freeman identified with the late mannerist Carvaggio and the master's probing the psychological and emotional realm of art. This was the beginning of a long succssion of Narrative figure paintinggs, something that still marks his work.He sold out his entire Master's Thesis exhibition. Freeman was hired by Red Grooms to paint in the Exhibition Ruckus Manhattan, before he was awarded a FGellowship to Skowhegan, where he learned the secrets of Painting True Fresco.

1977-79 Freeman worked for Alice Neel as a framer. Pearl Paint, and grew to know the burgeoning SoHo Art world and all the artists. He was there when the World Trade Center was finished and opened for the first time, and was introduced to a friend of one of his oldest friends from Pittsburgh during a visit to New York: Keith Haring, who was hoping to become freeman's loft-mate.

1979 - Freeman wins the Nationl Endowment for the Arts Artists fellowship. It is at this time that freeman begins his exploration of violence and a narrative New Expressionism.

1980 - He publishes Down Under Manhattan Bridge ( DUMB) magazine including his new friends, Alex Katz and Red Grooms. Upon publication of the magazine, he was interviewed for organizing this magazine.