Born & raised in Chicago, USA. After skipping his sophomore year in high school, at age 16, Artel matriculated at Columbia College Chicago where he double majored in theater and philosophy. He has performed in improv troupes at the renowned Second City Chicago, and is the winner of an NAACP ACT-SO award for Poetry. In June 2010, Artel became the first Black valedictorian to graduate from the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film, & Television where he was also honored as summa cum laude. He is earning a Ph.D in cinema and media studies.