Cindy Michael

Cindy Michael has been involved in creative pursuits for as long as she can remember. From a young age, she dabbled in many media, from pen and ink to watercolor to sewing her own clothing. She earned her BFA in Sculpture from Queens College, culminating in an exhibit of her last body of work. She studied calligraphy, manuscript illumination and stone carving at the New School for Social Research, and Hebrew calligraphy at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. She participated in a summer session at the Vermont Studio School and that, she says, was the turning point in her artistic life.

During the creative process, the artwork takes on a life of its own and informs the artist of how to proceed. Cindy embraces this phenomenon and happily veers from the original vision to achieve the final piece. In this manner the artist also evolves as the unexpected is discovered and new paths reveal themselves. For the artist, it has been a journey in which each new project carries her to the next like a raft in a current.

Cindy has worked with special needs populations, designing and implementing interactive art/studio programs in museum and school settings. Over the years, Cindy Michaels style has gone from representational to abstract and back to the narrative. She is drawn to subject matter that captures a moment, is a story waiting to be told. Much of Cindys work is a reflection of her traditional Jewish background with frequent references to cross-cultural religious themes and spirituality. Even when the work does not start off that way, that seems to be where it ends up. Clearly, an artists creation is a window into their heart and soul.