Education
2015 Master's in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Art at University of Missouri- Saint Louis
Golden Key International Honor Society
2009 Art Certification (K-12) at University of Missouri- Saint Louis
Dean's List 2008-2009, Gateway Scholar and Member of the Golden Key International Honor Society
2007 Bachelor's Fine Arts, Major in Sculpture at Washington University School of Art
Dean's List 2004-2007, Kenneth E. Hudson Scholar, and Eliot Scholar
2001 Associate's in Child Development at Southeast Missouri State University
Dean's List 2000-2001, Certification from Council for Professional Recognition of Washington D.C.
Golden Key International Honor Society
2009 Art Certification (K-12) at University of Missouri- Saint Louis
Dean's List 2008-2009, Gateway Scholar and Member of the Golden Key International Honor Society
2007 Bachelor's Fine Arts, Major in Sculpture at Washington University School of Art
Dean's List 2004-2007, Kenneth E. Hudson Scholar, and Eliot Scholar
2001 Associate's in Child Development at Southeast Missouri State University
Dean's List 2000-2001, Certification from Council for Professional Recognition of Washington D.C.
Portfolio
Biography
Born in 1976, Michelle Thompson grew up in a rural area just south of Saint Louis. The rural
area included fields, woods, creeks, and an old dump site for automobiles. She
spent her leisure time exploring the land. Thompson’s appreciation of nature and
its relationship to the disregarded artifacts matured over the years and became
her core motive for creating art.
As an artist, Thompson draws from the sense of harmony between nature and
artifacts. She refers to the characteristics left behind on the artifacts as the
“visual yore”. The rusting, fading, and cracking of the artifacts all tell
stories. Depending on the artifacts, the story cannot only be about climate, but
also about the era, economics, and/or social changes.
As a multimedia artist, Thompson creates in four main categories: drawing,
painting, sculpting, and photography. Drawings and paintings are used as a media
to study relationships between two subjects. When sculpting, Thompson gathers
artifacts and elements from nature. She creates ornate assemblage pieces from
the gathered objects. When photographing, Thompson selects subjects that emulate
a visual narrative. The subjects themselves, or their visual yore, are then
formally organized to enhance their characteristics. All of Thompson’s pieces
are grounded in the respect and understanding of her subjects, their contexts,
and most importantly, the relationships between each other.
area included fields, woods, creeks, and an old dump site for automobiles. She
spent her leisure time exploring the land. Thompson’s appreciation of nature and
its relationship to the disregarded artifacts matured over the years and became
her core motive for creating art.
As an artist, Thompson draws from the sense of harmony between nature and
artifacts. She refers to the characteristics left behind on the artifacts as the
“visual yore”. The rusting, fading, and cracking of the artifacts all tell
stories. Depending on the artifacts, the story cannot only be about climate, but
also about the era, economics, and/or social changes.
As a multimedia artist, Thompson creates in four main categories: drawing,
painting, sculpting, and photography. Drawings and paintings are used as a media
to study relationships between two subjects. When sculpting, Thompson gathers
artifacts and elements from nature. She creates ornate assemblage pieces from
the gathered objects. When photographing, Thompson selects subjects that emulate
a visual narrative. The subjects themselves, or their visual yore, are then
formally organized to enhance their characteristics. All of Thompson’s pieces
are grounded in the respect and understanding of her subjects, their contexts,
and most importantly, the relationships between each other.