Maggie Michael facts for kids

Maggie Michael is an American painter born in 1979. She grew up in Milwaukee and has spent most of her career as an artist in Washington, D.C..

Maggie studied art at several universities. She earned her first degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1996. Later, she received advanced degrees from San Francisco State University in 2000 and American University in 2002. She has won many awards for her art. For example, she received a grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation in 2004. She also worked with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Maggie Michael is married to a sculptor named Dan Steinhilber. She has also taught art at the Corcoran College of Art and Design.

What Kind of Art Does Maggie Michael Make?

Maggie Michael's art style is a mix of two famous art movements: Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism. Pop Art often uses images from popular culture, like advertisements or comic books. Abstract Expressionism focuses on expressing emotions through colors and shapes, often with no clear subject.

Famous Paintings and Collections

Some of Maggie Michael's paintings are in important art museums. Her 2003 painting Genie is part of the collection at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The Smithsonian American Art Museum owns her 2005 painting Anchor. This painting was made using latex, ink, oil enamel, and spray paint on canvas.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum also has her 2004 painting Crest. Another painting, Untitled (Helmet) from 2006, is now at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Her artwork has also been shown at the American University Museum.

How Maggie Michael Creates Her Art

Maggie Michael often paints in groups of artworks called "series." These series are connected by similar visual ideas rather than different painting methods. She often combines sharp, clear shapes, sometimes made with stencils, with softer, more flowing brushstrokes.

She uses many different types of paint, including ink, acrylic, latex, and spray paint. Maggie likes to show how paint can flow and move. Sometimes, she applies paint so thickly that it becomes almost like a sculpture on the canvas. An early example of this is her "Clones" series. In these pieces, she poured single-colored latex paint onto panels. She then shaped the paint into similar-looking blobs. The Washington Post newspaper described her work as "playful yet spartan." This means it's fun but also simple and clear.

Awards and Recognition

Maggie Michael has received several important awards for her contributions to art:

• Artist at Work Program, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 2006-2007
• Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant Artist Fellowship, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, 2004
• Young Artist Grant, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, 2004

Where Her Art Has Been Shown

Maggie Michael's art has been displayed in many galleries and museums. She has had solo exhibitions, which means only her work was shown. She has also been part of group shows with other artists. Her art has been exhibited in cities like Miami, Washington, D.C., Raleigh, Denver, and New York.