Michele Oka Doner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michele Oka Doner
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Oka Doner: Bringing the Fire 2018
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| Born | 1945 (age 79–80) Miami Beach, Florida, United States
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Michigan |
| Known for | Artist, author |
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Notable work
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"A Walk on the Beach" Miami International Airport |
Michele Oka Doner (born in 1945 in Miami Beach, Florida, United States) is an American artist and author. She creates art using many different materials like sculpture, prints, drawings, and even videos. She has also designed costumes and sets for shows. Michele Oka Doner has made over 40 permanent art installations in public and private places. One of her most famous works is “A Walk On The Beach” at Miami International Airport. It's a long path made of bronze and terrazzo that is over a mile long!
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Michele Oka Doner grew up in Miami Beach, Florida. Her grandfather, Samuel Heller, was a painter. Her father, Kenneth Oka, was a judge and later the mayor of Miami Beach when she was young. Their family was very involved in public life. Later, Michele co-wrote a book called Miami Beach: Blueprint of an Eden. This book shared a close look at Miami Beach from the 1920s to the 1960s. It used her family's experiences to show what life was like back then.
When she was 12 years old in 1957, Michele worked on a special project for a whole year. She studied the International Geophysical Year (IGY), which was a time when scientists from around the world worked together to study Earth. She made a book filled with drawings, writings, and collages. This project helped her learn how to plan and create bigger art projects later in her life.
Education and Artistic Growth
In 1963, Michele Oka Doner left Florida to study at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her art teacher, Milton Cohen, was exploring new ideas with something called The Space Theater. Another person, George Manupelli, started the Ann Arbor Film Festival. Students at the university were combining poetry, dance, light, and music to create unique art experiences. This way of thinking greatly influenced Michele's art. She even took part in experimental films and "Happenings," which were like spontaneous art performances. She also learned from art historian Oleg Grabar, who showed how patterns in buildings can make spaces feel different.
One of her first artworks, a Death Mask, was chosen for the cover of the university's art journal. This was during a time when students were protesting the Vietnam War. Her Tattooed Porcelain Dolls were also used by students to protest the use of napalm, a chemical that caused injuries. These artworks showed her strong feelings about important issues.
Michele Oka Doner earned her Bachelor of Science and Design degree from the University of Michigan in 1966. She then received her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1968. The university has honored her many times for her achievements in art.
You can find many examples of her art on the university campus. These include the Science Benches and large bronze figures called Angry Neptune, Salacia and Strider. These sculptures are outside the University of Michigan Museum of Art.
Early Career and Exhibitions
After graduating in 1968, Michele Oka Doner opened her art studio in Ann Arbor. Nearby, scientists were experimenting with holography, a way to create 3D images using lasers. One of Michele's sculptures was even used in the world's first exhibition of holograms in 1970!
Her ceramic dolls were also featured on the Today Show in 1969 and later exhibited in Scotland.
In 1975, Michele created a new series of works called Burial Pieces. She displayed these pieces directly on the floor, instead of on pedestals. This was a new way to show sculpture. She had a solo show at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1977. For this show, called Works in Progress, she placed thousands of clay pieces on the floor. These pieces showed images of writing and seeds growing. In 1979, her work was part of a group exhibition that traveled to P.S. 1 in New York. Critics praised her work, saying she turned simple forms into beautiful art.
Amazing Public Artworks
In 1981, Michele Oka Doner moved to New York City and began creating many public art installations. These are artworks made for public spaces, like parks or subway stations. In 1987, she won a competition to create Radiant Site for the Herald Square subway station in New York City. This artwork is a 165-foot-long wall. People loved how it made them feel like they were looking up at the night sky. This project led to other large installations, such as River of Quintessence in Texas and Flight at the Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. She also designed a security screen called Wave & Gate for a courthouse in Mississippi.
Miami International Airport
Michele Oka Doner's most famous artwork is "A Walk on the Beach" (1995, 1999) and its extension, "A Walk on the Beach: Tropical Gardens" (1996–2010), at the Miami International Airport. This amazing artwork is made of over 9,000 bronze pieces mixed into the floor, along with shiny mother-of-pearl. It stretches for over a mile, making it one of the largest artworks in the world!
When you walk on "A Walk on the Beach," it feels like you are exploring the ocean floor, surrounded by sea creatures and sparkling designs. It's like the sky and the ocean have been flipped upside down, creating a magical experience. The community in Miami has even called "A Walk on the Beach" one of the "8 Wonders of Miami."
Sculptures and Exhibitions
In 2009–2010, Michele Oka Doner created SoulCatchers, a collection of about 400 sculptures. These sculptures were inspired by shamanistic ideas, which connect to the belief that the world has a soul. She displayed them in a special kiln room at a porcelain factory in Germany.
More "SoulCatchers" were shown at galleries in New York and Michigan.
Michele Oka Doner has had many solo art shows in different cities, including Detroit, New York, Rome, and Miami.
Some of her recent solo exhibitions include "Close Your Physical Eye" (2019), "New Works on Paper" (2019), and "How I Caught A Swallow in Mid-Air" at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (2016). Her first video, A Walk on the Beach, was shown at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2011 on a huge outdoor screen.
Michele also designed the sets and costumes for the Miami City Ballet's show "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 2016 and 2019. Her designs were inspired by undersea creatures she saw at a marine museum. These images were also featured in her book, Into the Mysterium.
In 2015, she created a large art installation called “Mangrove Retreat” for Art Basel Miami Beach, using special fabric.
Collections
Michele Oka Doner's artwork can be found in many important art collections around the world. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Cooper-Hewitt, and the Louvre in Paris. Her work is also in the Art Institute of Chicago, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
Awards and Honors
Michele Oka Doner has received many awards and special recognitions for her art, including:
- Guardian of the Great Miami Beach Banyan Tree by Proclamation, Mayor of the City of Miami Beach, 2021
- Artist In Residence, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, 2019
- Artist In Residence Manitoga, Garrison, New York, 2019
- Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, University of Michigan, 2016
- John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Arts Challenge Grant, 2017. Artist Grant, 2015
- Legends Award, Pratt Institute, 2006
- Honorary Doctorate Degree in Fine Arts from the New York School of Interior Design, 2011
- Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Michigan, 1994
- Alumna In Residence, University of Michigan School of Art, 1990
- Artist in Residence (RAAR), Academy in Rome, 1987
- Michigan Potter's Association Ceramic Prize, Detroit Institute of Arts, 1969
- Standard Ceramic Company Award, 1968
- Lydia Winston Malbin Prize at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 1968
See also
In Spanish: Michele Oka Doner para niños
