A bit about the artist . . .
Michael Bailey
So, it's quite a difficult task not to make this part of the website terribly dry and boring ... all the lists of "this is where I went to art school" and "these are all the galleries and art collections featuring my brilliant work" ... The truth is, if the work speaks to you and you find I'm not an intolerable person, then perhaps that is good enough reason to be interested in what I am doing here and the art that I make.
Okay, so I DID go to college, but I turned down all the art school scholarships so I could attend a small liberal arts school in Alma, Michigan where I could run track and cross country and study many other disciplines besides focusing on a true studio artist's path. To this day, I sing the praises of learning to solve problems creatively and IMPROVISE - skills I use every day in my own art installation business and in the studio.
I left my first secure job as a graphic designer (the corporate structure of the advertising world was just not my thing) and traveled around the country for several years sellling monotype and serigraph prints in my favorite arts festivals. During this time I also kept my hand in graphic design, doing freelance work for running and cycling shops and event promotions.
My passions for running and cycling and skiing, more than the art, have taken me from place to place over the years, but art has always been the grounding force in my life. I've owned my own graphic arts company, worked a few years as art director for a Colorado ski resort, did two years as the exhibit designer and preparator for the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and owned an art gallery in Seattle for a spell. For the past 12 years, I've owned Inspired Installations, a fine arts services company helping homeowners and companies primarily with their art hanging and moving.
My diverse background in the art world has helped to point me in the direction of focusing more intently on creating my own work, especially on designing art pieces and the physical spaces in which to view them. It is my dream to be creating art and its viewing environment as part of a whole ... exhibitions with a narrative to lead the viewer on an immersive journey, to be part of a story in which they find themselves participating. It is this dream that has led me to the production of heart-themed pieces of my own creation and a collection of several hundred companion pieces of art, ephemera, antiques and oddities all based on the themes and symbolism of "the heart".
The H'Art Studio website is my first public step to realizing my vision of creating this art journey for people, creating awareness, and encouraging those who enjoy the art to get involved in supporting the project by viewing and possibly purchasing work to help The H'Art Museum become a reality. I hope you enjoy your visit!!