ABBREVIATED BIO

Michelle Graves is an interdisciplinary artist whose main bodies of work include existential text influenced by scientific and anatomical research. She has been exhibiting artwork since childhood and has shown consistently throughout her life as well as London and Tokyo in recent years. Graves has a BFA in Photography from Indiana University (2003) and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and Media from Columbia College Chicago (2012.)  She thrived in the Chicago art scene for 16 years and has resided in Las Vegas since 2021. Graves is currently the President of non-profit Goldwell Open Air Museum, the Art Coordinator for the upcoming Arty's Steakhouse in Las Vegas, Design Director/Adobe Instructor for Denver Ad School and an Adobe Certified Expert. 

DETAILED BIO

Michelle Graves is an interdisciplinary artist who uses research and empirical writing to inform her experimental artwork. When she gives herself the space-time, she searches for conclusions in the unknown - a calm within the chaos. Graves chooses to face existential challenges by excavating terminology, by finding repetition and patterns, and by interweaving scientific phenomena to build a structure for the information gathered. Her practice is a deep dive into large questions that linger.

Michelle Graves has been exhibiting artwork since childhood. It started in her midwest Indiana elementary years, then Chicago, nationally, and Tokyo and London in recent years. She has collaborated with artist John Airo as well as joined the artists of American Roulette - an exhibit navigating American gun culture and our violent society. This exhibit has shown in New York City, twice in Chicago, Las Vegas, two exhibits in Colorado and scheduled to display outside of Austin, TX in 2025.   

In pre-pandemic Chicago, she was co-founder and Chair of non-profit Agitator Gallery (2017-2020) and owner/curator of State of the Art, LLC, an art installation and consulting company (2018-2020). She also co-founded, was the original Marketing Manager and a skater and bench coach of the non-profit Chicago Outfit Roller Derby team. (2007-2020) 

Graves has a BFA in Photography from Indiana University (2003) and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and Media from Columbia College Chicago (2012.)  She has resided in Las Vegas since January 2021 and currently is the President of non-profit Goldwell Open Air Museum, the Art Coordinator for the upcoming Arty's Steakhouse in Las Vegas, Design Director/Adobe Instructor for Denver Ad School and an Adobe Certified Expert.